Next Great American Band – Final Three

This is the week we all have been waiting for. Finally the competition has come down to three legitimate bands because Light of Doom was sent home by the voters this week. As I have mentioned before, the kids seem like nice young boys, but they simply were not ready for this type of competition. It’s very unfortunate that they lasted this long but I sense a bit of relief by the kids and their parents.

Each band this week will perform three songs, one picked by the judges, one picked by the show’s producers and one picked by the artist. The song selected by the artists however had to be from songs they had already performed on the show. I was sitting in the live audience this week so I had a chance to hear it at the taping in LA and then again on television. It’s clear that DMHO’s music translates better live than on TV. It’s quite the opposite for The Clark Brothers. They are much better on TV than live and I don’t think it matters much for Sixwire. They are great either way.

Round #1 – Judges pick
First artist called from the green room this week was Denver and the Mile High Orchestra.

The song DMHO was appointed by Judge Sheila E. was September by Earth, Wind and Fire. The horn arrangement was pretty much spot on the original except for the obvious editing required for the one minute thirty second song length. My first concern when I heard the song selection was with the vocals. This song had background vocalists when Earth, Wind and Fire recorded it and it also has a falsetto part by the singers. During the live taping the vocals were really good. The TV mix however accentuated the flaws. Although we got to hear some of DMHO’s other band members sing, I wouldn’t recommend it in the future. As usual the instrumental work was terrific. Overall this was a good song choice and the boys did pretty well. Three Stars

Up next were The Clark Brothers. Judge John Reznick picked a song from Eric Clapton called Change the World. As usual the brothers three made it their own. The problem with this was that they took a pretty familiar song and tortured the melody to within inches of its life. Here’s an example where they should have used drums and bass but didn’t. Ashley Clark, the lead singer, has had problems with his vocals for the last four or five weeks. It may be possible that he is not as good of a singer as everyone first thought. As usual, however, all the judges loved it. I was impressed but not overwhelmed. Three and half stars

The last band called to play was Sixwire. There was a collective sigh of relief from the audience knowing that LOD was being sent home. Judge Dicko assigned the Steely Dan song Reeling in the years to the country band from Nashville. Dicko told the band he selected the song because of the difficult guitar duet and tight vocal harmonies. What? This song has been covered by bar bands around the globe for 20 years. It’s definitely not as difficult as he wants the audience to believe. Sixwire played a spot on imitation of the original. The instrumental portion was perfectly played and the vocals were good, but not great. Hmmmmm. All three bands struggled vocally in round one. Nerves maybe? Three and half stars.

In my opinion round one goes to The Clark Brothers but just by a hair! Although I’ve heard better work from them, there was something about the passion that they bring to their performances that simply engages you.

Round #2 –Producers songs

The bands played in the same order. (Actually at the taping all three bands played all three songs at one time) For DMHO the producers picked Vehicle by The Ides of March. I was really interested to hear what songs the producers selected because it gives me a look into their thoughts regarding the sound they feel is best for each band. Remember, they need to produce the winners recording project and this would give me a glimpse at what sound and direction they would take each band.

Vehicle was an interesting choice for DMHO and I thought it was perfect. It allowed the band to actually play rock using their powerful rhythm section and horns. It also allowed Denver the opportunity to quiet the critics of his voice. This song was absolutely nailed to the back wall during the live taping and the judges loved it. The song translated really well on television and as I’ve had a chance to think this through a bit, I think this was DMHO’s best performance of the entire show; and may be the best performance of all bands for the entire show; not because they played it so well, but because this sound for whatever reason fit them like a glove. Five stars

The Clarks were up next and they were given the song Amazed by Lonestar. Hmmm, another ballad? This style which is almost pure country fits Sixwire much better. Once again there was stumbling with the vocals and the song didn’t seem to connect. Of course John and Sheila loved it. Dicko voiced my opinion almost exactly when he told them not to do that again. Three stars.

Sixwire was assigned the task of covering Really love to see you tonight by England Dan and John Ford Coley. I am wondering about this song selection as well. A nice ballad for sure and they did it all acoustic. Fortunately the TV audience didn’t get to hear the worst drumming from Sixwire this year because it never made the TV mix but it was not very good the night of the taping. Also they struggled vocally with the harmonies. Andy was really great but the harmonies went off pitch almost right away. This was a very average performance in my opinion. Three stars.

