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Nimbus Edges Out Midnight to Twelve in Preliminary Round of Battle of the Fans
October 21, 2003 was a night were every fan mattered as Nimbus, the final band of the night, barely stole the lead from Midnight to Twelve by a mere few points to claim victory in the preliminary round. Over 60 fans were in attendance, including several local musicians that were recognized as the band’s friends. Fans cheered Nimbus on as it was announced that they moved into the next round joining October 6th winner Deepdown, October 7th winner Getting Even, October 13th winner Underwood, October 14th winner Soulshine, and October 20th winner Level. These six bands will be joined by the winners of the October 27th and October 28th shows to compete in the semifinals of Battle of the Fans being held at the Knitting Factory November 10th and 11th, 2003.
Nimbus is comprised of Tim on vocals and guitar, Adam on guitar and banjo, David on bass, and Rob on drums. The lead singer has a passionate soft clear voice and puts emotions into the lyrics that can be easily understood both live and on their CD. Nimbus had the crowd going with both their soft ballads and high-energy rock songs, capturing the crowd’s attention by having them not only accumulate to the front, but had most of them dancing as well. They have been compared to bands such as Radiohead and Tool. Their song “Out of Here” uses a combination Latin/Eastern beat much like Shakira’s multi-platinum Laundry Service CD, and there is also a gothic influence showcased with a soft rock beat. It’s powerful lyrics include “I don’t belong here and I got to get away,” and “I ask you kindly, how will I ever get out of here,’’ which sends chills up your spine. Their ballad “Let it go” has a soft tranquil rock beat with passionate lyrics including “so damned jaded” about getting over it just as the title of the song suggests. Their song “Remind me” with the catchy chorus of ‘‘You remind me of things I said,” has a faster beat with strong emotional statements such as “I don’t want you here to show me how to live my life,” and “Have you come with all your stupid questions?” “Stop to think” has a soft dramatic beat with a gothic feel and makes the underlying ultimate statement of “There’s always time to change your mind.” These artists have made dealing with relationship problems into an art form. Along with having extra-ordinary talent and other bands supporting them, Nimbus has a tight promotional machine with a fan base that stretches beyond includes themselves and their friends helping out as promoters, soliciting e-mails during concerts, and handing out CD’s, etc. During an after performance victory interview, they stated that strong promotions was a vital factor in their success along with talent, hard work, and determination.
Midnight to Twelve may have been edged out of victory by a few mere votes, but this band from Whitter, CA can’t be slowed down and in their own words, “Won’t stop. Can’t stop.” Their hard edgy rock, heavy metal, head banging sound is enhanced with soulful lyrics that show a lot of time, thought, and effort put into their songwriting that they love. They’re in the same league as Iron Maiden, and with all said; their hard sound is fine toned to still be radio friendly. Midnight to Twelve features Jon Hartman on vocals, Al Baca on bass, with Steve Oliver on keyboards, Chris Atenley as the drummer, and Daniel Jordan on guitar. Being a seasoned touring band, they know how to work the crowd and force them to get off the wall by utilizing their high energy, commanding performance, and jamming hard. When the lead singer says to “Get off the wall,” no one hesitates; they listen and obey as he gains firm control, earns respect, and has much deserved admiration from the audience. Their talented front-man Jon Hartman has not only found his voice with a perfect match to heavy metal, but he and the rest of the band have a sensational stage presence as well.
8 Stops 7 haven’t played in Los Angeles lately, but that’s because they have moved on to bigger and better things such as becoming full-time working musicians and having a road tour that’s lasted for 2 ˝ years. As the front-man Evan Sula-Goff states, “They never have and never will pay to play.” Constant non-stop touring has enabled them to avoid the economic plague that hits so many LA bands; but this also brings out the reality that their fan base is spread out, not saturated in LA. So they have lost their hometown advantage in being able to bring out the numbers in force. Their performance though was anything but second rate. The lead singer jumped off the stage with no fear, and he started singing and dancing in front of the audience with intense high energy. 8 Stops 7 is hard rock meets grunge with a loud piercing clear polished sound. Their speed metal music according to Evan Sula-Goff, is a style that “Pushes the envelope,” and “Keeps pushing them to do something uncomfortable to anything that reaches the point of almost hurting.” 8 Stops 7 Jon Hartman admires Joe Cocker for this very reason.
If You See Kate didn’t have the high numbers, but this college style band had quality fans with five nice college age girls that stood up front all dressed up admitting to be the band’s girl friends. There was also a fan dressed like a “Catholic school girl” who sold the t-shirts, promoted the CD’s, and increased the e-mail list. The lead singer Mike Castillo Walsh sounded especially good on the soft rock lyric “Waiting For You” which is a romantic song and “Daydreams and Nightmares” that shows us the band’s softer more emotional side by stating lyrics such as, “That I try not to cry.” The drummer Jordan Perkins Lewis has high energy and keeps the band’s music flowing both on stage and on their impressive demo CD. His consistent powerful drumming style raises If You See Kate to the next level.
October 24, 2003, was an extraordinary night at the Knitting Factory proving that Battle of the Fans isn’t just about bringing in the Fans, but providing tight quality entertainment as a required element. It didn’t matter that one band scratched; there were four tight bands that played, representing the very best in their respective categories.
Article by: Laura Phillips
Submitted: November, 2003
Photos: BOTF Website
Artist Website: www.battleofthefans.com
Email: info@thelamusicscene.com
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