This year's Grand Band Slam nominations and voting yielded a large and diverse cross-section of Valley bands. In addition to reconfiguring our categories to better match the music, we've added something entirely new: editor's picks. We cherish the views of our readers, but we know too that in a contest that is in part about popularity, certain voting anomalies take place. Nowhere was that more true this year than in the New Band category, and so we awarded all of the top three vote-getters the prize, saving us the trouble of dispatching election lawyers, and offering listeners three times the new music.
Before the voting began, we chose our editor's picks: some of the Valley bands we think deliver great music. Some of them won their Band Slam category—Primate Fiasco, Leah Randazzo, Yucky Octopus, the Problemaddicts—and many didn't. But we still wanted these worthy bands to play what we hope will be a grand party Oct. 4 at Maximum Capacity in Chicopee. The festivities at Max Cap begin early and go till late, and one lucky band who plays the Band Slam will win a drawing for a prize package worth some $10,000—how else to choose from so many good bands in so many genres?
The full line up and directions are posted here.
•Blues•
Sharp Harp Jr.
and the Blades
Richard Badowski: harp, vocals; Keith Laudieri: drums; Paul Dabrowski: bass; Pete Aleksi: guitar; Jeremy Hill: slide guitar.
•Celtic•
Big Bad Bollocks
John Allen: vocals; Paul Scarpino: guitar; Ernie Wilson: bass; Bob Richards: drums.
•Country•
Drunk Stuntmen
Steve Sanderson: vocals/guitar; Alex Johnson: guitar/vocals; J. Scott Brandon: bass/vocals; Scott Hall: keyboard/vocals; Dave Durst: drums.
•Cover•
Aquanett
Anthony Whalen: vocals; Matthew Macri: bass; Edmond Dupont: drums; Rick Thompson: keyboard/vocals; Mike Abdow: guitar/vocals.
•DJ•
DJ Theory
DJ Theory: producer/DJ/founder and co-owner of Mystika Music, LLC.
•Drum ’n’ Bass DJ•
DJ Redshift
Clinton Racine, a.k.a. Clinto: DJ/producer of Fluid Thursdays and Fusion Fridays at Northampton’s The Elevens and Paradise City Tavern, respectively.
•Electronica•
Matt Foster
Matt Foster: guitar/bass/keyboard/programming.
•Experimental/Noise•
Yucky Octopus
Anthony DeNucce: vocals; Chris Couchon: keyboard/vocals; Darren Masloski: bass; David Mikuta: drums; Adam Cote: guitar/vocals; Chris Daniele: guitar/vocals.
•Folk•
World’s Greatest Dad
Luke Degoao: guitar/vocals/vocal percussion/drums; Gabe Sullivan: vocals/vocal percussion/percussion; Ryan Crowley: guitar/vocals; Eric Lee: fiddle; Steve Yarbro: clarinet; Amanda Freeman: flute; Dani O’Brien: omnichord; Hodges: percussion.
•Funk•
Shokazoba
Kwami Nyarko: vocals/percussion; Wendell Reinhiemer: guitar; David DiLorenzo: keyboard; Dan Grip: bass/vocals; Keith Laudieri: drums/vocals/percussion; Hodges: vocals/percussion; Jason Mosall: trumpet; Noah Enelow: alto saxophone.
•Groove•
Danny Pease
& the Regulators
Kenn Kosiba: vocals; Phaze: vocals; Dan Pease: guitar; Jake Curran: bass; Benji James: guitar; Jeremy Fournier: drums; Joe Grenier: percussion.
•Hardcore•
The Devil’s
Moses
Jon Crosby: vocals/guitar; Michael Cooper: bass/vocals; Matt Fuller: guitar; Tom Deal: vocals; Bryant Galloway: drums.
•Hip-Hop•
The
Problemaddicts
Tone: emcee/producer; Vorheez: emcee; Force: emcee; 1ne Man Sound: emcee; Black Buddha: emcee; DJ Theory: DJ.
•Jazz•
Leah Randazzo
Group
Leah Randazzo: vocals; Ryan Hommel: guitar; David Picchi: bass; Justin Annis: drums; Frank Newton: tenor saxophone; Andrew Smicker: trumpet; Paul Olesuk: trombone.
•Latin•
Viva Quetzal
Sue Burkhart: guitar; Roberto Clavijo: vocals/strings/wind instruments; Jon Weeks: saxophone/flute; Jeff Nissenbaum: drums; Juan Carlos Carpio: strings.
•Metal•
Endcount
Stevie Chase: vocals/guitar; Eric Gemborys: guitar/vocals; Mike Kudukey: bass; Kris Kudukey: drums.
•New Band(s)•
The Devil’s Moses, Rabbit Rabbit, Tailor Made
The Devil’s Moses: Jon Crosby: vocals/guitar; Mike Cooper: bass/vocals; Matt Fuller: guitar; Tom Deal: vocals; Bryant Galloway: drums. Rabbit Rabbit: Louise Chicoine: vocals; Nikki Holiday: drums; Lynelle Lefferts: bass; Jason Lavoie: guitar; Nikki Holiday: drums. Tailor Made: Tim Rapa: vocals/guitar; Aaron Orsucci: guitar/vocals; Mike Cooper: bass/vocals; Kurt Shouse: drums/percussion.
•Pop•
Space Captain
Mike Stitsinger: vocals/guitar; Justin Verville: bass; Mark Otanni: drums.
•Punk•
Thrillpillow
Plum Crane: vocals/guitarist; Maggie Nowinski: bass/vocals; Matt Weston: guitarist; James Z.: drums.
•Reggae•
The Alchemystics
Jay Metcalf: keyboard; Garrett Sawyer: bass/engineer/producer; Demse Zullo: drums/percussion/en
gineer/producer; Ras Jahn: vocals; Ian-I: vocals/guitar; Souljah T: vocals; Force: vocals.
•Rock•
Limited Sight
Josh Violette: vocals; Joe Kardos: bass/vocals; JR Zyla: drums/vocals; Nick Zyla: guitar/vocals; Joe Zwirko: guitar/vocals.
•Singer/songwriter•
Mark Schwaber
Mark Schwaber: vocalist/guitarist; Sara Gomes: vocalist.
•Swing•
The Primate Fiasco
Nick Borges: trumpet/vocals; Dave DelloRusso: banjo/vocals/harp; Steve Yarbro: saxophone/clarinet/vocals; Will Choe: trumpet/tuba/vocals; Chris Trevethan: drums.
•Tribute•
Check Your Head
Keith LaFlamme: emcee; Mike Lamberton: emcee; Sean Betera: emcee; Jason Gonzalez: DJ; Joe Grenier: drummer: Pete Harvey: bass.
•World•
Tony Vacca’s World Rhythms
Tony Vacca: percussion; Tim Moran: saxophone; Joe Sallins: bass/percussion: Steve Leicach: percussion; Derrik Jordan: violin/percussion/vocals.