Round #3 – Band choice

DMHO came out with an original blues tune called The way you move me. This was the song that the band did at the Las Vegas auditions and was the number that got the judges attention in the first place. The band played the song well and Denver sang it really well. It was good but not great and given the bands change in style over the seven weeks I wish they had done a different tune more consistent with the direction the band has been heading musically. It was however a safe pick because the band knew the song and knew what the judges reaction would be. All of them liked it and Dicko told them it felt like and old standard. Four stars

The Clark Brothers also played their original audition song called This little light of mine/Faith, Faith, Faith. This is not an original but is a remake of a children’s song sung in thousands of Christian churches worldwide, making it a safe choice for the band. This time the band performed it, and more importantly, sang it well. Now, here’s the problem as I see it. We have all heard this frenetic style from The Clark Brothers before and I am beginning to get concerned that they may be a one trick pony. Think back on the best performances by this band; all of them had the screaming vocal style and hurried dobro solo. This may be why the producers picked the song they did in round two so they could see if the band could do something different. This only gets three stars from me.

Sixwire closed out the show with their original audition song called Good to be back. This up-tempo country rock song is terrific with its rat tat tat vocals and stunning guitar playing. It’s really clear to me that this is the signature sound for Sixwire and where they ought to stay musically. Unfortunately for those of us that have been watching the show from the beginning, this is the third time we have heard it and my immediate thought was why would you do this song yet again? However, I think Sixwire knows that the audience on Friday night had one million new viewers, and bringing their best stuff to the show would hopefully help them pick up those votes. This was a smart choice and one that may have won the show for them. Five stars

So here’s how I see it. Round one went to The Clark Brothers, round two went to DMHO and round three went to Sixwire. The show was clearly the best one of the year and the pacing of it was great. This was the fastest one hour yet. Now it’s up to the voters to decide. Since I am writing this prior to the big announcement of who will win, I might as well take a shot at predicting it.

I don’t know whether or not the producers will announce placing but I will take a shot at it. In spite of what I wrote above, I personally think that Sixwire will come in third place. The sound that they have is very commercial and these guys can flat out play. But their sound has been done and is being done all over the place. You can hear this in honky-tonk bars and country music festivals everywhere. Sixwire brings nothing new to the American music scene.

The Clark Brothers will come in second. Formed only seven months ago their fan base started out smaller than any of the three bands left in the competition and has been built by the television audience. I do know that their family is large and has been traveling in Christian circles for a long time so there is some built in fan base; but since the show has such a small viewer-ship that there simply may not be enough passionate votes to carry the day for The Clarks.

Denver and the Mile High Orchestra will win. First of all they do bring something different, (albeit not new) to the scene. Some people want to peg them as a swing band. In fact prior to the show, that would have been pretty accurate. But in reality they are a pop band with horns. I think the timing may be right for a resurgence of that sound. Secondly DMHO has been performing around the US for nine years and has a built in, large and passionate fan base. I personally know many people who not only vote but vote for the entire two hours. I think DMHO will win it because of the die hard fan base that they already have.

To those who have been predicting the demise of DMHO I say you have missed the point of this band completely. Denver said it best. When these guys play, they bring joy to the audience. I have seen many live performances of this band and he is right. There is something special about them when they perform. All of the judges have commented on it at one time or another. They are a wonderful, live spectacle and this is not a negative. The music industry is changing. CD’s are souvenirs today. DMHO knows it, the music industry knows it, and the judges know it. Denver and the boys will have a wonderful career and I will continue to be a fan. In the words of Ian Dickson, all I can say is “Good on you!"

NGAB - Additional thoughts

There has been a lot of discussion this week about the critique of the judges of Light of Dooms performance last week on The Next Great American Band. LOD performed an original tune and Queens "We will Rock you". The judges had several negative comments about the performance and the children looked absolutely shell-shocked by it.

Many people have commented about how they felt sorry for the kids. I do not. Maybe I should. I am a parent of two sons myself. I am sure that I was an imperfect parent and made my share of mistakes. But.....and it is a big but; these kids have been provided an amazing opportunity with this show. Their parents I am sure are acutely aware of this. I may have done the same for my kids had the opportunity presented itself.

