Critical Bill Stuffs The Emerald For Thanksgiving

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 Critical Bill Stuffs The Emerald For Thanksgiving

As soon as the last Turkey Leg was tossed aside, Dr2 loaded into the bus and headed on out for a little Thanksgiving Desert over at The Emerald Theater in Da Clem courtesy of Critical Bill. If there were any skeptics out there on whether or not Critical Bill could step in for Uncle Kracker, we’re here to deep fry that turkey right now, Critical Bill not only delivered the desert, they stuffed the Emerald Theater fuller than your momma’s biggest bird! From within the Dr2 Section, we were treated to four course meal of Pop, Southern Rock, Rock, & Hip Hop that rivaled the feast we devoured prior to tonight’s show that saw Detroit’s newest and hottest bands on the scene today Lies Unknown. Serving up some delicious “power pop” sounds, Lies Unknown brought the swelling crowd front and center for a very tasty 30 minute set of hor dourves that included their mega Detroit City ode Woodward Avenue as well as the highly infectious Let It Take Ahold. Dr2 suggest that if you’ve not seen Lies Unknown yet, heed this warning and catch them soon, if not, you may just miss the next big thing out of Detroit!

 The salad course tonight was a fresh southern rock dish served up by none other than our good friends from Dismantle. Serving up some “crunchy” rock & roll, Dismantle themselves had a trick or two up there sleeve as Eric Brodzik unveiled their latest contraption, playing the entire set perched atop a drum riser that must have reached nearly 8 ft high! Life At The Top has been good to these guys, giving us More Rock & Roll all the way To The Liquor Store! Dismantle always delivers the goods and tonight was no different, check em out on Dec 12th over TNT’s for their annual Christmas Party!

 Bringing the rock & roll for the main course tonight was the recently reunited Band With No Name. Winners of that $10,000 89X Battle Of The Bands earlier this year, BWNN has been on a hiatus since as their singer Jeff Gutt headed out to LA to rejoin his previously signed to Warner Brothers band Dry Cell to record a new album that will be released in May of 2009 through Rhino Records. If that wasn’t enough, they’ve also had to replace their bombastic bass player Mike Guy who has since moved out to Cali himself. Where most bands would pack up the turkey and head home, BWNN proved tonight that they can persevere through the tough times and delivered one Animal Like set that made for one wild mosh pit of flying bodies and beer! What better way to work off that Tryptophan than to participate in some good old moshing!

 Well what can we say about Critical Bill that we haven’t already said? How about bring on the pumpkin pie baby! Man, did they deliver one sweet ass desert tonight, stuffing the Emerald to capacity and beyond before taking the stage themselves for what may have been thee show of the year. Not ones to remain complacent, Critical Bill offered up an enticing stage set-up, complete with trees that appeared to be mysteriously growing out of the stage to give the effect of being outdoors. Wait now, those trees looked awfully familiar…..hmmm. Anyways, with a capacity crowd nearing fever pitch, Critical Bill hit the stuffing filled crowd directly between the eyes, declaring that This Is Critical sending everyone running for the front of the stage. Filling the Emerald with their larger than life urban sounds, Mt Clemens’ own Critical Bill ran through a near hour set that included Downtown The World, Jump Around, and Get High before reaching out to the sell-out crowd, inviting each and every one over to The After Party at the Hayloft. Another amazing night in Da Clem and a truly generous gesture from ALL the bands that played tonight, so Dr2 would like to shout out a BIG THANK YOU on behalf of every one in Mt Clemens and beyond that enjoyed a free festive Thanksgiving Night party courtesy of Critical Bill! Be sure to check out the photos from this event in the Dr2 Gallery and for more on these bands, head on over to the Dr2 MySpace page where you’ll find them all in our Top Friends”. Detroit Rock Review, the Only Place for Local Music News & Reviews!

Kicking Out The Jams @ The Crofoot!

