Thursday saw five bands hit the stage, taking us from sultry blues-rock to alternative metal and many in-between. Randy Pavlock and Twenty-Four Seven fired things off with a set of blues rock that felt like SRV reincarnate. This three piece really set things off with one powerful set. General Boy was next on the menu, bringing their very original mix of indie and sub-pop to the crowd at The Parish. The versatility with these guys is really something! Manteca Beat hit the stage next with a sassy, bluesy, jazzy mix of catchy jams. The vocals from the guitar were great, and the sax was ultra-talented! Great job all around from this band. Omerta Ignored brought the ten-foot thick rock to The Parish tonight and definitely woke the crowd up and got them on their feet! This was a power-rock set done right. The Van Buren Boys finished off the short night of the weekend with a diverse set ranging from pirate punk to reggae to modern-rock, and all in the span of twenty-five minutes. The throwback keyboard was a trip for the last song, and they definitely rocked their way into the final! Friday’s pro band numero uno was the fabulous Higher Than Why. The funky hip-hop sounds filled The Parish and got the crowd’s feet tapping and heads nodding. The simple set up of keys, bass, drums and emcee was tasteful and didn’t overtake the messages in the lyrics. iTEM84 fired off a power-pop-punk set (nice use of alliteration, right?) in the style of Blink182 and other SoCal pop punk superstars. The vocals were crisp and the trio put on a great show! A U X was next, and I don’t have the words… this band was incredible. Energy, stage presence… definitely a title contender! The vocals were solid and the guitars driven, with a great rhythm section to round it all out. Bravo! Aquafire stepped up to the stage next, and set off an eclectic set of trippy three-piece rock that went from modern rock to indie and back. Nice guitar work and versatility on the front men was key! Throw the Chili Peppers, Sublime and The Kinks into a bowl. Stir well. Pour into breakable mold and bake at 369 for 25 minutes. This was the recipe for Euphoria, who tore into the crowd at The Parish with an intense set of outstanding music! The vocals were kickin’, and the bassist was a monster unleashed. The Derral Gleason Band was blues-rock revitalized, with a stellar set of original material to rival the competition. The stage presence was unmatched and the band really put on a show! Drawingback hit it next, with a blues power set of gynourmous proportions (yeah, I made the word up). The guitar sailed effortlessly over bass and drums, giving the crowd something tasty with which to rock out. Season one veterans One Trick Monkey wrapped up the night in style, proving why they are one of the premier bands in Austin. The set was outlandishly portrayed, with searing guitar licks and vocals that took you into the stratosphere. This was an outstanding way to wrap the night! Saturday night’s alright for celebrating Cinco de Mayo! Get the tequila and the lime, and let’s rock. No Such Thing definitely brought their “A” game to this show. Despite being young and a good hundred miles from the venue, they packed ‘em in early at The Parish. The set was a power-pack of modern rock, with great stage presence and crowd interaction. Great job! Dead Bang Go hopped a six-hour road trip to play the semi-final set, and did a great job of impressing the crowd. The vocals were rock-solid and the band had a very full, powerful sound. They kept the crowd rockin’! Our third band of six scheduled to play was 21Down. They brought a tasty recipe of modern-rock to the stage, with an outstanding female lead on vocals and a superb backline. The bassist’s vocals complimented the lead perfectly, knocki