89X I'm With The Band V3.0 Semi-Final 4
89X I'm With The Band V3.0 Semi-Final 4
Another great week of Michigan Made Music went down once again last Thursday night as 89X & TNT's continued their quest to find the band worthy of that larger than life $10,000 check with the 4th Semi Final of the 89X I'm With The Band V3.0 contest. Last night's Semi-Final is exactly what this contest is all about, hundreds of fans supporting their fav's, as well as those two finalists again on hand PROMOTING their upcoming appearance in the Finals July 23rd!
The first band up, Steven Who? finished 5th in the on-line voting but really impressed Dr2 with the amount of fans this young band brought with them. On top of that, Steven Who? dropped an amazing set that was a tenfold improvement over the first time we caught this act during week 15. Displaying a new found confidence, Steven Who?, a 4 piece that sports dual bass players, a blazing guitar play, and a bombastic drummer, had TNT's hittin' that rocking pitch a lot earlier than we've seen all contest long. They'll be opening up for LA Guns this Sunday night at the Emerald Theater for the Official Stars & Stripes After Party, stop in & check them out, it's free!
Red Leader finished last in the on-line voting and being from Ypsilanti didn't help their turnout either, but the ones that were there certainly let everyone know who they were rooting for! Charismatic lead singer Matt Opal certainly doesn't lack the ability to convey their message with a delivery style that stood out in the crowded room. Hitting the hardcore sounds of today, Red Leader also sports a larger than life bassist, who doubles as their "scream machine", check these guys out over at the Red Leader MySpace Page.
InMindzi is another hard hittin band from the Double J Entertainment stable that includes Facture (Semi-Final 1) & Lithium (Semi-Final 5), finishing 4th in the on-line voting to give them the third slot tonight. Winners of the Wild Card Week 17, InMindzi came out strong, bringing a good sized crowd along with them, and rocked their modern metal twisted slightly to appeal to the masses, delivering a 30 minute set that had people's heads bobbing in unison. They'll be playing the Johnny Rockstar Birthday Celebration up at the Hayloft July 11th with myriad of other bands, check them out right here.
The Pilz finished out the on-line voting in third place, but that didn't stop them from filling up the TNT's room with what looked like the largest crowd of the night. Featuring the lively & lovely Danni Katastrophe on lead vocals, The Pilz delivered one hot set of rock & roll, reminding us here at Dr2 of something like No Doubt meets Pat Benetar, with a splash of rowdiness for good measure. Their blazing set of high energy pop rock lit up the crowd as Danni brought down the house, prancing and jumping across the stage in delightful fashion, ending the night flat out on her back in a dazzling display of exhaustion, putting The Pilz right smack on top of the pack with 2 acts left perform. The Pilz are currently finishing up their debut disc and have a CD Release Party scheduled for July 24th at The Hayloft, don't miss the fireworks this night as they have put together an amazing line-up of Avarice, Broken Day Machine, Group Therapy, and the Potty Mouth Sissies.
On Line vote winners, Core Effect took the stage next with what was another huge crowd, though it seemed a bit lighter than the previous band. None the less, Core Effect took the opportunity to slam down one tight set that had their fans dancing in the aisles as well as singing along to I Did It All, even dropping a cover of Black Sabbath's Paranoid, making it all their own. Core Effects blistering vocal duo of Randy Riddle & John Keffalo on top of the gritty pounding melodies has made Core Effect a fan favorite on local radio as of late, garnering some heavy kudos from MetroTimes recently. Watch out for these guys this weekend at The Stars & Stripes as they hit the Outdoor Stage Saturday at The Hayoft around 8pm, then they'll pop again across the street at Frit's Pub for a late night Acoustic After Party around 10 pm!
Rounding out the night was The Injured List, taking 2nd in the on-line vote, hailing from Adrian, Michigan which also put a bit of a hamper on their turnout, yet was quite impressive considering the distance! Bringing on that Power Pop goodness that seems to be everywhere lately, The Injured List kept up the energy of the night, even at the late hour, featuring Nathan, the keyboard playing lead singer who kept the groove on. Although the door vote had these guys at a huge disadvantage, they definitely found they way onto Dr2 Radar screen, check them out over at their MySpace Page.
Steven Who? Brought The Largest Early Crowd Ever!
Red Leader Came From Ypsilanti to Play The Contest
InMindzi is one of 3 Double J Entertainment Bands to Make The Semi's
The Pilz's Danni Katastrophe Rocked The House
Core Effect is the 4th Finalist Named
The Injured List Won The On-Line Vote
In what was definitely an extremely close contest, it was Core Effect who came out on top over The Pilz by only a few points! Join us this Thursday for the 5th Semi-final of the 89X I'm With The Band V3.0 over at TNT's with Week 16 winner Lithium, Wild Card Bury Your Burden, Week 6 Stellar Drive, Week 12 Winner Cody Stage Fright, Week 15 Winner Michael Seger & Everybody's Favorite Band, & Week 16 Wildcard The Night Away! Be sure to check out all the photos from this event & more over in the Dr2 Photo Gallery then head on out to TNT's on July 23rd to see Hell Rides North, Half Light Music, Lies Unknown, and Core Effect along with the one more finalist TBD for the Finals of 89X's I'm With The Band V3.0, get there early as this place will be packed all the way to the parking lot! DetroitRockReview.com, The Only Place For Local Music News & Reviews!