When the curtain parted, there was one band left standing each night in our semi-final rounds in Dallas. After all was said and done, 64 bands were narrowed down to 12 outstanding groups representing the best that Dallas has to offer. We’re going to look back at week one of the semis now. Thursday started with Waiting for Dawn, who definitely set it off right with a strong performance, commanding the crowd’s attention with powerful vocals and a solid sound. Tristate Heartache played a diverse set, and had an interesting cover of “Shout,” with their own twist. These guys have incredible potential! Backroom Noise brought their newly revamped sound to the Curtain Club with excellent guitar solos and powerful vocals. Surrender By Light came with fresh, original material, led by articulate guitar and edgy vocals. Stage energy and a positive message led Five Talents More into the spotlight during their set. It was a non-stop electrifying set! SOCOE’s set was masterful, with in-your-face alt rock done right. Kevin’s Head proved once again that rock is not dead, breaking out their solid set of original material. Chasing February wrapped Thursday with a great set, featuring solid vocals and excellent drum work. Perfect energy led No Outlet’s music into the perfect start to Friday night, featuring high-tension horns with hyper guitar and vocal work. Of Korah’s new vocalist and some revamping around the stage definitely took these guys to a new level. The Juice Kittens energetic set featured enticing female vocals and a nicely done Cure cover. V.A.L.O.’s sharp but introspective vocals were the perfect topper to the face-melting guitar work. This was a memorable set! Wilsun Co. hit the stage next, giving the crowd a real treat with a fresh sound and great original stuff. Free Agent’s hip-hop set was reminiscent of Lyrics Born mixed with a Gorillaz flavor, but was definitely a sound all their own. Excellent work from the band and the DJ sharing the stage! The night was closed with Joint Method, who brought the house down with a solid set of funky Latin hip-hop jams. Saturday got started on a great note with Trouble In Mind, playing a diverse set of original rock with an alternative folk touch. June’s Descent hit the stage next, giving rock a shake-up with solid guitar work and outstanding vocals. Valeyra’s energy was unmatched, putting everyone in the Curtain Club on the tips of their toes to see the action on stage. Hugonaut’s progressive sound was definitely something to catch, and their set was solid from top to bottom. Darcy entertained the crowd at Curtain Club with their Indie sound and had an excellent drummer. Villain Vanguard showed why they are considered a powerhouse of Dallas Funk, as they captivated the crowd at Curtain Club. The level of talent possessed by the Joe K Experience guys is formidable, and they definitely did not disappoint! Sunday, a day of rest? HA! Florian’s show woke everyone up, with captivating vocals from the female lead and great backing work from the band. The next band, A Last Chance, rocked the house and got the crowd up and going. Kingfish’s music is pensive and thought provoking, and I would really love to hear a longer set from them. Their CD rocks, too, and I’m looking forward to the new stuff. Shallow Promise did not disappoint from what I remembered from the first time I saw them, and they definitely got the crowd excited. Mettlesome’s set of melodic metal was awesome, and they rocked the stage at Curtain Club. Thesis and Music Theory, a last minute addition, did not disappoint and surprised everyone with her original funk hop sound. One weekend down, and congrats to our finalists, SOCOE, Joint Method, Villain Vanguard, Shallow Promise, and our wildcards from this week, Free Agent and The Joe K Experience. We closed the Curtain Club for a few days to let the stage cool off, but it reopened for a whole new batch of semi-finalists and more talent than a batch