It is heard that in Columbia there isn’t much of a music scene. This is Emergenza’s second year in Columbia and we had a plethora of really great bands come to compete in the first round of the Emergenza Music Festival. The festival in Columbia showcased all areas of music in one-way or another. Spanning from funk-soul to R&B, Indie and Emo, and then diving right into the areas of rock, hard-rock and heavy-metal this was sure to be a diverse weekend! The festival showcased the local bands in the #1 best venue in Columbia, Headliners. Thursday, December 14th Thursday was kicked off with a diverse stage full of excellent music. On stage first was Sun Brewed Soul who really portrayed to the audience how funk-soul could be a genre enjoyed by all. They had some of the best vocal effects, as well as a pianist that would play as the audience begged for more. On stage next was Foxes that Fight who performed a new age of reggae and rock: they brought in a brass section that rocked everyone’s socks off. They also had a stage presence that made everyone jump around. Then the audience crammed up against the stage to hear Examining Emma. They really knew how to work the crowd with their strong musical presence and strong guitar players. Finishing out Thursday night was White Rose Revival. The showed the audience how to rock it with some heavy-metal. They brought to the stage a strong front man and some awesome guitar solos. Friday, December 15th Starting out Friday night was a band called State of Illusion: the band showed the crowd that even if you’re a young rocker you are still able to rock out a venue. They filled the audiences’ ears with diverse lyrics and strong bass presence. Next up was Necessary Evil and they were just that. They brought great guitar solos and a strong vocal presence having the audience ask for more. Counter Intelligence then jumped on stage with classic titles like “The Tree Song” and “Thunder Cock”. They showed the audience that 3 members can sound like 5. After only being together for a little over a month Anger Management rocked the house out. Bringing on a great stage presence and spectacular dynamics. Hopeless Ambition then showed everyone how they can take things to another level. They were backed up with a great drummer and a good bassist. The last band topped the night off with a taste of metal: White Light Complex definitely showed the crowd what two-stepping was created for. They rocked out with strong guitar solos and a front man screaming his heart out. Saturday, December 16th Hello Tomorrow started things off on Saturday. They brought great dynamics and a bass player that was off the wall. Then Embedded rocked out the venue with great songs like “Over the Influence” and “Contemplate”. They utilized some great guitar solos, thick bass riffs and a strong presence. What’s up next? Amplifyed! The audience really got a show with some the best stage presence and an incredibly awesome drummer. Fair Street stepped it up with some Christian-metalcore. They not only got the crowds’ attention with a killer intro, but also had a woman lead vocalist that would scream until her lungs got sore. Then a band by the name of Detox steps on the stage: they showed the crowd some awesome vocal dynamics and strong solos. As the festival came into the last hour it was found suiting to have the band Last Hour finish out the night. They topped off the show with a great piano player and a very diverse set. Perhaps everything is better the second time around. Columbia’s best venue Headliners was buzzing with energy. Hopefully a taste of South Carolina will spread on into Germany. For any information other Emergenza shows checkout Emergenza.net Webmagazine. Until<