Jessica Steinhoff
Madison County performs for the Madison Area Music Awards nomination party at the Brink Lounge.
A music- and prize-filled party marked the seventh annual nomination cycle for the Madison Area Music Awards last night at the Brink Lounge. With 139 local musicians receiving a total of 212 nominations, the event highlighted a big slice of Dane County talent.
Truth be told, the slate of potential winners wasn't as broad as it could have been. A large percentage of those who received nominations last night are being considered for more than one award. For instance, Mark Croft and Mike Droho & the Compass Rose each scored seven nominations, while Natty Nation, the Blue Olives and Aaron Williams & the Hoodoo racked up six apiece, making their odds of a win pretty likely.
Nevertheless, last night's event showed that at least one set of fans -- an enthusiastic bunch that filled the venue's nightclub room and much of the lounge area -- are thrilled about the musicians in the running.
Brink Lounge owner Elizabeth Engen-Brink was brimming with excitement about the event as well. After all, there's a lot to be excited about: The Madison Area Music Association, the group that hosts the awards, uses shows such as this one as fundraisers. Money donated through cover charges, silent auctions and raffles supports the organization's music education efforts, bringing instruments, scholarships performance opportunities and more to local youth.
"I absolutely love this event," Engen-Brink said. "Not only is it promoting music and music education for children, but it honors local musicians, which I think is an extremely important thing to do. They add so much to our community."
The party's performers didn't just accept this high praise; they earned it. The Waunakee Fiddle Band showed just far a little support can go in helping local teens develop their musical talent. Beth Kille and some talented guests -- splendid fiddler Julia McConahay, 15-year-old vocal powerhouse Katelyn Adzima and keyboardist Jaye Barbeau -- got the crowd revved up, especially with Adzima's soulful take on Rhianna's "Russian Roulette." Then local country-rock favorites (and multi-year MAMAs winners) Madison County got the crowd dancing with an energetic set that included a smoke machine, laser lights and even a tad of Gene Simmons-style posturing from guitarist Angel Salinas.
Of course, the most anticipated part of the night was the announcement of the 2010 award nominee list, which took place through a video projected onto a screen set up on the dance floor.
Aaron Williams & the Hoodoo, Harmonious Wail, Mark Croft and Natty Nation made the final four in the Artist of the Year category, while the Brink, the Frequency, the Harmony Bar and the High Noon Saloon made the cut for Live Music Venue of the Year. Up for New Artist of the Year are Cait & the Girls, Fortune & Glory, Paul LeFeber and Whitney Mann.
In the genre categories, the following releases received nominations for Album of the Year:
Alternative
El Valiente Daceton
Rust Belt Sermon Soliloquy
The Nod Shoddy Heart
The Type This is What We Sound Like
Blues
Aaron Williams & the Hoodoo It Ain't Easy
Blue Olives Marmalade
Jimmy Jimmy
King Cruiser Never Turn Back
Classical
Scott Lamps Evensong
Compilation
Bawku West Collective Vol. 1
Union Cab of Madison Presents: Rearview Visionaries Vol. 2
Country/Bluegrass
Borderlands Shout It Out
Madison County Enjoy the Ride
The New Mountain Kickers Two Days in August
Electronic
GlassGhosts Nevereverything
Null Device Recursions
Revolving Doors Songs for Car Commercials
The Cemetery Improvement Society Lonely Dog Island
Folk/Americana
Beth Kille This Beautiful Beast
Cajun Strangers Cajun
Calico Drifters Turning
Whitney Mann The Way Back Home
Hard Rock/Punk
Brainerd Brainerd
Helliphant Powdered Tusk
Lords of Discipline Lords of Discipline
Lords of the Trident Death or Sandwich
Jazz
Alison Margaret Shades of Morning
Hanah Jon Taylor HyrPlasis
Mama Digdown's Brass Band We Make 'Em Say Ooh
Steez Creepfunk Crusade
Pop
Mark Croft The Possibility Of Disaster
Mark Harrod Quietly
Mike Droho & The Compass Rose - And The World Makes Sense Again
The No & Maybe Game Survival Evasion and Escape
Rock
Letter 8 Beauty & Bad
Soul Shaker Soul Shaker
Sunspot Singularity
Underculture Ice Cream Socialism
Unique
Art Paul Schlosser U're The Best
Fedora The Side Project
Venice Gas House Trolley Synapse Lapse And Reblast!
Zombeatles Meat The Zombeatles
Urban/R&B
dumate We Have the Technology
Know Boundaries The Ghostspell According to...
Skully-D Lounge Mode Sampler I
The L.O.S.T S.O.U.L.S The L.O.S.T S.O.U.L.S Theory
World
Primitive Culture Fantasy
Roots Collective Rising
The Shtetlblasters Tantz
Tony Brown Freedom Beyond Recognition
For the Performer of the Year award, these musicians made the shortlists:
Blues
Aaron Williams & the Hoodoo
Queenie & the Blue Cats
The Blue Olives
The Jimmys
Country/Bluegrass
Madison County
The Rowdy Prairie Dogs
Cover Band
Blue Olives
VO5
DJ
Fusion
Electronic
Null Device
The Cemetery Improvement Society
Folk/Americana
Beth Kille
Josh Harty
The Rowdy Prairie Dogs
Whitney Mann
Hard Rock/Punk
Buried Future
Lords of Discipline
Lords of the Trident
The Motor Primitives
Jazz
Harmonious Wail
Hanah Jon Taylor
Pop
Mark Croft
Stephanie Rearick
The No and Maybe Game
Rock
John Masino
Soul Shaker
The Lucas Cates Band
The Sharp & Harkins Band
Unique
Anthony Lamarr of Mike Droho & The Compass Rose
Art Paul Schlosser
Venice Gas House Trolley
Urban/R&B
The L.O.S.T S.O.U.L.S
World
Natty Nation
Primitive Culture
Rising Gael
Youth Ensemble
Stoughton Youth Choir
Meanwhile, B-Side, Earwax Records, MadCity Music Xchange and Sugar Shack received nominations for the Local Music Record Store of the Year award. No categories exist yet for digital music retailing efforts or home recording feats, so stay tuned.
The full list of 2010 nominees is available on the MAMAs web site, and the final round of voting runs from now until April 28 at www.broadjam.com/mama. A $5 donation to the Madison Area Music Association's charitable fund is required to cast a vote.
The awards will be presented at the Capitol Theater May 8, along with performances by Tos Hopkins, Aaron Williams & the Hoodoo, Whitney Mann, Sunspot, the Lucas Cates Band, dumate, VO5 and a "MAMAs All-Star Fusion Band" composed of Hanah Jon Taylor, Clyde Stubblefield, Biff Blumfumgagnge, Gary Chin and Louka Patenaude. Tickets go on sale April 1 at the Overture Center Box Office.
