Friday and Saturday nights’ acts at the Battle of the Bands 2008, held each weekend at Big Mama’s Karaoke Café and sponsored by the Cafe, Tennessee Productions, Inc., and the South Knox · Seymour Times, got down and dirty in their bid to collect a slate of incredible prizes, be seen on KnoxRocks.TV, aired Thursday nights at 11:30 on MyVLT2, and win the hearts and minds of the audience destined to choose this year’s winner via soon-to-open internet voting.
First up on Friday were the grunge/alt/punk trio Karma out of Jacksboro, TN. Playing a mix of quick originals and punchy covers, the skatepark buskers featuring Aaron Stanifer on drums, Dick Davis on bass, and Darrick Stanifer on guitar and lead vocals pulled off a stunner in one of their first performances.
Rock/pop/punk outfit So To Speak took the state-of-the-art stage next, pitting Daniel Cromwell’s vocals against the gritty guitar of Russell Miller and buttery bass of Wes Whaley, and relying on the skinwork of Andy Beckman to keep the tempos quick and tasty. The two-year-old quartet out of Townsend, TN quickly put their own spin on the evening, purveying a scintillating set of originals and covers.
But the night was far from over, as the Tazewell, TN quintet The Acoustic Mayhem soon proved. Setting the bayou vocal twang and determined rhythym guitar of Tennessee native Judd Hunt to the glittering rhythms of drummer Brady Shelton and Latin percussionist Burgin Crutchfield, the five-piece cranked through a crowd-pleasing set of cover tunes, including a nearly note-perfect rendition of the Steve Miller Band’s “Swingtown”, doubtless a signature anthem for the outfit, that had audience members singing and swaying. Bassist Steve Fultz and lead guitarist Anthony Cupp drove every note home with downbeat authority. Capping the evening with an acoustic cover of Loverboy’s “Turn Me Loose” may have raised some eyebrows at first, but their crystalline rendition raised both voices and sneaker soles as the jam progressed.
The four acts headlining Saturday’s show were not to be outdone, and Louisville, TN quartet Cell Five roared out of the starting gate with their own determination to win. Broadcasting a benthian boom from Benjamin Zayas’ P-bass and drummer Josh “the Beast” Lane’s sizable cymbals, the foursome laid a thick and heavy sound on the nascent evening, balancing Danny Cornwell’s guttural Gibson against the amazing vocal reach of Brandon Selvey.
Together for only two short months, Knoxville trio Wide Angle Shot blistered through their own set of originals and covers next. Featuring the guitars and vocals of Kevin Rhodes and the bass of Hank Sinatra and the Whole Family alum Patrick Wilson, joined at the hip to the crisp percussion of Tony Karnowski, the threesome plastered a punchy, raw and yet well-balanced sound into the early evening air. With a clean Stratocaster clang, held up by a gritty J-bass thump locked in tighter than a steel zipper to the bluesy, punky rhythms, the second set showed this accomplished trio, sporting one member from 2007’s garage-band category second-place winners, was one to be reckoned with.
But Harriman quintet Open Arms had their own rock to cast, and with a wrist-snapping windup from the dual-guitar attack of Jamie Hackler and Chris Metcalfe, and a biceps-bending delivery behind the soulful vocal of Will Pelfrey and Zach Stephens’ steady skins, fired at radar-gun speed by bassist Travis Rice, the five-piece caught lightning in a bottle for a pelting performance.
Knoxville rock/power-pop trio Bullet Groove then proceeded to tear the roof off the sucker. Joe “The Show” Enich fronted the three-piece with his electrifying stage presence, steady power strumming and affecting vocals, but the Lace Hidden Kiss alum percussion section featuring bassist Donnie Hall’s blistering fretwork offset the simple trebly guitar lines with an active booty-moving bottom-end that just wouldn’t quit, while drummer Aaron Wright brought them both together into a perfect ensemble that thrilled the late crowd.
Setting a bevy of influences that include Alice in Chains, Dave Mathews, and Tool against the acoustic/electric sensibilities of their own style, Bullet Groove hit the audience like a groovy bullet to the head, capping the night by bringing their own sing-along twist to the stadium anthem and Twisted Sister staple “We’re Not Gonna Take It”.
Plenty more outstanding acts are to come each weekend at Big Mama’s Karaoke Café in Seymour as the summer concert series continues. Admission to each show is only five dollars, as more than a hundred bands vie for the title of 2008 winner in one of two categories. Big Mama’s is located at 10605 Chapman Highway, and can be reached at (865) 609-0208.
