Thursday, February 8th Academy opened this weekend with a false start. Stopping 30 seconds into their first song, then starting over from the beginning. While Academy is a tight band musically, and has well arranged and energetic vocals and stage presence, it’s the small things (i.e.: false starts, inter-song banter) that can really shatter the illusion of a polished performance. Winnowing Cain followed suit, again with a set that was pretty solid musically, but suffered from a lack of stage presence, and a transparent self-consciousness. While they held it together musically throughout the set, they gave off the impression that each of the 5 members were drawing from very different influences and were trying to pull the band in 5 different directions. Thursday’s showed closed out with Vengeance Creek, a metal band from Bend, OR. While I am personally not a metal fan, these guys definitely set an example of being a well practiced, well polished, and professional act. Saturday, February 10th Alt-metal band Dead End Nation kicked off Saturday evening with a dark and energetic set. Wheelchair Renegades followed with what was arguably the best performance of the weekend: setting the high water mark in the stage presence department, these guys really rock like no one’s watching. Though the crowd was still playing hard-to-get at this point in the evening, these guys were as comfortable onstage as anyone I’ve ever seen. Climbing the rafters, and using the drum riser as a springboard, all the while keeping on top of their catchy guitar riffs, and well arranged vocal harmonies, these guys put on as entertaining a show as most could hope for. Chaos Underground followed up with their own flavor of alt-metal. Again, though their chops were tight, their stage presence was rather timid. It Doesn’t Matter followed up with a sound that draws from punk, ska, and rockabilly influences. Though technically sloppy at parts, they more than made up for it in stage presence and upbeat and catchy riffs. Taking the stage for their first time, Revolution Radio definitely surpassed my expectations. This band, ranging from 14-16 years old, showed that they need no help in the songwriting department. Musically they held it down very well, though still need some work on their vocal projection and crowd interaction. Though stricken with technical problems right at the start of their set, King Friday didn’t let it slow them down. Keeping the ball rolling, they powered through a set that ended up being one of the night’s real crowd pleasers. Pass Margo hit the stage with a sound more in tune with what I expected to hear from the Pacific Northwest. Raw and grungy guitars paired with diverse and dynamic vocals, Pass Margo certainly earned their spot in the next round. Closing out the evening, The Sindicate’s balance of catchy hooks and raw energy ended the weekend on a very high note.