Where else can you catch 26 bands on five different stages all within a block of each other, for a mere $5? This is truly an incredible concept, one that is not only a great bargain and a testiment to the talent that this region has to offer, but also a great way to experience some high-quality bands you might not have otherwise seen. It's a rock n' roll "block-party" like no other.

Three writers, two photographers, five venues & 26 bands... while, we couldn't possibly catch everyone, we had a damn good time trying.

Since one of the main goals behind this event is to give voters a chance to catch some nominated acts they might not have seen prior to placing their votes, we felt that perhaps we too should focus on some of the many acts we hadn't yet had the opportunity to cover in Synapsis.

The Showcase officially started at 7pm at The Beaumont, when a heavy metal group called Descension took the stage. Somewhat "unannounced," this early set was probably missed by many who would have enjoyed it. One of the best little-known local bands, Descension was nominated for the best hardcore/metal award.

Their music is great, especially if you just want to get out some aggression. Their sound is dark, loud and angry, with screaming guitar lines. I've been told the full-blown stage production from these guys is a must see, but as they were sharing this stage with five other acts, I had to settle for a topless blood soaked "nun," prowling the stage on all fours. And that's an off-night for these guys. The full-on theatrics of the Descension stage-show is reportedly a sight to behold.

Descension was nominated last year as well, and for all the dark, angry metal they play, they are actually very nice guys. If you get a chance to catch a show of theirs, do it. The few songs they did get to play peaked my interest. If you like your brand of rock fast, angry, and dark – yet musically complex, Descension is a band for you.

For more info on Descension, you can visit them at the official band website: www.descension-metal.com.

At 8pm, the rest of the Showcase got underway.

Across the street at McCoy's Public House, Kansas City alt-country rockers, The Welterweights, showed off why they were nominees in the best country/bluegrass category. The Welterweights have been together since early 2000, and in that time, the band has developed a good solid following in the area. In the last year, they have also released one CD entitled Here Goes Nothing.

The Welterweights started their set off with some mellower tunes that featured singer Nathaniel Williams on acoustic guitar. These tunes did a good job at showing off Williams' soulful and lonesome sounding voice. But the band really hit its stride when Williams switched over to electric guitar and kicked it into high gear. While Williams is the heart of this band, the soul is definitely in the hands of the very capable rhythm section (bassist Elizabeth Schoch and drummer Jeff Thomason). Lead guitarists Corey Heiders does a good job at providing tasteful guitar licks to back up Williams' vocals. The only real downside to the band's set was the sound out front, as the mix was very guitar heavy and not well balanced. That withstanding, the band turned out a very solid, enjoyable set.

For more info on The Welterweights, you can visit them at the official band website: www.thewelterweights.com.

Meanwhile, at The Hurricane, the word was hip-hop. As more of a fan of punk rock, I will be quite honest and say that hip-hop is not my strong suit. Nether-the-less, I was pretty impressed by The Guild. Introduced as "socially conscious hip-hop," it was a little hard for me to follow, but with three guys hopping around the stage and exchanging lightning-quick prose, what can you expect? The energy level was super-high all the way around and the beats made my feet move. The crowd also enjoyed the rapid-fire lyrical exchanges between the guys. I may not be a hip-hop fan, but I did enjoy the show that The Guild put on just the same.

After the lyrical masterings of The Guild, the floor erupted into dance moves as DJ Nitro took over the turntables. DJ Nitro was a ball of energy, with his frizzy hair bouncing and spinning around to spin behind his back. Samples that really pumped up the dancing audience included snippets from Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer." He definately seems to enjoy what he does and apparently the crowd does too, as the dancefloor filled quickly. If you want to go out and get your groove on, catch up with DJ Nitro, there's no way you will stand still if you do.