Now, here's where I differ with many people. I think the injustice is not in what the judges said last week, but in what was NOT SAID in the previous five weeks. Was it unfair to the kids? Only partially so, but it was most unfair to every other band. Many of these bands have musicians with years and years of experience, formal educations and sacrifices of family and finance. I know some who have had marriages break down and others whose family relationships have been hurt by their efforts to "make a living" as it were in the brutally harsh music industry. Shielding the kids in Light of Doom from some of the critical nature of the music business is appropriate. Shielding them at the expense of others in a music contest is not.

Had the judges treated each band, each week with consistent, fair and honest critique this discussion would not be taking place. Sheila E called the lead singer in Rocket "horrid" while Dicko told the lead singer in the Muggs to add a fourth member and get " a real lead singer" in the band. Yet when the kids in LOD had equally bad singing performances the judges criticized them by asking "is there anyone else in the band that can sing?" When the guitar player in Tres Bien played a simple guitar solo, Sheila said "well if that's all you can play that's all you can play" while Johnny R. said to the LOD lead player the very same week, who has been profoundly amateurish all season "wow you really rock".

I will not easily forgot the personal vignettes that the show plays before each band performs. You know the ones I am talking about, the short little videos to help us get to know the bands. One week they asked "What sacrifices have you made to make it this far?" I was struck by the answers. Many of the adults talked of leaving children and families. Other told of working two and three jobs just waiting for their chance at success. What did the kids of LOD say? "I missed baseball practice." I had to chose between being a singer or playing the guitar." Sacrifice? Even if these kids get kicked off the show right now and never play an instrument again, they have experienced admiration from their friends, family and fans that is truly uncommon. They have also had the opportunity to network and work with Ricky Miner, one of the true giants in the music business. Sacrifice? Hardly.

What I really feel sad about, is that these kids, while talented, are not anywhere even close to being ready to play music for a living. They are embarrassingly behind all others in the competition and they are being exploited (albiet voluntarily) by the folks at 19 and FOX TV. I really hope the kids do well in the future and that this experience helps them grow into being better people and musicians but........I do not feel sorry for them because of a judges comment.

NGAB Show Eight

Ok, we are now down to four. This weeks voting is incredibly important for the bands left. As I write this the voting has been completed. Someone somewhere knows who the three finalists will be. In my opinion it should be DMHO, Sixwire, and The Clark Brothers. However, Light of Doom has been incredibly resilient. No matter how bad they play, sing or perform they keep coming back like a recurring bout of hemorrhoids. Well on to my review of the show. I was excited to hear that each band would once again be playing an original. Here’s the breakdown.

First up the covers. Tonight the bands cover the group Queen.

Clark Brothers – Days of our lives
This was a bit disappointing for me. One of the trademarks of this group has been the dynamic range of the instrumentation and the vocals. This week the Clark boys brought in some additional players that really didn’t help their sound. What we have become accustomed to; power, emotive and gritty vocals that made up for the lack of instrumentation we lost to the drums and bass. (And what kind of band is it when the bass and drum player don’t sit in the green room or listen to the critique?) Overall this was not what I had hoped for. It also didn’t feel right, didn’t feel properly rehearsed to me.

After the performance I couldn’t even remember the song. I just kept wondering what it could have been with just the trio. Ashley Clark has had some pitch problems the last few weeks and he had some pitch problems tonight. Sometimes I feel he confuses volume with passion, a common mistake by vocalists and one he made tonight.


Light of Doom – We Will Rock you
Another week, another gimmick. When will these kids learn? They first came out with some big drums and started the song. I was told that they botched it up so bad in the taping the producers made them start over. What we saw on TV was not what the studio audiences saw, and if this performance was the “fixed” one I can’t even imagine how bad the original one was. Tempos ranged all over the place and the singer “shout-sang” the whole time. If I ranked this performance one to five stars, well……I just can’t. Finally however, the judges have shown some integrity. None of them liked it and told the kids that. It was a bit sad to see the “shell-shocked” look on the kids faces when the judges lit into them.

