Thursday, May 31th Grace Woods Trio is a light jazz-pop group with three talented pieces. Piano, drums, acoustic and bass guitar really serve as back up to the edgy vocals. The band is tight with ok energy for what genre they do and the dynamics work blend well. More interaction with the crowd and with the members on stage is possible with the piano angled more towards the band. Nideit sounds like “idiot” with an “n” before is a modern rock-blues-pop-country band from Modesto. Vocals were ok, harmony vocals were strong and the music was put together well. More stage presence and a much better look is needed. Hopefully, they got the exposure they were looking for. Sean O’Brien & His Dirty Hands is a very polished band with a solid CCR sound but more folksy. A good band to work with, the vocals are strong and a big compliment for them is they are the type of band that sounds good no matter what gear they are playing. Thanks for coming out guys. Kinectic Chain really brought the energy up and the crowd felt like they were really at a rock show. They play solid hard-rock-modern rock music, good stage presence and front man, lead guitar plays a little too much, but what he plays is pretty good nonetheless. Good job to bass and drums for not getting lost in the mix. They need better dynamics for their songs, but lots of potential overall. One 9 Shangrali reminds me of a great blend of new and old school. Think Living Color meets Kid Rock or ice Cube with a rock band. Very dynamic on stage, music explodes from the first note. Probably the best front man of the weekend. Lots of talent on stage from all the musicians, and I would probably get the lead guitarist going crazy earlier in the set. More attention to dynamics is needed and the bass player should solo it up for sure! Swamp Donkey might be a way to describe personal hygiene or a mythological creature from Biblical times, but they rock no matter what. They have a good rock sound, good lead and b-up vocals to mix with their blues/rock sound. Lots of talent at lead guitar and the rest of the band is very solid as well. The lead singer sounds great but he is also the drummer and the audience had trouble connecting with that. I would move the lead guitarist to center stage so there is at least some flashy strokes to be seen in front of the drummer. Great band that brings a refreshing sound to the competition. Funkanaughts have potential, but their lack of professionalism & lack of attention to details needs to be addressed. Bitch Hits The Floor is not just a clever name…the band rocks pretty hard. Very dynamic vocals, big sound, good bass and guitar work drove through the crowd. A good band to work with and kudos to their crowd for getting so involved. Saturday, June 2nd Magnus Hitch is a very solid band with good music, good vocals and a good funk/rock sound. Good transitions made the music really flow well, but they need more dynamics and interaction with the crowd would really help their appeal. Watersigns is an all instrumental rock band that has good energy and a great rhythm section, but maybe they shouldn’t get as drunk as they did, because they ended up getting sloppy by the time the set was done. Jade of Days a modern-rock band with strong female vocals. Pretty good dynamics, good stage presence, good musicians throughout the band, great band to work with and I would love to see some harmony vocals mixed in as well. They need better/faster transitions, but have all the keys parts down. El Zakador was a very refreshing band, with a great sound. An acoustic/folk band with a great electric guitar player. He has the best spacing and timing of any guitarist I’ve heard in the last 3 months. Vocals were very solid and dynamic; the band has a good vibe on stage, good harmonies and a very creative drummer. Best of luck to these guys. Behind The Green Door