Around the corner at the Mill Creek Brewery, Brent Berry & The Roots Crew were the lone world beat/reggae performers on the showcase bill. The nine-piece Lawrence, KS ensemble had everyone dancing within thirty seconds. The band (featuring several members of The Band That Saved The World) dealt out some very strong vocal harmonies – especially from Brent Berry and Rev. Aaron Morris. Also in effect was some impressive soloing from "Tasty" Dan Penn (tenor sax) and Chris Leopold (Trumpet and Trombone).

While the band plays a lot of reggae and world beat music, their real strong point this evening was their traditional ska in the vein of Desmond Decker, Laurel Aitken and the Skatalites. Tunes like "Hold On" and "Two Times" had more energy than anything else in the band's set. Having just released a live CD, Brent Berry & The Roots Crew are one of the most consistent draws the area has seen in a quite a while, playing to packed houses almost everytime they step on a stage. If you are in the mood for some great music to dance to and a very fun evening, then check out this band soon. For more info, you can visit them on the web at www.brentberymusic.com.

Meanwhile at The Beaumont, another act was taking the stage. The Hearers, nominated for some reason in the best new band category that, judging by this performance, has yet to be understood. They're an 8-piece group, including two acoustic guitars, an electric guitar, a banjo, two keyboards, and a harmonica. Playing various mellow and sorrow-driven love songs that were well-written but poorly performed, The Hearers left me wincing, wondering about the logic behind their nomination category. They had obvious Charlie Daniels Band influences, but without the energy or creativeness in any of their songs. The only crowd response was from the few senior members of the crowd trying to dance to these sounds that could only be described as country-noir. Frankly, after this performance, we were left wondering how The Hearers got nominated at all.

As ten o' clock rolled around, the Showcase had already featured eleven bands - but we were having too much fun to even notice the time.

At the Mill Creek Brewery, nominated in the best country/bluegrass category, Hadacol proved that they have come a very long way since we last had the chance to see them two years ago. Playing a set that mostly consisted of songs off their most recent Slewfoot Records effort, All In Your Head, the band played what was definitely some of the best music of the entire night.

Powered by brothers Fred and Greg Wickham, Hadacol proved why they are one of KC's most respected bands. Their energy level was through the roof and they looked like they were having the time of their lives. Song highlights included "Gerald Ford" and "Little Sadie" off the new CD and "Somebody Lied" and "Big Tornado" off of 1998's Better Than This.

The set highlight was when Fred Wickham asked the crowd to chose between a Johnny Cash cover or a Ramones cover. Initially Jonny Cash proved to be the audience favorite, and the band played a solid version of "Ring Of Fire." Then it was decided that, for the hell of it, they would also play "Rockaway Beach" by the Ramones. Upon hearing these two songs it became very clear that this is a band that completely gets it, understanding that a good song is a good song regardless of style.

Look for the band to do a good amount of touring in the near future as they continue to support All In Your Head. For more info on Hadacol, you can pay a visit to www.hadacol.com

On stage at McCoy's, The Thornbirds were busy giving the audience a pop rock high. The latest group fronted by Tawni Freeland (ex- Exit 159, Star 80, Glitter Kicks, Frogpond), The Thornbirds played an amazing set that rocked the crowd and showed both the group's amazing songwriting and performing talent. This is simply just great rock n' roll with classic rock influences. Freeland, up for the best female vocalist award, has once again proven herself to be one of the area's best local singers. With great lyrics, lots of energy, and a set list that had good variety, both Freeland and The Thornbirds showed their worthiness of this nomination. A win would probably be a nice way to leave the area, as they plan on relocating to Los Angeles this summer.

[Editor's Note: The Thornbirds have just changed their name to The Lights. You heard it here first.]

At Blayney's, DC Bellamy's act was the standout performance of the night. The rhythm and blues group consists of a 6-string bassist, a great drummer, and amazing harmonica player, and the most charismatic lead singer and guitar player, known as DC Bellamy. With as much energy as possible in a blues band, DC Bellamy had a great variety of classic blues songs, blues with more rock influences and just some great tunes. He had good crowd interaction with some of the most creative lyrics of any local band. His original tunes got more patrons dancing and grooving than did his amazing cover of Aretha Franklin's classic “Chain of Fools.” This is one act that I recommend everybody, and I do mean everybody, go see.

