Manager Dianne Zarlengo says … “New Year starting out great! Have tixs for the February 8th AC/DC concert. Yay!! Immortal Synn’s CDs are finally in. They look great! They are in all the Angelo’s CD stores, Black and Read, and Twist and Shout. Can also purchase online at Amazon and iTunes. Awesome music and the quality is superb thanks to Brian Knop from Maximum Level Audio who did a killer job with the recording and engineering. The CDs will be available at the RATT show on January 22nd at Casselman’s. It’s going to be a killer show with a group of rockin’ bands. Immortal Synn is pleased to be on this bill. Check them out. We have tixs for pre-sale (save $10.00 if purchased before the show) so either hit me or the band up. You won’t want to miss this show!”
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DENVER’S 2016 ROCK AWARDS ANNOUNCES NOMINEES
M.D. Friedman: Just found out we made the Final Three in the 2016 Rock Awards! We actually made Final Three in two categories (“Performing Duo” & “Album of the Year” for No Strings Attached). Feeling quite surprised & very honored to be included in the list of some Colorado’s finest! Thank you all for all your support.
http://www.therockaward.com/Top3Nominees2016.html
Scott Rogers: Honored that 2 of my bands made the final 3. The Sisters of Rock featuring Danna Campbell. Katie Valdetero. & Sonya Leigh on vocals. Tony Marcus Robb Warnke and Brad Lenhart. And Dreamboat Annie with Sonya Leigh. Robb Brad Tony and Theresa. Thank you everyone for all the hard work! ! Thanks Rockin Raven for being a great supporter of local music!
All Nominees below will receive an invitation in the mail with a response card that MUST be returned by required date on card. Please make sure if your name, or bands name is listed below
you fill out the form immediately here Nominee Form
Each Nominee may bring ONE guest. All Nominees will be seated at tables on the floor.
Tickets will be available for purchase. This is a red carpet event and proper attire is required.
When: May 22, 2016
Where: The Magness Arena @ DU
Times: Nominee Arrival and Red carpet – 2:30 p.m.
Dinner and some Awards – 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Ceremony – 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (it will be televised)
After Party until 11:00 p.m.
Take Monday off. : )
Nominee’s below are listed in alphabetical order only
Up and Coming Artists: Austin Young, Jacob Cade, Paige Temple
Up and Coming Solo Performance: Kristi Hoopes, Penn Beldock, Sydney St George
Up and Coming Duo Performance: Facing West, Foolish Sounds, Katie Luchtenberg & Amelia Morris
Up and Coming Guitarist: Cody Templeman, Jaden Carlson, Paige Temple
Up and Coming Bassist: Andrew Evans, Bailey Raymond, Loren Hardy
Up and Coming Drummer: Sabrina Meiklejohn, Jason Kaplan, Mike Rosenberg
Up and Coming Keyboardist: Loren Hardy, Andrea Mcleod, Zach Wandishin
Up and Coming Male Vocalist: Austin Young, Jacob Cade, Jacob Larson
Up and Coming Female Vocalist: Abbey Shaw, Caitlin Powell, Kristi Hoopes
Up and Coming Band Original/Cover/Tribute: Fools in the Rain – Led Zeppelin; Our Generation;
Over The Castle (The Blush Band)
Up and Coming Sound Engineer: Ethan Kotel,
Album of the Year: Blind & Blues Bound – Dr Izzy Band; No Strings Attached – Mojo Medicine Show; Virtue and Vice – Hornbuckle
Song Of The Year: Bird of a Feather – Hornbuckle; December – Timothy Lee Huston; Thrill of The Ride- Patrick Dune
Original Christmas Song: Heavy Metal Christmas – M&R Rush; Merry Christmas Baby – The White Family; Share The Magic – Ric Cabot Podmore
Global Eye Song: Race Against the Sky – Kelly Moneymaker – Alaska; Remember When – Stone Horse – California; Silent Night – Ted Aukerman – Oklahoma
Songwriter: Michael Hornbuckle, Scotty Brown, Timothy Lee Huston
Solo Performance: Beth Williams, Scotty Brown, Steve Crenshaw
Duo Performance: Ben Puchalski & Megan Tritsch; Mojo Medicine Show; Stage Hawgs – Brian Hornbuckle / Peter Fletcher
Guitarist: Kirby Velarde, Scotty Brown, Steve Crenshaw
Bassist: Brian Hornbuckle, Jeff Andrews, Susan Phelan
Drummer: Bobby Diamond, Joey Shapiro, Tracy Brinkley
Keyboardist: Andras Csapo, Joe Sellars, Steve Bender
Brass Player: Adam Bartczak, Paul Fabrizio, Scott Sessions
