My first time to Milwaukee was quick but enriching. Big thanks to Vnuk’s Bar and all their help for our 1st round shows. Thursday, March 8th Anura started the week off. A 90’s grunge band with some melodic rock riffs. All the players were pretty solid musically and their songs were straight up, short and sweet. I think with a little bit more time on stage their stage presence will develop as much as their playing has. Hat Trick stepped the rock up a bit more between the three members. These guys are a metal band with some progressive rock sounds as well. Good energy on stage, very driven by the music and Hat Trick really seemed to love what they were doing. Ok dynamics, would like to see some better transitions and interaction with the crowd. Good job overall guys. Steal Reserve had good vocals, a good lead guitarist that dominated the show. The rest of the band could make for an amazing live show if they followed their lead guitarist because the blues-pop-rock sounds with a hint of punk has potential to grow. With a little work on that stage presence and dynamics of songs I hope we see these guys again next year. Underground Day 1 are all about intensity. Strong vocals, strong lead & rhythm guitars, strong rhythm section, all parts blend well and good energy on stage. Pretty diverse sound, hard rock-metal that was maybe a little too diverse. Overall very solid. Von Din kept the energy going with real solid music and good instrumentation. Good lead vocals with a hard rock meets early punk sounds going on. Think Primus meets Dream Theater in some ways. This band wins best t-shirt of the night as well. It read, “I’m the father of Anna Nicole’s baby, now where’s my money?” Check these guys out in quarterfinals at The Rave. Nailwounds was a very hardcore-metal band. Slow start with some timid vocals, but a very powerful band got the set going. The music was a bit chaotic at times, but their stage presence picked up the slack. Thanks for coming out guys. Three Pear proved just how diverse the night was with some good time pop-rock. Very melodic sound, shy on stage, good drummer and catchy vocals… oh yeah, and that was all with three days practice. Looking forward to hearing from these guys in the future. Prolapse was heavy rock with some big vocals. These guys were mature on stage and probably the most polished band. Friday, March 9th Our last night in Milwaukee. The bands really stepped it up. Here’s the run down. The Final Departure had a hard rock-punk-grunge sound to start the night off. A solid sound with ok stage presence and transitions between songs. Lead vocals strained a bit through the set, but the dynamics and sound these guys had really got the crowd into the show. Zero Destiny kept the rock going with some good stage presence and strong vocals. I like that these guys play hard rock but keep it accessible to a larger audience. Thanks for the good work guys. Veracity gave us the first hardcore metal band of the night. Loads of energy and ok stage presence: music is tight but transitions and dynamics need work. These guys have a good foundation and I hope they continue to grow on it. Little Known Nothing is a very polished and mature band that really lead the night in regards to professionalism. Great instrumentation, good feel on stage, really solid drummer, GREAT dynamics mixed with good energy. The vocals match the music well. I love the funk-rock sound too. The Blackberries is a very eclectic band with a unique and creative sound musically and vocally. Good driving bass sound, solid lead guitar and vocals really get the crowds attention. Good dynamics for the whole set and a little bit more interaction with the crowd will really step up the performance as a whole. Great job guys and hope to hear from you next year. The Mut Show was exciting, re