Sixwire – Fat bottom girls
Ok, a real country arrangement from the country boys. I didn’t care too much for the vocal intro but when Andy went solo the song got really solid. This is another example of what these guys bring to each performance. It grooved the whole time and the bass and drums were locked tight as a welded piece of steel. I have only minor criticisms. I didn’t care for the harmony on the vocals and I didn’t care for the rock guitar ending. It was totally incongruent with the rest of the tune and a misstep from the guitar boys.

Denver and the MHO – Sleepin on the sidewalk
Again the MHO came out with a slamming up-tempo blues song. This song was a perfect fit for DMHO and I was very pleased with Denver’s vocal presentation. The band was spot on in every aspect of the arrangement and the crowd and the judges loved it. Dicko complained about the casual look of the band. This guy just can’t let it rest. I agree with Dominic Bowden when he recommended that Denver not take style lessons from the man from down under.

Next up, each band performed an original song.

The Clark Brothers – Homestead
This was more like it. I would buy this song today. I loved every minute of it. There was emotion, feel, and solid country lyrics. I appreciate what judge Dicko said about the clichéd lyrical content being country 101, but that is country music! The song had a terrific country feel and for the most part the vocals were solid

Light of Doom – A matter of time
It’s only a matter of time when the boys leave. Reznick told them he “hears all of their influences but none of them” and Dicko told them to think more of how to write songs. These kids were lost tonight and the “child” in children really came through. Now the question is will they get the sympathy vote or just be sent home? Tonight the LOD kids totally embarrassed themselves on national television. They should not have been put in this position and I no longer feel sorry for them or their parents. If anyone can’t see the tragedy in this they need to check their pulse.

Sixwire – Go on
This is not the first time that I have found myself at odds with the judges. All three of the judges raved about this mid-tempo ballad. I was bored with it after the first 20 seconds. It just goes to show that not everything Sixwire is does is perfect. I like this band a lot however. If DMHO does not win I hope Sixwire does.

Denver and the MHO – Big White house
A solid rock tune from the MHO, but it is not a hit. Not sure it was good enough to make it as a cut in an album even. I was a bit disappointed in it. I am going to cut Denver and the boys some slack because I know enough about the shows limits on length of songs to appreciate that we didn’t hear the whole song. It’s too bad because it simply didn’t sound finished. Something was missing and I can’t put my hand on it after just one hearing. After I get some time with the song my opinion may change. I will let you know next week.

So, last night America decided. I think the time has come and LOD is going home. But, now that The Clark Brothers brought in more players they sound too much like many country bands, especially Sixwire. The country vote may split and it’s possible Sixwire or The Clarks could get knocked off. That would be sad. I am hoping for a DMHO, Sixwire, Clark Brothers finale. Wow would that be fun!

NGAB Week 7

This week was the music of Rod Stewart. Don’t even get me started. I am not a huge fan. Ok, I admit it. I am not even a little fan. I like some of Rod Stewart’s stuff but his best music is not his originals. He’s like the ultimate cover artist. His voice is unique, he’s backed by great musicians and when he uses good material it’s decent. But when he composes his own stuff….zzzzzzzz.

If we want the Next Great American band to be current and relevant why do the producers keep selecting music from 30-years ago? Are they all over the age of 50? Please let the bands play their own music!

First to come out of the green room tonight is:

Dot,dot,dot – Young Turks
Wow, what a mess that was. The song immediately started out with tempo problems and went downhill from there. John R. called it their best performance. Phhhttttttt. It was not good. The vocals were all over the place for both the lead singer Adam and Rose the guitar player. Plus the keyboard player was really not on tonight at all. Best performance John? Dicko asked why the keyboard player had his instruments back to back. I asked this same question three weeks ago when I suggested that he stack the keyboards instead. This performance may have put the nail in the coffin for the dots as I can’t imagine anyone left being worse other than LOD. But that hasn’t mattered before.

Denver and the Mile High Orchestra – Baby Jane
Finally the blues!!! Yea baby! I love this. This was possibly the best performance by DMHO in the competition. Denver correctly featured the fabulous guitar/bass and drums in this song and it grooved. They guys played loose enough to make it feel bluesy but tight enough to be very musical. Denver has been criticized for his vocals the past few weeks but tonight he sang great. This was a very solid performance by my favorite band.

