Thursday, January 18th Another first group of shows for Emergenza as Kansas City, Missouri put itself officially on the map. From Jazz and Funk to Metal and Emo, the Mid-West proved very surprising in their dedication and support of local music. One of the most solid bands I’ve ever seen was first up to represent Kansas City. Vibe, a jazz-funk quartet that won over the entire crowd was as smooth as the other side of the pillow. Mixing some R&B as well, this all instrumental band laid down the groove for all 25 minutes. Catch them in the semi-finals coming soon. Torn Apart shook up the place and laid the foundation for more rock and metal to end the night. A very hard core metal band definitely seemed to spur on the other rock bands for the night. Forlorn Hope brought a little more melody to their metal sound. These guys were very energetic and had some good stage presence to back it up. Stand Under Nothing was the most mainstream sounding band of the first night. A tight, hard rock band with good vocals engaged their and the other band’s crowd. Frajile was a mix of rock and grunge that harkened back to the early 90’s. A bit more time performing in front of an audience and their dark vocals and powerful chords should prove to be a unique sound. Just a little more interaction with the crowd and next year these guys should definitely see some growth. The second and last instrumental band of the week was a Progressive-Indie rock band named Brainbow. They definitely won most creative band name as well. A good energy and a good look brought together this Pelican/Doors sounding group. Look for them in the next round. The Dollhouse Rumor sustained the energy created by the other bands and saw the crowd feed off theirs. Walking a fine line of high energy and in your face rock had the crowd in the palm of their hand. Great job by The Dollhouse Rumor. Lastly, Pittcore probably had the most compliments from the other bands. This band has grown a lot over the last year and with some ripping guitar solos and screaming vocals, these guys played their way into the semi-finals with incredibly energy. Friday, January 19th We saw our biggest crowd in Kansas City on Friday night and a much more eclectic and diverse mix of rock. Heidi Hellfire proved they belong with the top-tier bands despite it being their first performance ever! A little shaky at first, they found their rhythm and played a big show for their screaming fans. In the Fire was a straight up blues-rock band with a singer/songwriter quality that no one else had. It is cool to see passion in lead singers with a band that can play tastefully behind him. Look for these guys in the semi-finals as well. My Only Danger was one of the best young, talented bands anyone saw that weekend. They won over this big crowd with their melodic-progressive rock and very unique, penetrating vocals. These guys also have a great sound very unique to them. Can’t wait to see what these guys will come up with next. Applebutta was a chill band, which truly loves to play in front of new and old fans. Real solid and a great band for people to just dig on, these guys were great to work with and I know they will be back at Mike’s Tavern in the future. Drop Zero was a hard rock band with a pretty good sound. Lead vocals really drove the band, but they need a little more effort getting the crowd involved. A solid band throughout for Kansas City though. Left On Northwood was a very polished band, with a huge sound. Lots of energy, lots of intensity from the players as well as the vocals. These guys kept the crowd involved and the other bands will have a hard act to follow with these guys in the semi-finals. Strange name but a pretty good, classic rock sound, Lipriddle had a lot of fun on stage. Great guitar player, good vocals and a solid rhythm sectio