OC Music Magazine

Laura Miller

After showcasing their talents all over Orange County, the top five OCMA Best Live Band finalists gathered for their last chance to prove themselves a winner.  All took the stage on February 27th at the Samueli Theater in Costa Mesa.

Kicking off the night’s festivities was the eccentric trio, BLOK.  Combining techno/dance beats, hip-hop vocals, and incredible energy, the group had no trouble proving itself to be one of the top live bands in OC.  Each member of the group brought their own flavor to the performance.  Gianna Gianna, with her sexy robotic/rag doll movements and powerful backing vocals, was reminiscent of Lady GaGa meets Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill).  Damien B and Jesse St. John’s rap-style had a Cypress Hill/Beastie Boys feel to it, especially next to Damien’s late 80s/early 90s wardrobe.  BLOK had a great set, revving the crowd up for the next series of musicians.

Up next were The Steelwells, a six-piece band from Fullerton/Yorba Linda.  They started the set off with a nice acoustic sound from lead singer/guitarist, Joey Winter, which inevitably led to rocking the crowd.  Each song had a great composition, giving off this great indie/bluegrass feeling.  The members of the band had a great chemistry onstage with each other, and were very personable with the crowd.  They had the audience bopping their heads and tapping their feet, that’s for sure.

The Colourist put out a great set, as well.  They have a great indie pop/rock sound.  Can’t go wrong with catchy lyrics and a fun steady beat.  Keyboardist/vocalist, Justin Wagner, took down the 4th wall by interacting with the crowd, imploring them to add him on MySpace.  When the musicians are having a good time on stage, it shows.  In this case, Wagner’s antics were just an added bonus for an already captivated crowd.

Dusty Rhodes and The River Band were certainly throwin’ rocks tonight.  Another six-piece band that utilized over eight different instruments throughout the course of their set.  Donned in white, the band produced a unique performance mixing blues/bluegrass/rock in the style of a rock opera meets a southern Baptist church sermon.  Blowing the crowd away with the immense musical talent onstage, the entire audience screamed, clapped, and cheered for more after every single song.  Lead singer, Dustin Apodaca, certainly got everyone’s attention with his reverend-like ability to communicate with the room.  Toward the end of their set, Apodaca, told the audience to praise “the Lord…of Rock ‘n’ Roll!”  If that’s who we have to thank for such an amazing band, then “PRAISE THE LORD.”

Rounding out the night, defending champions, The Union Line, took to the stage. The epitome of a California band, the musicians appeared laid back and comfortable performing together.  Their sound was reminiscent of a rustic early 60s folk/country/rock.  The band was bold enough to try out some new songs on such an important night, which had a 50s surf rock feel to them. Though, the band could do no wrong in a room full of loyal fans.  Each member interacted with the crowd quite a bit whether by telling unfinished jokes or throwing out a limited edition re-release CD.  The Union had a good, consistent set overall.

Results

No surprise to anyone in the room, Dusty Rhodes and the River Band came out on top.  Immediately capturing the hearts of the crowd with their unique sound and intense energy, DRRB were definitely deserving of the win.  The band won a $2,500 voucher from Fender, four days of recording time at Red Bull Studios, and of course, the honor of being the Best Live Band in Orange County for 2010.  Congrats to you, Dusty Rhodes and the River Band!

Image provided by: OC Music Awards

 

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