Bad Jamie participated in the 2006 season of Emergenza. I remember the first time I saw them explicitly, and they are not easy to forget. They have a unique pop sound that is simplistic, yet unique. Having morphed from many styles over the years (and these guys are no rookies) they’ve developed the uncanny ability to write music that is essentially a parade of hooks, that never grows tiresome or repetitive. Their brand of scuzz-pop is instantly likeable and enduring. Look online for them, and we all know everyone has a Myspace, to keep an eye out for their upcoming CD release. Having worked with them over the course of the last season, and being constantly impressed with their live show, I thought of them when I got a phone call about a booking opportunity: an agent for LiveNation offered up a opening slot for Def Leppard and Journey at the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts. This once in a lifetime opportunity could not have come at a better time for these guys. They just finished recording an album and were looking for a little extra exposure to beef up the release. I anticipate that with their exposure from Emergenza, the Tweeter Center show, and having been played on local showcases on WFNX in Boston, big things are in store for this band. I caught up with them a while back to do a little Q & A. Bad Jamie has had quite a long history together. Tell me a little about where you came from, and how your music had evolved over the years? ”We all grew up within streets of each other so it was just an obvious choice for us to start making music together. Basically we ran out of bands to see and music to listen to, so we started entertaining ourselves”. You decided to play Emergenza last year. How''d you find out about the festival? ”The city was abuzz with talk of Emergenza like it is every year and we decided to finally give it a shot”. Did you feel the festival was beneficial to the band? ”Absolutely. Emergenza gave us the opportunity to play a number of major venues in the area that would have been difficult for us to book on our own. It was the learning experience Emergenza had to offer that was most valuable to us. I’m sure most artists work best under pressure and with Emergenza it’s your responsibility to pack the club or else you don’t move on. Some might be critical of how Emergenza works and call it a “popularity contest”, but those people apparently don’t pay attention to how the music industry works. Emergenza’s a good kick in the pants”. How do you feel it impacts the local scene in Boston? ”Boston’s a tough city to break into unless you’re playing hardcore in Red Sox jerseys at a sports bar. Turn it into a competition and people come out in droves to make sure their team wins. Honestly though, Emergenza gave us the opportunity to reach people who probably never would have come out to a Bad Jamie show. We saw bands and still stay in touch with bands who we would have never met. It’s a great networking opportunity and a means to community in a city that should pull together more often”. You just played a big show. Where was it and who with? ”We just opened up for Def Leppard and Journey at the Tweeter Center, thanks to our friends at Emergenza…We got a call and they said “strap your guitars boys, you’re gonna rock a few thousands!”” How was that? ”I’m speechless. It was simply amazing. The atmosphere was incredible and we did really well with merch and CD’s. It was a remarkable experience we’re still pinching ourselves. Emergenza gave us an opportunity to dream… for forty minutes. You couldn’t top that. Honestly, to play at the Tweeter center on that bill, it was simply amazing”.