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Detroit Music Revolution: 40 Years To The Day

 If you did not make it out to the Crofoot last Thursday for the Detroit Music Revolution / 40 Years To The Day Celebration in honor of the MC5’s release of Kick Out The Jams as well as all music & artists from that time, then you did yourself one helluva a dishonor by missing maybe the most amazing show this town has seen in a number of years. Produced by Dark Greene Entertainment, they are the ones behind the "Detroit Music Revolution: Rock and Roll Volume 1" CD that includes all the bands that  performed tonight and then some, all of whom took time out of their own schedules to record various covers of the eras music. Besides filming the entire night for an upcoming documentary of the song, the band, and the times, Dark Greene enlisted the help of Detroit area promotional consultants; On The Rocks-Detroit, who made sure the evening was well attended and went off without a hitch, not an easy task considering the logistics of the event. Checking their egos at the door, 18 Local Bands came together in a celebration of Detroit’s legendary musical history by performing in what may have been the most unique format ever garnered up for a local show, a rolling 10 minute set of 3 songs, 2 their own and the cover they recorded for the CD. Way too cool as all shared the Kit and the Backline, allowing for a quick turn of bands that only had to “Plug In” their instruments on the fly. We must admit that we here at Dr2 were a bit skeptical of the event running on time, but Kevin Sharpe of Dark Greene did a phenomenal job of managing the stage through out the night, maintaining the agreed upon set list & times “within 15 minutes as scheduled” by the end of the night! Hosted by the manager of the legendary group MC5, John  Sinclair, you could feel the magic in the air, making this one of those special nights that only comes around once in a while, giving Dr2 the opportunity to do what we do best, introducing different bands/musicians across genre’s who may not of ever heard of each other, let alone meet. Always a cool reaction too as Dr2 walks away with a smile on our faces as they delve deep into their conversations of “yea I heard of you……”, and then of course sometimes not! Either way, tonight was one of those nights that saw each and every band perform flawlessly during their 3 song sets, making it a night for local music fans to remember. Dr2’s favorite moment came during Powertane’s set when they launched into their cover of the Bob Seger System’s 2+2 Is on My Mind, virtually allowing you to close your eyes, drift back in time and find yourself standing in the parking lot of the Oakland Mall during their grand opening back in 1968, unbelievable! Without a doubt this was one of those high profile events that propels this area’s music into the national spotlight, along with a host of local performers from the night having their names (and pic’s) dropped in the national press, check out the coverage of the event over on Spin.com and see for yourself! While you’re at it, make sure to check out the rest of the photo’s from the night over in the Dr2 Photo Gallery, and remember to Kick Out The Jams!!!

 

The Hayloft Grand Re-Opening Weekend In Review!

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The Hayloft Grand Re-Opening Weekend!

 Let there be no doubt about it, The Hayloft is back, bigger and definitely better than before! Dr2 spent the past weekend checking out the festivities for The Haylofts Re-Grand Opening Party and by all accounts it was a huge success, thanks to new devoted blood being pumped into the Loft. The first thing “new” to hit you as you’re walking up to The Hayloft is the new signage depicting the new Hayloft logo which is a combination of heaven and hell, and the ultra clean parking lot, the result of multiple sweeps throughout the night courtesy of Mike Scott, and from what we hear CBE-Katie even took a turn, very eye catching to say the least! What a great evening the Hayloft put together, giving the Hayloft a complete makeover inside, using a more rocking color scheme of Gray & Black while adding some vintage photos from shows past (courtesy of Michael Spleet-2snapsup.com), even added a killer Made In Detroit wall sculpture inside the Rock Room. You’ll also find that new Hayloft logo on a number of walls through out the place so no matter how many shots you’ve bought from one of the Hayloft’s Shot Girls, you’ll always remember were you’re at! Friday night saw a great line-up of local music acts opening up for the National Headliners Days of The New. Kicking things off was Mt Clemens’ own  Shotgun Opera, who recently changed their name from Sleep At Dawn, featuring Jeff Cavataio, a mesmerizing frontman that brings the flair back to rock & roll. Babcock, a relatively new band in the area, held the second slot tonight as they previewed several songs from a forthcoming CD, look for them performing various acoustic/electric cover shows around town as well as the occasional original show. Keeping things moving right along was Tryanny, a bit of a heavier band from the local scene featuring songwriter & guitarist Bill Kennedy (who also host’s an open mic at Mugshots) and vocalist Robin Black. Putting the rock in the roll tonight, these guys hammered out a fantastic set, check em out during the Erotica Ball on October 25th at Bert’s Warehouse in Detroit, an annual ritual near the eastern market. By this time things were in full swing, and the line to get in was still expanding, a perfect setting for Core Effect to set the crowd on fire, laying down a full out assault as The Hayloft prepared for tonight’s headliners, Days Of The New. Days of the New definitely packed the house tonight with their somewhat acoustic jam band style which obliviously is a big hit judging by the size of the crowd inside the Hayloft’s rock room, actually jamming 4 songs straight up before Travis Meeks (vox, A & E “Intervention” Reality Star)stepped up to the mic to unleash his vocal. The most amazing sight was the dozen or so high end guitars of various configurations lined up behind Meeks as Days of the New delivered one lengthy set, actually dropping his final chord at 2am sharp! What an amazing first night for The New Hayloft, in fact, after rising the following afternoon, Dr2 wasn’t quite sure if we’d make the Grand Finale Saturday Night! Ooouuch!

