Friday, February 2nd The final weekend of the Emergenza first round of band performances started with the cool hip-hop conglomerate of Rising Sound, a determined and hard-working band from Fresno, California, with a strong lead guitar who played outstanding riffs and changes. Sean O’Brien and His Dirty Hands, an alternative rock band from San Francisco, consisted of guitar, drums and bass, and dedicated an original song, Tranny Ignored, to San Francisco, and then shifted into high gear to go on to the 2nd Round. Raja, a jazz trio, consists of guitar, accordion and Raja, a sultry jazz vocalist. Raja Rahim, originally from Buffalo, New York, sang in her velvet voice some of the great tunes from the Great American Songbook—You Stepped Out Of A Dream, and several other classic ballads. Her instrumental backups were suave and solid. Then it was time for Untied to tie up their set. Untied hails from across the Pond, from sunny San Leandro, California, and brought their three-piece musical mayhem machine to Rockit Room and landed themselves in Place de #1. Xymphoni (pronounced symphony), a veteran Bay Area band, is a versatile band playing impressive original blues as well as some standard covers. Bass player, Ron Joseph, was recently inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, as the Best Bandleader of the Year. Trust is a heavy-rock band from San Jose, and was founded in June 2006. This band is looking for a standout rhythm guitar – anybody listening? This trio’s tunes were homeruns, and Godsmack-like, with high spirit and a great set, and got a green light into the 2nd Round. If Nobody Knew--nobody would have known that this band knows how to shake up a crowd and make them crazy! Seriously, knowing is believing, and this four piece rock band ended the night at Rockit Room with a frenzy. Saturday, February 3rd Mouth to Mouth, a four-piece rock band from Marin County brought its special brand of polished performances and outstanding vocal work to the Rockit Room where it moved the Emergenza crowd to its feet, in a burst of excitement for every hot original. Amaya, is named for leader Natalie Amaya, the band’s namesake and front person. They’ve been “rockin’ the Bay in a Latin kind of way” for over a year. Their strong Latin originals, and solid musicianship, swept up their fan’s emotions, and landed them in first place. Her Led Zeppelin cover version of “Rock and Roll” was simply stunning and a thrill. Congratulations to Amaya. Well done. The Grace Woods Trio from Berkeley, California, featured bass, drums and Grace Woods, multi-tasking on vocals and keyboards. Gaining momentum in Northern California festivals and clubs, this year-old combo has an EP on iTunes. Check it out. Hell69 comes from the depths of the Sonoma Metal Underground and ripped open the rafters with nasty shreds and screeching decibels—a just combination of heavy metal and incisive lyrics. A Place To Call Home, is an alternative rock band, consisting of four musicians, with strong material, a fine lead guitarist, and a fog machine. This troupe made itself right at home, and landed a spot in 3rd place for the night – translates to earning a spot in the 2nd Round lineup. Just as the First Round finale becomes history, Rockit Room is gearing up for a super Second Round starting later this month.