In the Opera House, Toronto, the semi-finals are done, baked, finished. The good times rolled (and rocked). For eight nights the audience screamed and cheered their favorite bands. We broke a few strings, some hearts and one or two guitar straps. We will miss, among other things, those two overly excited female fans (Phat Stick?) that jumped on stage and exposed their…well that’s a different kind of article. Here’s a break down of the goodies: Wych took the first night with a little glam spell and a lot of raunchy rock-n-roll. Two-girl army (oh yea, and those three other guys) Sixtyseven pulled out the big guns, loaded with killer vocals and fancy guitar work. Ego Trip a down and dirty power trio left an impression that said, “Those boys had some lessons”. On the second night, Bent Hefner did the trick, using melodic vocals over ripping guitars. But it was David Hein that earned a place in the finals, singer songwriter style. Scandalnavia asked the question, “Do you wanna go faster?” We said “Yes!” Closing the show was Paradigm Shift with a magnetic front man, a double bass drum assault, and clearly one of the best guitar players in the festival. Night three gave us Aural Six (that’s a-u-r-a-l) and a singer that took off one shirt per song until he was half naked (maybe that’s why they took first place for the night). Under dogs Freefall squeaked runners up and made it to the finals with a sound they describe as ROCK. Near the end of the night, Still Life Still played a sweet set of emo-core. The audience was not disappointed. The lead singer from the band Us entertained with his costume, or lack thereof, when he stripped down to underwear, work boots and a tool belt. This, mixed with a tight band, it’s no wonder they took the fourth night home. Definitely not out standing by himself, was Jonny Outstanding, who teamed up with a hand drum player, to create a Caribbean feel in Canada. Week one finished. Strike the gear. On week two, night five, the crowd was pumped when Conspiracy, a band of fourteen-year-olds, took to the stage and gave us the punk rock. Head Down won the night with designer clothes (for the girls) and a heavy alternative sound. Night six ended in a tie-for-first between old school rockers Zeo and synth-guitar driven hard heads, Distant Minds (in the picture). The show got bigger with two runners up, the energetic J’s Basement and the sonic drive of Storm Without Cease. Running Against Radar arrived at the showdown armed with a large enthusiastic fan base and slick originals. Their aim was true and we will see them at the finals. What do you do when you break a string and don’t have a back up guitar? You do what the front man for Gumption does, you sit on the floor and change it while your bass player and drummer jam. And if you are as cool as they are, you will tune up quickly and blast through your set like nothing happened. Seven nights done… Focal Point put Michael Jackson to shame with their cover of “Beat It”. They also made seven other bands bow their heads in respect by being the top group of night eight. Last, not least, was Recall; they amazed even the jaded soundmen with dueling guitar solo’s and soaring vocals. Eight, over-easy. Back to the wood shed, re-group, the finals are coming, the people have spoken and the bands have been chosen. Back up guitars, strings and straps are being prepared. Will those two female Phat Stick fans come back? Will they contain themselves? Maybe. Maybe not. See you in the house.