[Fredslist] Gotham's Battle of the Bands

[odeyraviv at aol.com]

Hello Gothamites,


Club Groove, the setting for the Sixth Annual Gotham Battle of the Bands(BOB), is in the heart of Greenwich Village.  It sits on the legendary corner of McDougal St and West 3rd Street.  As the bands arrived, the sense of their
excitement was palpable.  They were playing in the big time, not only for a chance for meaningful cash prizes, but for the opportunity to have their friends and families see them perform on the street where everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Bob Dylan got their starts.   


The BOB is masterfully produced by Norm Spizz, Gotham's entertainment guru.  Six bands are chosen by a committee of nine Gotham members led by Norm. The committee listens to 5 minute recordings of a band's best material.  As the clock struck 2 the first band, PARKWAY SOUTH, took the stage.  Featuring original music with a blues influence, the voices were powerful and emotive. Their musicianship and creative harmonies made the band a
great kickoff to the event.  The packed crowd at the Groove was responsive and enthusiastic throughout the afternoon.  Following the afternoon's format of a  20 minute set and 10 minute break, BACK FROM ZERO took the stage with a hard rock sound.  Led by a dynamic singer and a band that had many in the crowd shaking their heads to the beat of the original propulsive music, the band ended their set with the aptly named Come with Me and be Reborn.


The crowd peaked at around 3 as all the bands and their followers arrived.  Gotham's own William Skody is a co-owner of the Club Groove.  He made sure that the club's staff worked smoothly-both technically and in providing food and drink.  Thanks to William for providing a home base that we hope will become our permanent home for the future Battle of the Bands.  


The DAVE KOPPERMAN Band took the stage and quickly changed the tone to a sound that was musically intricate and featured the excellent guitar riffs and keyboard chords of folk and pop harmonies.  The original lyrics had a political sensibility and their set ended with a Plea for Healing America.  Our fourth band,MERCURY MAID, were rock and roll veterans.  Their spirited lead singer had the crowd involved with his vocals which were interwoven with the punching sound of the lead guitar.  It was creative, new grassroots music.


At 4 o'clock the crowd was still flowing in for the last two bands and most of the fans were hanging in.  Of course, we were only one hour away from finding out who would be receiving the Big prizes.
PAPAJACK took the stage and their unique sound featuring two female vocalists took the crowd by storm.  They took oldies and creatively constructed music that featured the excellent playing of a young Turkish guitar phenom, Evren Kaya. The music was driven by the veteran drumming and bass playing of the aptly named John Papa and Howard Jackson.  Tara Weiss and Aileen Santiago reminded many of the Wilson sisters from the iconic Heart band.  As they belted out the Janis Joplin classic, Another Piece of my Heart, the audience was won over.


The last band, LUKABRAZI, took the stage at 4:30. Another veteran band that featured terrific musicianship, they brought the crowd to a frenzy with their unique take on the classic Paul Simon song Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard as their last song.  It was an appropriate wrap for a high quality afternoon of music by all of our bands.  


The Judges:Stan Gilbert, Aimiee White, and Matt Lagle had the difficult choice to decide on the winners. Special thanks to them for their diligence!
They chose to award:


Third Place to PARKWAY SOUTH-$500.
Second Place to BACK FROM ZERO -$1,000
First Place to PAPAJACK-$2000 and a gig at Cafe Wha?


They were all very excited and appreciated the opportunity that Gotham had provided them!




Special thanks to Jason Greenberg of Phoenix Public Adjusters as our lead sponsor. We appreciate the 15 other sponsors who helped make the day possible.  We could not do it without you!
As a committee member, it is remarkable to listen to five minutes of music on a speaker and then to see the bands perform live.  The transformation of just listening to seeing live performers give their all on stage cannot be duplicated.  The Battle gives bands a chance to pursue their dreams, but also provides the Gotham community with a wonderful opportunity to enjoy an afternoon of music for $10!. Twenty minute sets are a perfect vehicle for performers and listeners.  Please consider getting involved in the event next year and certainly plan on attending.  Fred your idea lives on!!



Odey Raviv, Ph.D.
Collegiate Academic Coach
Attention, Executive Functioning, Motivation
Coach and Tutor-SAT & ACT Prep
Offices in Glen Cove and Manhattan
516-732-1617
dr.odeyraviv at gmail.com
www.collegiateacademiccoach.com


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