 Wow, after a day long hangover, after coming to it was time to head up for the final night of The Hayloft Grand Re-Opening Party with Critical Bill. What a difference a night makes. Getting to the Hayloft around 7:30, the place already had a line to get in, but then again, Mt Clemens own, and owner Mike Scott’s band Critical Bill was performing tonight! Always a great time when you’re surrounded by Michigan Made Music fanatics, and tonight ultimately gave Dr2 plenty of opportunities to catch up with all the local bands that were showing up to throw their support at the revival of the historic Hayloft. Revving up the night was KrankNine, a heavy hitting  band that actually delivered some soulful hooks during their set while getting everyone out of the bar room and into the rock room to see what was going down. Keeping everyone in the rock room with there brand of rock & roll, Arazi ripped it up during their 7 song set featuring The Light, Less Is More & finished it off with Sorry, opening the stage for that hip hoppin MC Hatch, who earlier this year released Wiseguy. Full of energy, Hatch blends his rhymes over top of his beats, delivering one high energy set that was damn near impossible to photograph! With Critical Bill in the house Facture was a natural selection to pump the crowd up prior to their set, and boy did the ever pump! Dressed in their Tuxedo t-shirts, Facture came prepared for the night’s event as Joe Sera (vox) did his best Chaplin impression, complete with cane, while delivering one mad metal rapping set, popping across the stage as they launched into Local Hero’s Kid Rock’s Somebody’s Got To Feel This. Awesome, never heard anyone try to cover that song and Facture absolutely nailed it before bringing Powerdise (vox-Critical Bill) up with him to finish out their set. No  doubt about it, The Hayloft was primed and about to bust open by the time Scream’n Scott came out to introduce Critical Bill to the rabid crowd that now stood shoulder to shoulder, chest to back through out the entire rock room. Now this was Detroit Rock & Roll, hot sweaty, and ready to explode! Didn’t take long either as Critical Bill hit the stage, the mosh pit erupted quicker than Mount St. Helens, sending plenty of beer across the mob gathered in front of the stage, pretty much right where Dr2 was standing! Gotta love it! Rolling through there own lengthy set, Critical Bill left no room for discussion relating to who was king tonight in Da Clem, at one point stopping to remind everyone that it was here in this very room where their own star began to rise, making a point to show all their corresponding tattoos on the base of their neck’s to prove it! By the time they invited the 20+ female fans on stage to “jump around” during their infectious hit Jump Around, Dr2 knew that they had just witnessed the official Grand Re-Opening of The Hayloft. Taking a few minutes with the band after the show, The Critical guys informed Dr2 that they are in the middle of lining up an upcoming tour that will most likely take the guys across the country and from coast to coast, spreading the 313 love along the way. Now the lingering question is, can The Hayloft continue it’s phoenix like rise from the ashes and carrying on all the momentum from this past weekend? Only time will tell, but if you know Mike Scott like we do, then all you need to do is look at their upcoming schedule of events to find that answer, as The Loft already has some pretty phenomenal  shows/events lined up in the upcoming months that you really won’t want to miss starting tonight with their new “Made In Detroit Wednesdays” that will see Kid Rock’s own brand in the house with cheap drink’s and free giveaways’, followed by the ever so popular “College Night” every Thursday. Look for live music to come your way the rest of the week featuring some of the best national & local bands to hit Mt Clemens including Soul Circus, Maceri & Ballz Deluxe this Friday night, followed by Lies Unknown, The Big Pink Black, & The Orange Marsupials on Saturday. And if that’s not enough, head on over to the Dr2 Gig Calendar to check out all the other fantastic show’s they have lined up including JoCaine, Dirty Americans and a very special New Years Eve Celebration with none other than Band With No Name! Check out the video below that Dr2 recorded of Critical Bill performing Rock Like That that should give you a pretty good idea of the insanity that went down during their set, and don’t forget to check out all the photos from the night over in the Dr2 Photo Gallery. As always, you can find both Critical Bill & The Hayloft over in the Dr2 Links or head on over to the Dr2 MySpace Page where you’ll find them both in our “Top Friends”.  DertroitRockReview.com - The Only Place For Local Music News & Reviews.

