The Valley Advocate Grand Band Slam

The logo for the Valley Advocate's 2011 'Grand Band Slam' (Pic courtesy of Valley Advocate)

 

The Valley Advocate  released the names of the winners of this year’s annual ‘Grand Band Slam’, in last week’s issue.

I actually wasn’t going to do a post on this, but I remembered how my post of the results of  the Advocate’s  ‘Best of the Valley 2011 Readers Poll’  was one of my most viewed posts. Besides, I thought those who reside outside the valley and view my blog, those local music fans who don’t regularly read the Advocate ( a rare breed), or those who don’t read the Advocate and read my blog (hey, it could happen); could hear the rooster of names who have been crowned  winners in this local contest.

Anyway, those familiar with the local music scene in Western Massachusetts will recognize many of the names, either from the patchwork quilt of neon fliers on lamp posts throughout Northampton or on the bulletin boards and walls at one of the many colleges, or at any of the potpourri of  clubs that cater to those who want to rage out to live music Valley style.

Local bands from across the multitude of genres that the musical spectrum were composed of were sent questions by the folks at the Advocate. Responses were then sent back and the winners picked. In the issue itself, the six questions and there answers were printed, and a few of the bands profiled.

Anyway this contest will culminate in the 2011 ‘Grand Band Slam’ annual free concert on the night of Oct 5 (and for those of you without a calendar in front of your face that is a Wednesday) at Maximum Capacity in Chicopee, where some of the victors as well as other local bands will come to perform, knock back a few cold ones, and swim alongside fellow music in that ocean of tunes that is likely to float through the air.

A note to the readers: I linked to the Facebook pages and websites of the bands below. This was not done for profit or gain of any kind by the bands, ‘the Advocate’, or any other entity or any other motive except to enlighten you the readers.

Groove and Funk: ‘Danny Pease and The Regulators’  (South Hadley and Springfield).

Jazz Act: ‘Primate Fiasco’ (Northampton)

Singer/ Songwriter:  Jamie Kent of ‘Jamie Kent and the Onions’ (Florence).

Performance DJ: ‘Studebaker Hawk’  (Springfield).

New Band:  ‘The 413’  (Ludlow).

Hip Hop:  ‘The Alchemystics’

Cover/ Tribute Band: ‘ Rudy’s Compliment’  (Turners Falls).

Punk Band: ‘Creepin Cadavers’ .

Country Band: ‘The Truck Stop Troubadors’  (Chicopee).

World Music: ‘Shakazoba’ (Northampton).

 Electronica:   ‘Jeff Bujak’   (Northampton).

Blues Act: ‘Chris Piquette Band’ (Chicopee).

Folk/Americana: ‘Rusty Belle’  (Amherst).

Pop Act: ‘ Winter Pills’ (Hadley).

Street Musician:  ‘Bennie the Bucket Man’ [aka. Bennie Johnson] (Amherst).

Rock Act: ‘Triple X’ (West Springfield).