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Orange Willard wins playoffs
Simply stated, Saturday night at Canal Street Tavern was wild. It was the finals of the 26th annual Dayton Band Playoffs and arguably the biggest annual music event in town.
The 9pm line to get in the door stretched nearly to the First Street stoplight and wrapped back down Patterson. Inside the drinks were flowing and the energy was electric and quite overwhelming.
First to perform was the all-original, conventional 4-piece rock band, AVO. By performing first, AVO got to play in front of a larger crowd than the other two bands and that was a slight advantage. They mixed classic rock and blues-rock with an up-tempo, modern vibe, and a slight hint of The Black Keys. Their low ranged, charismatic front man belted out songs about women loved and lost in double rhyme schemes and catchy hooks to a receptive and rowdy crowd.
Orange Willard grabbed the middle spot and took the stage to loud applause, flashing cameras, and whistles. They played through a hard rocking set of guitar heavy groove rock with Seattle song structures and a little funk. The hair-slinging vocalists mixed melody and Chris Cornell styled yells in an attractive blend of mood and power. The highlight was the rocked-out version of the Outkast hit, Hey Ya that fired up the crowd and heightened the excitement in the bar.
Drawing the smallest straw was the last band to perform, The Smoky Basement Project. Their loyal fans waited until well after midnight to catch a glimpse of this southern fried acoustic trio that included two busy guitars and a bass. The band played socially conscious story songs about hitchhikers, the homeless, and Hurricane Katrina. They mixed in a mandolin on the bluegrass numbers including a picked and grinned version of Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash. With their fans chanting “DUI,� the band finished their set with their sing along trademarked drinking song Goddamn DUI.
In the end all the bands performed well-rehearsed and moving sets. But like all competitions their had to be a winner. Once all the ballots were counted it was announced over the PA that Orange Willard was the 2006 champ with Smoky Basement Project a close second.
A side note: Congratulations to AVO, Smoky Basement Project, and Orange Willard. Here’s to bright futures all around.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Dayton Band Playoffs
Comments
By Anita
October 2, 2006 1:17 PM | Link to this
I’m glad to see AVO has such a good fan. That notwithstanding, the negativity and jealousy seem to show a lack of maturity on someone’s part. All three bands in the playoffs were great bands or they would not have made it that far. Congrats to Orange Willard for their hard work and willingness to put in the long, hard hours of practice it took to get them this far. Their win has nothing to do with how many times they have competed, but a lot to do with the hard work and dedication that was put in. And, congratulations, Orange Willard, on taking the high road!!By Fizzle?
September 27, 2006 3:20 PM | Link to this
Congrats to OW for the win. All the bands played well. I also wanted to thank Kris for the late nights he puts in to cover all of these shows. It is appreciated.By Alida
September 25, 2006 9:39 AM | Link to this
Though I believe that AVO should have won the playoffs, I would like to congratulate Orange Willard on their win. After 4 years of being in the playoffs, they had waited long enough to finally take home the title. I do not agree that their cover of Outkast’s “Hey Ya” was what won them the title because I found it to be one of their worst songs they performed. However, congratulations are in order. I think that AVO was by far the best band that night and the most energetic. The interaction with the crowd and their stage presence was outstanding, these guys will go far. In my book the true champ is AVO!! Keep it up guys!!!