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Country Music Invades Detroit!

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Whitey Morgan & The 78’s CD Release Party

 HeHaw! Country music invaded Downtown Detroit this past Saturday night inside the Lager House a legendary venue which is usually reserved more for the rock & roll emo types. But hey, things are changing around here and we’re seeing a sort of an emergence of Detroit Country that has quite a few local acts traveling between The D & Nashville, if not moving there completely. Check out the first act we caught tonight (actually the third act on but we were late) called The Deadstring Brothers, a fantastic country rock band straight out of Detroit that has somehow found itself getting ready to embark on a tour across the UK and then some! This ain’t your typical country, blending the hard edge vocals of Detroit with some gritty guitar gives the Deadstrings Brothers their own distinct sound, turning the lager house into a genuine Detroit Honky Tonk! With three discs to their name, The Deadstring Brothers played a wide variety of ass kickin Detroit country to a full house inside the Jerome P Cavanaugh Social Room, prompting Dr2 to search out a copy for ourselves! With a break in the action it was a perfect time to catch up with Danny Methric &  Don Doop Duprie who were also in the makeshift honky tonk, showing support as they always do, another reason Detroit rocks! With their new CD, Honky Tonks & Cheap Motels, under their arms, Whitey Morgan & The 78’s were the reason everyone was here tonight. Squeezing all the members of the band onto the Lager House stage was a feat in itself, yet it seemed a perfect fit with Whitey front & center and the 78’s occupying what little room was left. We’ve not seen these guys before either and were not quite sure what to expect, country twang or a little bit of rock n roll? But when they kicked it off, we were pleasantly surprised it was neither, but in fact it was a definitive sound unlike you’ve not heard for awhile, true American outlaw country! Bringing the Lager crowd back to the day with them Morgan & his band of 78’s wailed through what I believe to be most of the new disc, and then some. Stepping over empty glass beer bottles, you couldn’t help but feel you were somewhere else other than downtown Detroit, feeling more like a roadside stand in the heart of Texas. In fact, Whitey Morgan will be taking his 78’s with him as they begin to tour in support of the album, starting with a mega load of shows throughout Michigan & surrounding states before hitting up Texas, eventually performing at the SXSW Music Fest at Room 710 in Austin. Not bad for a bunch of renegade Michiganders looking to set the country music world on it’s ears, look for Whitey Morgan & The 78’s to return to Detroit at the Magic Stick on November 29th for the Deadstring Brothers “Downtown Honky Tonk” featuring Dirt Road Logic, Doop & The Inside Outlaws, and The Orbitsuns! Check out the new disc from Whitey Morgan & The 78’s over at their MySpace page, find them in our Top Friends over at the Dr2 MySpace page. To see more photos from the night just hop on up to the Dr2 Photo Gallery Page right here on DetroitRockReview.com-The Only Place For Local Music News & Reviews.