Woodwind Player: Andrew Vogt, Kelly Sheridan, Nathan Peoples
Male Vocalist: Cody Qualls, Michael Hornbuckle, Timothy Lee Huston
Female Vocalist: Erica Brown, Kate LeRoux, Wendy Woo
Global Eye Performance: M&R Rush – Chicago Area; Seven Eleven – Netherlands; Stone Horse – California
Original Rock Performance: Dark Red Sky; Patrick Dune and The DesertHearts; The Jacob Cade Project
Cover Band Performance: Sisters of Rock; Vivid Black; Wild Mountain Honey
Alternative/Pop Rock Performance: Adrienne O; Rachel & The Ruckus; Rock Doctors
Instrumental Performance: Danny Masters,
Musical Mindset: Shaun Hopper
R&B/Soul/Funk Performance: Hot Lunch; Jacob Larson Band; Phat Daddy
Rap Performance: Axe Murder Boyz; Krazet Montoya
Country Performance: Michael Scott Band; Union Gray; Ryan Chrys & The Rough Cuts
Jazz Performance: Dotsero; Hazel Miller; Jack Hadley
Christian Music Performance: Of David; Random Hero; Scott Powell
Blues Performance: Dr Izzy Band; Hornbuckle; Yellow Dog Blues Band
Reggae Performance: Burnt Lips; Judge Roughneck; P-Nuckle
Metal Performance: Autumn Burn; Flood of Souls; Horse
Live Tribute Performance: Big Balls – AC/DC; Dreamboat Annie – Heart; FourEver Fab – Beatles
Music Video: Dark Red Sky – Coming Home; Facing West – Anchor; Michael Morrow – Dirty Little Love Song
Global Eye Music Video: Black Angel – I’ve Got My Eyes on you Baby; M&R Rush – He’s a Different Breed of Kat; Seven Eleven – Disco Wasn’t Good Enough
Producer Of The Year: Anne Freeman; Eric Singer; Ric Cabot Podmore
Recording Studio: Colorado Sound; The Blasting Room; The Spot
Indoor Music Venue: @Cheers; Herman’s Hideaway; Little Bear
Outdoor Music Venue: Fiddlers Green; Hudson Gardens; Red Rocks
Music Teacher: Adrienne Osborn, Dr. Scott Martin, Matt Flaherty
Sound Engineer: Brother Rob, David Tash, J.P. Manza
Lifetime Music Achievement Award Recipient: Chris Daniels, Hazel Miller, Scotty Brown
http://www.therockaward.com/Top3Nominees2016.html
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THE 15 BEST SINGING PERFORMANCES OF 2015
Another year, another season of American Idol. And another TWO seasons of The Voice. 2015 is coming to a close, but before the 15th and final Idol season starts up on Jan. 6 and The Voice returns for its 10th season in late February (yes, already!), it’s time to look back at the best singing show performances of the year.
Please note that, for the sake of variety and semi-brevity, I did not load up this list with multiple performances by the same singers. But I enthusiastically encourage you to hit up YouTube or Hulu and binge-watch anything and everything by Sawyer Fredericks, Quentin Alexander, Joey Cook, Jeffery Austin, Madi Davis, and Jax. All of those contestants could have filled year-end lists all by themselves.
15. Zach Seabaugh, “Brand-New Girlfriend” (The Voice)
Zach was arguably one of the weaker singers of The Voice Season 9 (although one of the best-looking), but on this atypical memorable evening, Elvis entered the building. Zach went into full-on ‘68 Comeback mode… and I was thoroughly entertained! Who’d a thunk he’d be such a hunk o’ burning fun? Was this cheesy? Yep, cheesier than a cheese factory tour of the state of Wisconsin. But Zach didn’t care, and neither did I. He just went for it. He was all Elvis-pelvis from the waist down and Tom Jones from the neck up. He treated the NBC studio like it was a Vegas showroom – and it worked, strangely. This should have been a disaster, but it wasn’t. Too bad he never had a fun moment like this again.
14. Qaasim Middleton, “Come Together” (American Idol)
Qaasim was also a weak singer compared to some of his fellow Idol castmates, but he was always a born showman – as his snarling “save me” performance of the Beatles’ “Come Together” (complete with props, wild hairography, literally in-your-face choreography, and one badass, Kanye-style mic drop) readily proved. This effort actually earned him the Judges’ Save when he was still only in 11th place, and while some viewers argued that the judges’ decision was premature, I actually think this was the best “save me” performance since the Judges’ Save was instituted six seasons earlier. Qaasim earned his reprieve that night.
