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.

The Next Great American Band - 3

The Next Great American Band – Program 3

I had a lot of anxiety sitting in the studio audience Wednesday night. I have found myself getting involved in the back stories of the bands and I have also met many friends and family members of the bands. We knew that two bands were going to be sent home but had no idea who they were. Rumors were flying all week that the producers were going to call the bands out one at a time and then the last two bands not called would be sent home. Unlike last week where every band knew when they were going to perform, this week none of them knew.

I was surprised throughout the entire show as the bands I thought should be sent home last week were called out to play. In fact none of the four bands that I had in the bottom were eliminated. Now in all fairness, websites like the goofy “Vote for the worst .com” and others like them were asking fans to call in a vote for bands like Rocket and Light of Doom (LOD). And apparently they did. Or is it possible that American television viewers simply can’t hear?

This week was Elton John week and for the most part the bands did pretty good covers. Each band started out with an original tune and then went straight into the cover song. Some of the originals were absolutely bad and others were very good.

First up was one of my favorite bands - Sixwire. It’s pretty clear that the producers like this band. There are two prime slots in a show like this; either opening the show, or closing the show. Last week Sixwire was the show closer. The original song was really good and the Elton John cover absolutely outstanding! This band has got something that none of the other bands have, three really good singers. (Some of the bands don’t even have one good singer like LOD, the Muggs, and Rocket.) Sixwire’s tight harmonies and rock solid playing should keep them in the competition for quite a while.

Next up was Tres Bien. These guys are fun to watch and their sixties shtick works for them. But they still struggle with their musicianship and singing. All around there was nothing remarkable, or memorable, about their performance.

Franklin Bridge came on third. My impression this week is much less favorable, although they played their instruments perfectly. My problem with this band is two-fold. The lead singer is a way better guitar player than singer. In fact his singing is very average. Second, the arrangements are so complex as to be undecipherable. I have mentioned in previous blogs about how good the drummer is, but I also am concerned that he’s not too savvy. His playing (along with the bassist) is too busy and tricked up. Pop songs need a solid downbeat on 2 and 4. If you move too much off of that, the groove of the song disappears and it is simply too hard to follow. I was left cold by their performance.

The Clark Brothers came on next. I am struggling to like this band. Everything sounds the same and unless they find a way to not overdo the mandolin and dobro, I feel we are destined to hear the same thing over and over. The Elton John cover was just so, so. The original was a fun, up tempo rockabilly song that I liked and these boys can sing. I just don’t like it enough.

Next up was the surprise of the evening as LOD took the stage. These metal rocking 13 year olds still sound like metal rocking 13 year olds. At least they were fully clothed this week. Their original tune was aptly named LOD and the lyric was simply shouting out the bands name about fifty times. The Elton John tune was also not good. Now, with all that said, they were better this week than any other time I have seen them play. But judge Ian Dickson apparently feels the same as I do in that he simply told them to come back and try again in five years.

The next group on was Dot, dot, dot. I was pleasantly surprised. The original tune was decent and the cover was one of the better ones of the night. The band took the judges advice to heart and stopped running all over the place. The lead singer actually started hitting some (but not many) of the notes and the arrangements were easy enough to listen to. This band does not have great players in it however and at some point, the lack of musicianship will catch up with them.

It was no surprise to me that The Muggs were called to the stage to play. Detroit’s favorite blues/rock group has really good players in the band. Although there are just three pieces, they have a very big sound. Unfortunately this week was a complete train wreck. The arrangements were not well done and the bands lead singer was not remotely close to hitting pitch. This was just not a good performance at all. Last week the judges encouraged the singer to not be afraid of the mic. My advice? Use it as little as possible.

Cliff Wagner and the Ol #7 came onto the stage next. Same old, same old. See my comments above for The Clark Brothers. Everything sounds the same to me. If Cliff and the boys want to stay then they are going to have to expand.

With four bands left in the green room and only two spots remaining it was a shock to me that the all girl group called Rocket were picked to play. The original song was a typically punk rock version of blather. Then the girls attempted to sing and play the Elton John tune Rocketman. Besides the cliché selection of the song itself, this was flat out horrible. The lead singer cannot sing at all. She also cannot play the piano. It was an absolute mess. I was sitting behind some family and friends and even some of them were cringing during the performance. Also, the nut job, Fifi LaRue from the original audition show showed up holding a Rocket sign. Enough said.

As I mentioned above, the prime slots are the opening act and the closing act. There were three bands left in the green room, including big band Denver and the Mile High Orchestra, and pop bands The Hatch and The Likes of you. The Hatch stunk it up last week and I doubted whether the show’s producers would use them to close the show out. The Likes of you is a LA based pop group with one of the best singers in the competition and last week DMHO started the whole show off.

It only made sense that Denver and the Mile High Orchestra was called out to close the show. This horn band from Nashville surprised the crowd and judges by doing an original disco tune and then followed it up with a huge Elton John number. John Reznik said only one thing, “Amazing!”, Sheila E compared DMHO to Earth, Wind and Fire and Chicago and Ian Dickson loved it as well. My take on it was that the original tune was good but not great. The Elton John tune was terrific. Denver took the judges advice to heart and showcased the horns during the whole performance and also got rid of his trademark red suit. The rhythm section in this band was exceptional and it’s easy to lose sight of that because of the volume of the horns. All and all it was a great performance.

So here is my ranking of the bands based on what I heard last night in order from best to worst of the show.

1. Denver and the MHO
2. Sixwire
3. The Clark Brothers
4. Cliff and the Ol #7
5. Franklin Bridge
6. Dot, dot, dot
7. Tres Bien
8. The Muggs
9. LOD
10. Rocket

Lod and Rocket need to go so that this show can be taken seriously. It’s disappointing to me that The Likes of you got removed and groups as bad as Rocket and LOD get to move on. I was not saddened by The Hatch not moving on and the lead singer’s classless comments when he heard they were not getting a spot reinforced my opinion.

Anyone who watches this type of show knows that good performers get voted off and lesser performers get to stay. This happens all the time on American Idol, remember Sanjaya? Hopefully the fans that do watch this show will continue to vote for the better bands in the program. DMHO deserves the vote this week and I intend to give it to them.