“Share The Stage” Contest Finals

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“Share The Stage” Contest Finals

 What a wild night last Thursday was for the Finals of the 89X-Live Nation “Share The Stage” Contest held over at TNT’s where the winner of this contest was named to open at a major local venue for a national act. Without a doubt, this night had some major implications for one lucky band, and with tonight’s line-up of Konitption Fit, SyPher, Maceri, Lies Unknown, & Lithium, Dr2 knew it would be a packed house and the line to get in confirmed it was going to be one hot night! Rolling through the door of TNT’s is an experience in and of itself let alone trying to greet all the Dr2 fan’s in da house, all the while just trying to get to our table for the night, props to our “adopted” Dr2 Daughter Juliana for making it all worthwhile! Dr2 must say, it was totally sweet seeing everyone out there tonight supporting their favorites as well as local music in general,  makes it hard to have to pick a “winner” seeing as everyone who’s playing original music in Michigan is already a winner in our eyes! Special guest Koniption Fit opened up the night with their re-arranged line-up which now is a 3 pc and now features Amber Kat on the bass. No doubt Jason Caine can shred a guitar, but the most startling revelation is the fact that “Kat” drops a pretty heavy bass line, fattening up the Fit’s power punk sound. Look for Koniotion Fit @ The Token Lounge this coming Saturday where they’ll be kick’n off their Midwest tour! Earning the contest’s opening spot was SyPher which finished 2nd in the first semi-final back on Sept 4th. Drawing from an ever increasing following, the guys ripped through their 7-song set much to the pleasure of their fans in attendance, even throwing in a new one along the way. Maceri won the 2nd semi-final 2 weeks ago by bringing in a huge crowd and boy did it look like they repeated that draw tonight, filling in the entire pit and then some. If there is one thing about Maceri it is the fact that their songs are super infectious, pulling you and seemingly the entire crowd into their world onstage, delivering a unique experience that you won’t soon forget. Speaking of crowds, Maceri brought enough in tonight to definitely put them in contention for that coveted opening slot; we’ll have to wait to see if the remaining 2 bands do better. Winners of the first semi-final, and a certain crowd pleaser, Lies  Unknown hit the stage next, leaving no doubt as to who was in first place so far tonight as damn near the entire TNT’s rock room was filled shoulder to shoulder with Lies Unknown fans. Truly holders of the complete package, Lies hit their fans right between the eyes, opening up with the exuberate Go, Go, You Know that is usually reserved for a later slot in the set before launching the entire room into an uncontrolled frenzy with their life anthem Woodward Avenue, sending the bouncers into the crowd to try to calm the ferocious mosh pit threatening to erupt, amazing! With his set list penned directly to his arm, Justin Alexander kept the intensity rising with each song hitting up the Dr2 Favorite Nowhere Fast as they put the pedal to the medal with She’s A Slut before closing out with Whoa Me & Let It Take A Hold wrenching every ounce of energy from the now rabid crowd! Check out the winning performance of She's A Slut below and you'll get an idea of the pure energy these guys deliver. If you’ve not caught these guys yet, do so before it’s too late, they won’t be staying small for long! After this display of fanatic fandom, there was no doubt as to who had the biggest crowd so far tonight until …… Lithium started to load in. As the L.U.S.T (Lies Unknown Street Team) member’s began their exit, the Lithium fans made their entrance! What a unique sight to see, almost like a vacuum filling a void, one set flying out, sucking in just as many to replace those who’ve left! Now the big question was who brought more? From our table front & center, it was impossible to guess since Lithium also filled TNT’s rock room shoulder to shoulder, giving us here at Dr2 an amazing feeling that we’re not alone in our love of Michigan Made Music! Playing big shows in front of big crowds is right up Lithim’s alley having played in a couple of these finals as well as having opened for the likes of Papa Roach, Tech9, Drowning Pool & Even Dope to name a few. Armed with an 8 song set list, Pauly and the guys brought out the heavy artillery tonight, nailing one of Dr2’s Favorite, This Emotion, a Eurhythmics’ re-make, and even had the entire crowd singing along during Melting Away, Lithium’s classic power ballad that does just that! The real highlight was their 9th unlisted song that featured one Powerdise of Critical Bill joining Lithium to trade vocals with Pauly on Beautiful People, when about half way through Critical Phil & Mike Scott came out of nowhere to join them onstage sending TNT’s into complete mayhem!

 What an unbelievable night of music that had everyone wondering just who would pull out the win on a night that saw some amazing sets from some amazing bands. After a quick count of the votes at the door, Cal Cagno of 89X was ready to deliver the news everyone was waiting for declaring Lies Unknown the winner of the “Share The Contest” and announced they would be opening up for The FloBots on October 23rd down at The Fillmore-Detroit! And in another well deserved surprise, Cagno also announced that for coming in such a close second that indeed Lithium will be getting their own opening slot to be named later. Congratulations to all who made this a night to remember, and don’t forget to heck out the photos from the night right here in the Dr2 Gallery. Detroit Rock Review-The Only Place For Local Music News & Reviews!