For more info on DC Bellamy, check out www.jwblues.com.

Back around the corner at The Beaumont Club, Kansas City's most dangerous rock n' roll band, The Last Of The V8s, took the stage. Nominated in both the best new band and best rock band categories, the V8s were in top form. In a year and a half, the band has kept very busy. Within a few months of settling on a lineup, the band recorded its debut CD entitled It's On on Shock Factory Records and hit the road playing up and down the West Coast and parts of Canada. As of this show, the V8s are on bass player number three (and by far the most attractive member in the band's history). Britt Smith (ex-Lushbox) played an excellent set, and makes this already good band even better. Led by the theatrics of lead singer, Ryan Mattes, and ex-Cretin 66 guitarist, Jay Zastoupil, the band plays rock music like it's supposed to be played... loud, dirty and fast. Their set consisted of older songs from It's On, including "What I Need," "Valium Blues," and "Demon Machine," as well as new songs "Sable Star," "Drunk Again," and "Wrecking Ball."

As per usual, The Last of the V8s have quite a few shows coming up, including an April 26th performance at The Bottleneck in Lawrence as part of Loaded In Lawrence 2002. If you like in-you-face, take-no-prisoners rock music, then go see this band and be prepared to have your face blown off. For more info on The Last of the V8s, you can visit them at their official website: www.thelastofthev8s.com.

At Blayney's, local jazz favorite, David Basse, showed off his chops. Backed up by a group of amazing musicians, he had amazing jazz vocals filled with lots of soul and emotion. The songs were wonderfully written and performed with much pizzazz. There was a good variety of songs, each with one or two amazing solos. The only drawback to the set was that the saxophone was at times more prominent than the vocals and some of the solos got a little monotonous, but were redeemed later on in the set by even better solos. Anyone fond of jazz should definitely catch David Basse. His jazzy charisma is contagious.

As midnight rolled around, The Beaumont played host to blues artists Brody Buster & His Blues Busters. Brody has been tearing it up in the area for several years now. Quite a feat, when you consider that Mr. Buster is only 17 years old. But upon hearing him play the harmonica and sing, you would never guess it - neither in his ability or his understanding of the blues. Nominated in the best blues category, they spent most of their set playing songs off their first CD entitled, Blue Devil.

They also played a very good cover of the old Joe Cocker standard, "Leave Your Hat On," which allowed Brody to stretch out and show off his harmonica chops very nicely. They had a good sized crowd for their set, and they had them dancing instantly. While Brody is the main attraction, he has done a great job at surrounding himself with a very good band. They sounded very tight and well rehearsed. What I liked about their music was that while it was blues, some of the music had a nice funk edge to it also, which changed things up some.

I think that it is very safe to say that as long as Brody Buster has the blues, the genre will continue to have a very long and prosperous life in KC. For more info on Brody Buster & His Blues Busters, you can visit them at www.brodybuster.com.

Our evening ended at The Hurricane with the punk rock stylings of Tanka Ray. Always enjoyable for what it is – high energy, just-don't-give-a-fuck music – they started their musical rampage with a song titled "We Don't Practice" and from there on, it was a full-on assault on the ears. Loud, fast punk with massive amounts of energy and little bits of sarcasm in between songs...you just gotta love it!!

The best thing about their set is that these guys can cram 13 songs into to a time-frame that most bands could only manage five or six... yet they're still every bit as musically sound. Tanka Ray ended their evening's romp with a Naked Raygun cover called "Rat Patrol." It was a great end to a wonderful, musically diverse evening.

You can find out more about Tanka Ray at their website: www.tankaray.com

A big thumbs up goes out to the Pitch Weekly from all of us here at Synapsis Digital Magazine for a job well done. This event was a lot of fun, and offered a chance to see lots of old friends, make a few new ones, and see a lot of great live music. Hopefully this is only the second, of what will be many Pitch Weekly Music Showcases to come.