13. Sarina Joi-Crowe, “Mamma Knows Best” (American Idol)
Sarina tried out FOUR TIMES for American Idol. Let me tell you, she was worth the wait. She hit the stage like she’d been ready for her close-up for years, and she milked every second of her screentime. She worked the crowd, worked the camera, and gave her vocal cords quite a workout, too. I loved everything about this dynamite lady’s intensely in-the-zone performance of this Jessie J barnstormer. The air-punch! The wink! The high-kick! And of course, the awesome, awesome vocals that J.Lo said actually rivaled Jessie’s. I can’t believe Sarina didn’t make it to the semifinals in previous seasons – or that she got eliminated so soon after this tour de force.
12. Amy Vachal, “Dream a Little Dream” (The Voice)
This folk-jazz chanteuse’s Blind Audition was so fantastic, she even earned the approval of American Idol Season 11 winner Phillip Phillips, who tweeted that he’d like to duet with her. Amy’s coffeehouse cover of “Dream a Little Dream of Me” was dreamy indeed – exotic, languid, sexy, cool, a bit Dia Frampton-esque, and just downright elegant. When Amy initially joined Team Pharrell, I was totally convinced that Pharrell Williams was on his way to a second consecutive Voice victory. Oh well.
11. Mia Z, “Miss You” (The Voice)
I loved that this sassy blues prodigy covered “Miss You,” the Rolling Stones’ disco-fied classic from my personal favorite Stones album, Some Girls – and that 15-year-old Mia chose the song herself. I was worried that the song, which is about 70 percent Jagger-vamping, would not showcase her vocals enough to impress voters. But then Mia hit what Blake Shelton called her “dolphin cry” and what Christina Aguilera called her “stratosphere area,” and I stopped worrying. Mia slayed this. Unfortunately, she did end up shockingly going home in 12th place, but her coach Pharrell still took her under his wing, and she did record a duet with eventual Season 8 winner Sawyer Fredericks for his post-victory EP.
10. Kimberly Nichole, “Dirty Diana” (The Voice)
“This is the most excited I’ve been to see a performance in the history of The Voice,” Christina Aguilera declared, speaking for me and (so I thought) much of America. And the Rock Ballerina did not disappoint. If anything, she exceeded those already-high expectations. This was pure theater. Flanked by a keytar player, shrouded in dry-ice stage fog, brandishing her mic stand like an S&M cane, and ending the song in an advanced-yoga backbend that looked like it was straight out of that Rudy Abreu/Allison Holker “Dirty Diana” routine on So You Think You Can Dance, Kimberly was, as Xtina put it, “truly a rock star up there.” This was phenomenal. How on earth did Kimberly go home the very next night???
9. Meghan Linsey, “Girl Crush” (The Voice)
Doing Little Big Town’s controversial hit was a genius move for this crossover country/soul diva – not only because the song allowed Meghan to tap into all her real-life heartbreak (from her split with Steel Magnolia partner and fiancé, Joshua Scott Jones) and deliver a deeply emotional performance, but because this allowed her to return to her country roots. I always thought it was a mistake for Meghan to abandon country (and her built-in country fanbase from her Steel Magnolia days) for rock/soul music, but she found her niche here — singing soulful, bluesy, modern country. This performance was just perfect. I totally had a girl crush on Meghan Linsey this evening.
8. Jax, “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” (American Idol)
This petite rock ‘n’ roll powerhouse, with her sublimely attitudinal, astoundingly fearless, very riot-grrrrly Cher cover, reminded me of Siobhan Magnus’s thrillingly unhinged “Paint It Black” from Season 9 – but also brought to mind Garbage’s Shirley Manson, the Runaways’ Cherie Currie, and Maja Ivarsson of the Sounds. (And her hair was totally Taylor Jacobson circa The Rachel Zoe Project Season 1, too. That’s a compliment.) Jax owned the stage, and I’m still a little shocked that she didn’t make it all the way to the finale over the less interesting Clark Beckham and Nick Fradiani.
7. Hollywood Anderson, “My Best Friend” (American Idol)
Affable subway busker Hollywood didn’t seem like superstar material when he entered into the Idol audition room – until he started playing this original song, which still haunts me nearly a year later. What a gorgeous heartbreak ballad, delivered with such angst and passion – and such a voice! All of the judges were wowed; I hadn’t seen guest judge Adam Lambert’s face this lit-up since I first glimpsed his neon For Your Entertainment album art. Jennifer Lopez even claimed she wanted to record “My Best Friend.” Sadly, Hollywood Anderson wasn’t able to replicate this moment in Hollywood Week, but he definitely gave the best audition of Idol Season 14.