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Dirty Americans EP Release Show @ The Crofoot

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Dirty Americans EP Release Show @ The Crofoot

 The Dirty Americans held their EP Release party over at the Crofoot in Pontiac a couple weeks ago and boy was it a throw down featuring a great line-up with special guests The Vamps and The Muggs. We had never seen The Vamps before and man, Rebecca Lynn(vox), Robin(guitar), Molly Jean(bass), and Todd(drums) really grabbed our attention as Lynn’s powerful and inspired vocals woke up the crowd. The Vamps got the night rolling right with a serious rock and soul revival and stage show that brought the crowd towards the stage and kept them there for the entire set, we can’t wait to hear a disc from this group! The Muggs followed with another of their classic blockbuster sets featuring a mix of songs from their first and second disc that again brought the Crofoot crowd up front to witness the flurry of Methric’s undeniable mastery of the  Les Paul. Danny, Tony, and Matt never disappoint with their unique, ageless, blend of Rock and Blues, as they tore it up with “Slow Curve”, “Just Another Fool”, and stopped their planned set with a dedication to a young fan with, “White Boy Blues”. The Muggs then rolled out those “B-side Blues” working the crowd to a fever pitch, so that by the time “The Dirty’s” came out, the house was primed! The Dirty American’s are very excited about their new EP and with good reason! The 5 song assault is vintage Dirty Americans! You can check out the review in our CD review section on this site. The night belonged to Myron and the boys as they rocked through an hour long set featuring some of their finest! Their new tracks “Snake in the Grass”(our personal favorite), “How I Roll”, and the always popular, “Detroit Son Of A Bitch” stoking the crowd to a full-on, fist-pumping, frenzy!! You gotta love the show these guys give you every time out! Myron was at his best, urging the crowd to raise their fist and sing along. The Dirty Americans are possibly the best we’ve seen at this, really engaging the crowd and making them feel like part of the show. Whether it is Myron reaching out to slap hands or Jeremiah standing up behind his kit to urge the crowd to new heights of insanity, these guys make you get up and scream!! It is absolutely criminal that they aren’t getting radio play, but we have been hearing good things about a possible record deal. It would be long overdue! What a spectacular night!! Check out the photos from this night inside the Dr2 Photo Gallery and we should have some video up soon from this event, so keep an eye out for it here or on our Myspace. If you want to get your hands on a copy of the EP or any of the Dirty American music, as always you can find them in our Top Friends . Remember, If you need local music news and reviews you will always find it at Detroit Rock Review!! Keep rockin’!

Finals Set For the 89X-Live Nation "Share The Stage Contest"

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Finals Set For Share The Stage Contest

 The finals are set for the Share The Stage Contest sponsored by TNT’s, 89X, & Live Nation where the winner will open for a national act at one of the area’s large concert venues of their choice. After weeks of Preliminary rounds, the first Semi-Final was held September 4th which saw Lies Unknown, SyPher, Reality Drift, The Barefoot Girls, and Tiny Lightning go at it head to head for 2 of the 4 coveted spots in the finals, while this past Thursday we saw Maceri, Lithium, The Big Black Pink, & Chaos Theory battling it out for the final 2 spots in the Finals to be held  this Thurday October 2nd over at TNT’s Bar & Grill. DetroitRockReview.com was there for both nights and must say the support of the bands by their fans has been nothing short of spectacular. The first semi-final on the 4th had Sypher leading off the night with an exceptional crowd that appeared to give new energy to the guys, chalking up one of their best performances to date, propelling them into a second place finish and advancing them into the Finals! Looks like they guys in SyPher have been busy themselves as we’ve been told they are nearing completion of their debut CD and expect to release it before year’s end. Reality Drift had to travel a bit for tonight’s contest and always seems to bring in a crowd, due in part to Jordan Trovillion’s (vox) on stage personality that inevitably draws you into their performance, but it wasn’t enough tonight as they fell from the competition. Barefoot Girls hit the stage next, literally igniting the crowd with their foot stomping good time  music that fringes on the insane. A relatively new band on the scene, we first caught them out of the blue up at the Premier Concert Theater a month or so ago. Surprisingly they brought quite the crowd themselves who were certainly into their music, but again falling short and will not be moving onto the finals. In the nights fourth position was none other than Lies Unknown, a band who has recently exploded onto the Detroit scene, releasing their self titled full length album earlier this year, since turning ears where ever they play. This young group has one of the largest followings around, scoring big points when ever they step up one stage, delivering an excruciating set that leaves you wondering why they’re still on the small stage. That may all change soon as Lies Unknown won tonight’s gathering by squashing all competitors with an overwhelming door vote that was second to none. Finishing out the first semi-final was Tiny Lightning, a female fronted cover band that brings a fresh voice to the scene with Jessica Kropog. Alas, tonight was not their night as the crowd dispersed quickly after Lies Unknown had left.