Sixwire – Hot legs
Wow! The judges blew it this week when they complained about the bass solo. Not only was the bass solo in the original it wasn’t played nearly as good as Sixwire played it. The lead singer finally broke out of the pretty boy singing style and rocked it. No three part harmony tonight but some duel harmonies were used and the thinner vocal arrangement was clean and precise. This was a great performance and if I had to pick a winner based on just tonight it would be Sixwire.

The Clark Brothers – You are in my heart
I think, as I’ve mentioned before in these blogs of mine, that this group is better singing ballads and possibly are the only ones in the competition able to really pull them off. This was a spectacular performance. My only criticism was the over playing of the mandolin, and I found it distracting. I wonder if that was what lead the lead singer to lose pitch a bit. Other than that this was so tastefully done it should guarantee the Clarks go to the next round. Dicko suggested that they add players. This is a bad idea and I think could backfire on them. Their audience has come to like them for their sound. My advice, leave well enough alone.

LOD – Infatuation
In my opinion it’s time for the tykes to go home. John hides his criticism by saying I think you will be a good band someday. None of the judges really like this and neither did I. For the last two weeks the children have used gimmicks to cover their weaknesses in playing. It is cheesy for a “metal rocker” to walk through the fans giving high fives to people. You kids are getting really bad advice and it’s too bad. Again I felt sorry for these children, because they have no idea what’s ahead for them and it won’t be good. Please go home, study your instruments further, examine and learn music and then, when you have matured come back and please try again.


So now the competition is down to five. Things start to get serious and each week gets mathematically harder for the bands to stay in. I think two bands are totally safe. Sixwire and The Clarks. I want to believe DMHO is safe as well but as more bands drop off their votes are going to go somewhere. Will DMHO pick up any of them? I’m not sure. If I were to venture a guess today I would say the competition will come down to three bands. DMHO, Sixwire and The Clarks.

Next week we will see if the bands add any players. The producers have decided to let them. Will The Clarks add a drummer and bassist? Will LOD and the Dots find a lead singer? Who knows. But since it's now open, I recommend DMHO gets Melinda Doolittle and Mandisa, two former BGV singers for DMHO, to come and sing with the group in the finals.

The Next Great American Band Show 6

This week the bands honored the music of The Rolling Stones. Mainly by performing them better than the Stones did. I am wondering about something. If the show is looking for the Next Great American Band, why do they have to keep doing music from tired out British rockers? Elton John, The Rolling Stones and now, next week Rod Stewart? Doesn’t England have any current bands the groups can cover? Or better yet, how about doing covers of some of the great American bands?? Or possibly even better then that, let’s hear some original music! Oh well, I digress. Onto my review.

And then there were six. Cliff Wagner and the Ol #7 were sent home this week. After two fairly safe performances Cliff finally didn’t get enough votes to keep going. That’s too bad in my mind. Even though I picked them to go home this week I was disappointed. These guys could play. I would rather hear them do a musically competent version of…..anything vs. LOD and Tres Bien doing a lousy version of everything.

First up was:
Tres Bien – Get off of my cloud
This was a very good song choice for this band. It was especially comfortable for the lead singer who I thought is was pretty good. For those of you who have read my weekly blog you know I have been hard on these guys. Tonight they were better then usual. Now, with that said, it may be that I am just getting used to the sound. The tempo and pitch problems persist and this week the guitar was horribly out of tune. No excuse but what can we really expect either?

DMHO – I’m Free
The Rolling Stones catalog does not particularly fit this band. Fortunately the rhythm section was outstanding and the sax solo incredible. The overall arrangement was a little too middle of the road for my personal taste and I would prefer more edge to the vocals but the band sounded great. Again Rzenick blasted the guys. After that embarrassing performance at the Lions/Packers game Thursday, he had no right to say anything. Sheila loved the band this week and Dicko once again wants them to be a blues band for some reason. Why not just judge the performance rather than try to make them do something else?

Sixwire – This could be the last time
This is exactly what I expected from Sixwire. The vocals were great and I really enjoyed hearing this guitar band do a solid rock song. This was an outstanding performance from the most consistent band in the competition……but I need to hear more to see if they can break out of their routine.