6. Madi Davis, “Love Is Blindness” (The Voice)
Every time this self-possessed 16-year-old performed on The Voice Season 9, she elevated the artistic level of the show. In the top 11 week, her epic, intense, and risky cover of U2’s “Love Is Blindness” (inspired by the brooding, murder-ballady version Jack White recorded for The Great Gatsby soundtrack) was just pure fire, pure power, pure passion, and pure drama. I was enchanted. Her coach Pharrell – who later ran onstage to excitedly embrace Madi, while her father sobbed in the audience – even likened Madi to the mighty Adele, and the comparison wasn’t that far off. I mean, Madi could sing the next Bond movie theme, and I would totally buy it.
5. Quentin Alexander, “I Put a Spell on You (American Idol)
I was ready to vote for this superfly guy the instant he strutted out wearing parachute pantaloons, stacks of tribal jewelry, a chubby fun-fur rave coat, and the fiercest, most fearless sex-eyed camera-stare since, well, Constantine Maroulis’s. And then Quentin did a crazysexycool version of “I Put a Spell on You.” This was theater. This was a performance. And it put a spell on me, for sure. OK, so maybe this wasn’t quite at the level of Annie Lennox’s phenomenal rendition of the Screamin’ Jay Hawkins classic at this year’s Grammys. But it was pretty freakin’ awesome. (And George Clinton agreed! Why wasn’t George ever a mentor on this show?)
4. Joey Cook, “Mad World” (American Idol)
Joey did the Donnie Darko version of “Mad World,” and I am sure the Glamberts will come after me for this, but it was almost on the same level as Adam Lambert’s rendition from Idol Season 8. Eschewing her usual goofiness – no squeezebox, no ukulele, no wacky dancing or Postmodern Jukebox hyperstylization – Joey gave a simple and stripped performance, totally in the moment, totally connected to the audience and the song. And she thrilled without even getting up out of her chair. I really enjoyed seeing this once-gimmicky girl blossom into such a fascinating and multi-faceted performer over the course of Idol Season 14. Joey Cook is the real deal.
3. Jeffery Austin, “Dancing on My Own” (The Voice)
Belting a ballad version of Swedish electropop goddess Robyn’s club hit “Dancing on My Own,” the dark horse of The Voice Season 9 effectively, exquisitely emphasized every little bit of yearning and sadness in the song. You could hear the aching in his voice. You could see it in his eyes as he worked the camera. This felt so real. I actually wondered if someone specific was on Jeffery’s mind while he sang this. While Jeffery’s performance was clearly inspired by Kings of Leon’s bluesy, dirge-y “Dancing” remake from 2013, he definitely made the song his own. And he gave Robyn props, too, joking, “As a gay man, getting sing to Robyn on national television is a dream come true.” Personally, it would be a dream come true for me if this guy released album titled Jeffery Austin Sings the Songs of Robyn in 2016.
2. Sawyer Fredericks, “Trouble” (The Voice)
Sawyer may not have been the best technical vocalist of The Voice Season 8, but he was definitely the best artist. In fact, he just may be the best artist in the history of the series. There was always just something so special about this kid, who doesn’t even sound like a kid at all: There’s a 60-year-old bluesman living inside the 16-year-old’s farm boy’s little body. Warbling Ray LaMontagne’s “Trouble” with his own arrangement, Sawyer gave a haunting performance, raw and sweet and vulnerable and aching, with a magnificent depth that most singers twice his age couldn’t ever conjure. Later, he released a coronation single penned by LaMontagne himself, and his career is now handled by LaMontagne’s own manager. And it all started here. What a torch-passing moment this was.
1. Jordan Smith, “Somebody to Love” (The Voice)
This will surely go down in history as one of the greatest Voice performances, or even singing-show performances, of all time. Letting loose like never before on Queen’s “Somebody to Love” (fun fact: backstage at the top 24 results show, Jordan told me his dream cover song was “Bohemian Rhapsody”), Jordan pulled out all the stops. There was a massive robed choir, a patella-shattering knee-drop, crazy scenery-chewing antics, and most importantly, crazy vocal acrobatics. This was over-the-top, but in the best possible way. “That’s one of the best things I’ve ever seen in my whole life,” Jordan’s coach, Adam Levine, declared. Jordan pretty much had the Season 9 competition sewn up from week one, but if there had been any chance for an upset, this performance sealed his victory.
By Lyndsey Parker, Managing Editor
https://www.yahoo.com/music/the-15-best-singing-show-performances-of-2015-210304569.html