Emergenza hosted its final rounds of shows in Birmingham, AL this past weekend at the wonderful Zydeco. Zydeco, one of the most prestigious venues in all of Alabama was the perfect setting for the many genres of bands that performed this past weekend. With rock-n-roll, indie, acoustic and hard rock the bands were spectacular and the vibe positive. Auction 45 kicked things off to a magnificent start with a set that was original, spunky and energetic. With incredible guitar playing, swift drum beats and interesting lyrics these guys were quite impressive, and set the bar high for the rest of the evening. Hidden Element, known for their up-beat songs, exciting stage presence and strong songwriting followed with a super set. They kept the crowd on their toes as they ripped through a great performance. Beyond Me stole the hearts of the audience and judges alike. With their high energy, excellent rhythms and captivating stage presence these guys took the win this evening and will be representing Birmingham at the finals in Nashville at City Hall on June 23rd. 3 Shades of Gravy then took the stage with an overwhelmingly great set that consisted of percussion, acoustic and electric guitar, drums, bass and awesome vocals. These guys were a mix of Dave Matthews meets Gnarles Barkley as they awed the audience with their compositions, excellent vocal projections and soothing lyrics. A.Z. then stepped up to a packed audience as they ripped through an all original and energetic set. With a great presence, strong songwriting and excellent musicianship these guys are bound for greatness! Their bassist walked away with “best bass player” awarded by the panel of judges. Mark of Heritage never ceases to put on an excellent performance. Their lead vocalist seems to lure the audience in with his screaming vocals and crowd surfing. They had tight licks, strong rhythms and excellent presence. Skazes produces a sound that is unique and alluring. Their mix of latin, reggae, ska and rock allows for a diverse set. With an excellent horn player adding to keyboards, drums, vocals, bass and guitar these guys were the definition of fun! Knova Jones always puts on a tight performance. With excellent vocals, strong stage presence and smart lyrics these guys always put on a fun show. Their drum and bass are tight as are their guitarist and lead singer. Crowe mixed things up a bit with a set that was absolutely intriguing. Acoustic guitar driven rock that was aided by an excellent violinist, strong vocals, sweet bass and tight rhythms had everyone alive and cheering. Their electric guitarist went home with the “best guitarist” title of the evening. American Living stormed the stage with an entertaining and original set. These guys, both young and talented managed to pull off a very good set. With guitar, drum beats, bass and vocals these guys are on the right track. Chalk with its amazing presence and tight riffs won the hearts of Birmingham with a tight and interesting set. They belted out lyrics with excellent vocals, slid right into gear with incredibly good guitar and bass work and the drums were out of control. These guys were all around entertaining and definitely worth keeping your eyes out for in the future. Refuse the Fall closed out the evening with a set that was rockin! They incorporated strong vocals, intelligent guitar work and strong drum beats to exhibit an all-around tight set. Their drummer went home with the prize for best drummer as the audience exploded with praise! Birmingham has a plethora of talent, as exhibited throughout this season with Emergenza. The shows were always fun, energetic, alive and performed well. With an excellent array of bands, genres and talent Birmingham explodes with good music year after year. Keep posted through the webzine for details about Beyond Me, who w