Light of Doom – Jumpin Jack Flash
If any other singer in the show sang the way the lead singer sang this week the judges would have creamed them. They called Rockets lead singer horrid and told Danny of The Muggs to get a new lead singer. Why the “kid gloves” with LOD. The lead singer was off pitch for the entire song. Is it any wonder the judges kept asking “does anyone else sing?” I am honestly not trying to pick on this kid but just giving an evaluation of what I heard. The rest of the band sounded like they always sound. The drums varied so much in tempo throughout the performance I was starting to get seasick. Might I suggest a metronome for practice? And also maybe an instrumental number? No forget it. I’ve heard enough Jr. High music recitals in my life.

Clark Brothers – Gimme shelter
First of all I absolutely love this band and feel that they are winning the competition. With that said, I feel that this band is better singing a ballad than the dark rock tune assigned to them. The song didn’t work for me at all. Once again I am at odds with the judges who loved it. I think the instrumentation and arrangement was awesome but the arrangement required the lead singer to shout through the last half of the performance to give it some power. It didn’t do it for me; I think in part because this is what has become the norm for this group. If I were watching American Idol I would like this more. But since we are looking for the next great band, the group simply doesn’t have the punch and depth required. Yet, if I were to predict a winner, right now it would be The Clark Brothers. The judges just love them and week after week of that, will eventually convince viewers.

Dot,dot,dot – Let’s spend the night together
This week I felt the dots went backward. Once again a group took the judges advice and featured the girls. Unfortunately they featured the girls singing. Bad move. If you are going to sing it’s pretty much a requirement to sing the right notes. Vocally the girls were all over the place. Once again the lead guitar player saved the day with a better than average guitar solo at the end. If the dots are lucky that’s all the voters will remember.

So based on last nights performance I think LOD is going home. But then again I have thought that for every week. With Franklin Bridge out, all fans can assume that their favorite band is in trouble. You need to vote every week and stay in it with the band of your choice until the end. For me, it’s DMHO!

Each week is going to get mathematically harder to stay in. NO BAND IS SAFE in my opinion. Each band needs to stretch a bit. For example, as much as I like Sixwire, they have played it safe every week. I would like to hear more from them musically. I feel that DMHO and The Clarks are pushing the boundaries as the judges suggest. It’s working for the Clarks but not DMHO in the judge’s mind. No reason to even try getting into Rzenicks mind, it would be too hard to find. Tres Bien, LOD and the Dots could all try to go further musically if only they could.

Next Great American Band Show 5

My blog this week may be a little longer than normal. I have a lot of thoughts running through my head right now and it may take a little bit to sort it all out.

First of all, this week Dicko has been out trying to drum up support for the program. The show ranks dead last in the ratings. I disagree with his thoughts on this, but rather than repeat what he has said let me offer my own. The concept of the show is good and for the most part the bands were ok with a few notable exceptions being LOD and Rocket. LOD continues to surprise me by staying around, Rocket made it further than they should have by getting through the initial video tape auditions. If FOX really wanted this show to work, they would have put it on a different night. But since they didn’t, then they needed to promote it, which they didn’t. FOX is getting the result that should be expected. Not enough people even know about the show. The blame for this falls completely on the network for the lousy job of promotions. FOX publicity has completely and totally botched this up; and they continue to do so. I do believe that the show will go on with its very modest growth but will never achieve the level of success everyone hoped for without serious structural changes.

Speaking of change, here are some ideas for next time around if they decide to do this again. Whoever is responsible for selecting the 12 finalists need to be better at what they do. If it is the judges putting groups through then a more competent judge needs to be selected, if it’s the producers, then maybe there is no hope. Giving bands like LOD, Rocket and Tres Bien a slot on the show diminishes the competition. None of these bands have serious musicians and are all gimmicky. America will listen to a gimmick for a while but as happened here they eventually tired of it. After the best bands are selected then the show needs to be promoted effectively and placed in a schedule where there are viewers. Neither of these things happened. If the show tries again next year hopefully FOX will have learned some things.

Now onto last nights show. The band eliminated last night was Franklin Bridge. Franklin Bridge had the best players in the competition and was still voted off. I was not totally surprised by this (see my previous blogs) but I was disappointed. They were the musical sunshine on this show. FB consists of profoundly professional and extraordinary players who are deeply theoretical; all the things that trips my trigger. The problem? They simply didn’t connect. The standoffish “I’m cool and you aren’t” vibe the lead singer gave off probably did not work with the audience demographic. I was anxious to see what they would do this week and very disappointed when they didn’t advance. It’s a bummer to me to see LOD and Tres Bien still in it and Franklin Bridge out. The show lost some credibility last night and the goofy comments by the judges certainly didn’t help.

