We finally got the Emergenza festival under way in Omaha. Thanks to the Saddle Creek Bar for their help all week long. Thursday, March 15th Reggae Junkie Jew was a great way to start out the weekend. These guys had a great look, a pretty good band; they got everyone’s attention, great energy and a lot of fun. These guys have a lot of sounds going on, big rock, power-pop that reminds me of Cake. The lead singer was always close to his tambourine and the trombone player really helped to layer the music. Lots of originality and it really came off well. These guys really blended a stage show with their music, and that is not the easiest thing to do. Just a little more polishing around the edges like during transitions, better dynamics and more interaction with the crowd and these guys are gonna really get the momentum going. Great start guys! The Color 9 was a solid pop-punk band with that mainstream “California-punk” sound. Music was tight: they had good interaction on stage and with the crowd, good energy and the lead guitarist/singer really set the tone from the first note. Vocals gave way a little bit, but the crowd really responded to their maturity on stage. Indian & the Pales Ales is a blues-jam rock band with a big sound for a three-piece. They sound like a jam version of Local H and Pelican (thanks to Nick for the Pelican CD I can’t stop playing). These guys have a tight rhythm section and a creative guitarist, but they need some work on their look and interaction on stage and with the crowd. Catch them in the semi-finals the first week of April. Chapstik Villains is not just a band with a clever name. These young cats really worked hard all week long and they have a lot of potential to grow from. They have a big Sum 41 sound, with good vocals and a powerful drummer. I’m sure you’ll hear from them very soon Omaha. Emotional Baggage was a great band to hear for the first time. They are good guys to work with; they have a big hard-rock/progressive sound and lots of talent from their guitarist. The vocals are very solid as well. Some more interaction with the crowd and they will become much more accessible on stage. Check them out in the semi-finals as well. Friday, March 16th Tired of Sleep was another good band to start off an Emergenza show with. They’re a solid hard-rock band with tight music, a good rhythm section, good transition between songs and a very likeable front man. The rest of the band could really feed off him more, but just a little bit more work and they will have a lot to offer the local scene. 30 Seconds Late had a pretty cool intro that stood out. They had good energy, but their music became a little sloppy because of it. Powerful vocals that really add to the blues/hard-rock sound going on. Stalemate was a pretty good hard-rock/metal band that was accessible to a mostly rock audience. Good guitar and bass work, good energy, lots of intensity, long developed songs and strong vocals throughout their set. Paisty Jenny was probably the most polished band of the weekend. Strong, melodic vocals to grab people’s attention and the music really added to the show. They have a solid stage performance, good back up vocals, good dynamics and good interaction with the crowd. Looking forward to working with these cats again. Saturday, March 17th Key-Mo is a stage performance group, not a musical band. Good luck in the future guys. Electric Lullaby is a hard-rock band that needs to work on the little things. They have the desire to keep playing locally, hopefully it works out for them. High Octane is a metal band that plays really loud. However, they lost a little control with their sound throughout their set cuz of their energy. Keep working guys. Blood Cow started off well, but I think the alcohol proved to big too much for them to handle Overall, they have a pretty<