 Fast forward 2 weeks to September 18th and we’re back at TNT’s for the second Semi-Final of the contest to determine the remaining 2 finalist. First, and most certainly not least, is a rather unique group called The Big Pink Black. Not too sure the meaning behind the moniker, but this energetic group is fronted by one the most phenomenal female voices in the city, Tiffany Marie. Having recently joined this group, Tiffany Marie stands out as the driving force behind the otherwise all male group, her vocals rising above all during their more maistream songs, while losing her edge during the groups more ferocious approach to straight out punk. The Big Pink Black drew in quite a large rambunctious crowd, but with tonight’s turnout wasn’t enough to move them on. Barring a complete change, a few tweaks to their song list may just be enough to propel this singer straight to the top of the area’s best! The hard hitting heavy metal Chaos Theory came out next, plastering TNT’s with what was an amazingly strong set, turning this smoky club into Hardcore Metal Heaven. Having only seen these guys once quite awhile back in an opening slot over at the Emerald, Dr2 was totally impressed with the melodic tone to their gut wrenching sound which actually had some of our crew up in arms, ready to declare Chaos Theory the winner of the night, bringing in a solid crowd for themselves, yet again fell short in terms of door votes. Look for Chaos Theory to head up a EP Release show over at The Ritz this Saturday Night, October 4th in support of their long awaited debut offering. Dr2 had never seen the next band up, Maceri, live before, all though we did have half the group perform during our Dr2 Open Jam Pool Party back in July, so we didn’t really know what to expect with the full group. We can tell you one thing for sure, and that is that we never  imagined we’d see what we did from this group, whose recordings teeter on the more mild side. Instead what we got was a bevy of angst driven determined rock & roll, as front man Ryan Maceri tasted victory, holding absolutely nothing back, and for good reason. In what may be the biggest upset of any Battle here at TNT’s, Maceri filled the rock room with a huge crowd that was just enough to give them an ever so slight margin of victory over one of the biggest drawing bands ever to enter these contests, Lithium. Bringing in their own extreme crowd, Lithium proceeded to pound every last drip of energy that remained inside TNT’s for the night’s final performance. In who may be (ok he is) the hardest working self promoting (as in his band) lead singers in town, Pauly again delivered one of his top notch, over the top performances, complete with his newly acquired (or was it wired) flashing gizmo that gave him one eerie glow! One thing seemed to be missing from tonight’s performance, their exceptional cover of the Eurythmic’s, This Emotion, hopefully they’ll bring it on for the finals.

With a major show waiting in the wings for the winner of 89X’s Share The Stage Contest this Thursday October 2nd, expect nothing less than one amazing night of high octane rock & roll. Plan on getting there early as Dr2 expects the 4 finalist, Lies Unknown, Maceri, SyPher, and Lithium to bring their entire stables with them in what is gearing up to be one of the Hottest Thursday nights around town since this past summer, especially since there ahs been one wild card act added to the final in Koniption Fit. With all 5 bands capable of bringing down the house, tomorrow night is one not to be missed nor will it be repeated any time soon! So come on Detroit, get out there and iSupport Local Music, and while you’re at it, throw a vote at the door for your favorite band! Remember, you can find photos from these events inside the Dr2 Photo Gallery right here at Detroit Rock Review-The Only Place For Local Music News & Reviews!

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