Let’s take a look at who played.

LOD – Jailhouse rock
WOW that was really, really bad. I am going to be honest which is something the judges apparently refuse to be. This was pathetic. I don’t know how much more of this I can take. Dicko is correct – They are a gimmick and not a very good one. I want to predict that they won’t be back next week but after losing Franklin Bridge tonight who knows, and besides, as usual, the judges love them. I wonder? Are the producers pre-writing the judge comments?

The Clark Brothers – Saved
These guys are flat out good performers. I was not real fond of the song they picked but they put everything they had into the performance. Passionate, aggressive and a…..bit boring. I am surprised that they hang in there with full bands that have drums and bass. I mentioned last week problems with the Dobro. Here’s some advice, if you are going to try to play that instrument like an electric guitar, just get out an electric guitar. Otherwise it just looks, and more importantly sounds goofy. Also, what’s with the hard rock stance of the mandolin player? Weird. As usual the vocal performance was very good. This band should be safe for another week.

Dot,dot,dot – Love potion #9
This band keeps getting better. This week was another decent performance. Vocally the lead singer was just ok and the band sounded, well, just ok. I do not like the singer constantly mugging for the camera all the time. Also, they are not “tight” players and they continue to have some modest tempo problems. I am not sure where that is coming from; the drum or bass player so I will blame both. Sheila E. suggested featuring the girls more. My recommendation is to feature the female guitar player only. She’s a pretty good player but more importantly she’s gorgeous. Just keep the camera on her.

Cliff Wagner and the Ol #7 – Poison Ivy
When this group was selected to be on the show, I was intrigued. With all the hope I could muster about a blue grass band I was anxious to hear more. After tonight I am only anxious for them to go home. This was the second dry, lazy performance in a row. Last week I said they “sleep-walked through” the performance tonight they just slept. In my opinion they need to go up tempo or go home for thanksgiving.

DMHO – Ruby baby
Well, I learned a couple things about the judges tonight. First of all John Reznik doesn’t know what funk is. What DMHO did tonight was not funk in the purest definition of it, although the tone selected by the keyboard player gave it a bit of that vibe. The problem is that last week he told the band to mix it up, stretch the boundaries, and do something new. This week he complained about it. The second thing I learned about the judges is that Sheila is the only one who actually knows music. This sounded much more like Maroon 5 than Sly and the Family Stone. I was a little concerned about the song selection but one thing was really nice. DMHO featured a terrific rhythm section that usually plays second fiddle to the horns. Special kudos to the drums and guitar; the drumming tonight was spectacular and the guitar playing was solid. Since the band has apparently determined to play a bunch of different genres in the competition, I suggest adding to that list swing. The band is good at it and a cool up-tempo swing/rockabilly version of something would resonate.



Sixwire – I keep forgettin
Well you have to say one thing about Sixwire - this band is consistent. The problem with it is that they sound exactly the same each week. Finally however, we got to hear some of the great guitar work that any Sixwire fan knows they have. The guitar playing was outstanding and I think they should feature that more and back off of the three part harmony provided by the vocals. If they don’t we may be forgettin Sixwire, because overall this was a pretty forgettable song choice.

Tres Bien – Some other guy
My mother once told me that if I have nothing good to say then don’t say anything. Ok, in deference to my mother, here are my thoughts on Tres Biens performance last night.

Now, it’s up to the fans of each band to vote. I am concerned that the energy DMHO has gained so far may get lost as people tire of voting. Please hang in there and keep voting. If they make it to the final three you are gonna see some special things from the boys!

The Next Great American Band - Show Four

Tonight was a tribute to the music of Billy Joel. Now I must admit that I’ve never been a huge fan. In fact although I own hundreds of CDs and LPs, (remember those) I have no Billy Joel music in my library. I’ve always found his music too folksy and actually a bit boring. But I am open to hearing what the bands do with this composer’s music. I also must admit that I would prefer original tunes instead of covers and because of all the covers I do not find the show as interesting. Maybe the producers should rename the show to the Next Great American Cover band. This week I am rating the bands based on stars. 0-5 stars with five stars being the best.

Franklin Bridge – Big Shot
I started losing interest in Franklin Bridge last week and I agreed with the judges that they needed to simplify their arrangements. This week my problem was that for the first time I thought they were actually not good. Not bad but not good either. The singing was just average or maybe even below average and the playing was much looser than normal, which is a musical feat in itself given that they had a lot of programmed music in the background. Piece of advice, if you a going to use programmed music make it as good as the live stuff or just not do it. The programming was not very good. And then on top of it all the band looked and sounded bored with it all. I have no clue what the judges heard at the live show that they liked so much but it certainly did not come off on TV. All three judges missed it tonight. Grade *** stars.

Cliff Wagner and the Ol #7 –You may be right
Well old Cliff Wagner sleep walked through this one. Cliff said that Billy Joel’s music did not really fit them. I think he arranged and performed with that attitude. Sorry but this was really boring to me. If the Muggs got voted off because of their performance last week, then Cliff and the boys may deserve to be heading home this week. Grade ** stars

Denver and the Mile High Orchestra – Tell her about it
First of all, I admit these guys are my favorite. I love the horns and the arranging. This week the band was technically more on than any other time so far on the show. The rhythm section popped and the horns were thin enough to really catch the melody of the song. Sheila E. told Denver the music was joyful. Not a bad compliment and I agree. I smile every time I hear these guys. I also liked Denver’s comment to Johnny R. when he was challenged to make it more commercial. Denver quipped “Vote for us this week and then watch what we do next week.” Grade *****stars

Dot,Dot,Dot – Pressure
I was completely unfamiliar with this song. But here are my thoughts about the performance. This band is getting better. However they could move up in my opinion if the singer would sing in his natural voice instead of imitating the composers who recorded the originals. For players who teach music, they still disappoint; the lead guitar player was finally good and the rest of them just average. Grade *** stars

Sixwire – She’s always a woman
This is a great band. I wasn’t overly enamored with the vocals tonight. Sixwire has built a reputation on tight harmonies. Tonight they were much looser than I’ve heard before and frankly not up to their high standard. One of the singers was very sharp and it was distracting me. The playing was rock solid and the arrangement stayed true to their sound as well as the original composer’s. I think that the lead singer, Andy, addressed Dicko’s comments with a vote getting response and the 30+ female audience must love him for it. Grade **** stars

Tres Bien – Movin out
An ironic song choice because after this performance the band may just be doing that. During the video introductions the band talked about not going to college. I suggest that they do. This group is so far behind the others musically (and I’ve had this complaint since the beginning) that their chances to make it are linked to a higher level of playing but I don't think there is enough time. Vocally the lead singer was better this week. I also liked the simpler arrangement they played. I know the judges didn’t like it but given the level of musicianship, this group is better off keeping it simple. If I were to offer my advice, tell the drummer to get rid of the microphone and concentrate on tempo and dynamics. I agreed most with Dicko – raspberries all around. Grade **stars

The Clark Brothers – She’s got a way
I’ve been a fan from the beginning. My only complaint tonight was with the dobro arrangement; it sounded horrible on TV. Maybe it was the mix. I really enjoyed the lead singer and I think he is the strongest singer left in the competition. This is the second week that the boys slowed things down and did a balled. That’s a smart move because they do not stay with Sixwire, DMHO or Franklin Bridge when they go up-tempo. Grade **** stars

Light of Doom – The Stranger
Johnny Reznik’s face said it all. When LOD was introduced as the last band making the cut his look was pained. I agree. This performance, while better than some other LOD performances was woefully bad. I am sorry to have to say this, because these kids seem like nice boys, but they are simply not very good. It’s time to go home, besides it’s way past their bedtime. It seems like each week the judges try to say something good but it’s always couched. Is it possible I am the only one in America who can hear how sloppy they play and sing? I doubt it. Grade * star

I believe the best ways to improve this show would be:
-No more covers. Let the bands stand or fall on their own music.
-Get rid if LOD and Tres Bien. Musically they are not ready for primetime.
-With the writers strike going on, move this show to Thursday night and have the results show Friday night.