Well a couple of days ago I said I would write about the San Diego Music Awards. But I have been loathing doing it because I was upset about something and didn't want to voice my opinion and say something negative.
But this is America so I guess I have the right still to my opinion!
First off the Awards was a terrific social event. It was great for all my favorite performers to have a night off for socializing and not have to worry about which one them was due up to the stage to perform or to support them in their performance. So everyone was relaxed and having a good time. And halfway through the program my favorite band won their award in their category. Again Congratulations to "The Grams" for grabbing the "Best Americana" Award. Congrats to Gregory Page, Berkley Hart and AJ Croce. They definitely deserved it in my opinion!
But although I came to support my friends, I also wanted to come to see P.O.D. one of my favorite commercial bands. But more on that later . The problems with the Awards were with the sound. The production was great and even had cool Mc's but they had problems with video and you could never tell who was nominated or who was getting the award. The problem was basically sound. One of my friends who was their was particularly pissed about the sound quality. It seemed like they were trying to mike every performer with the same mikes and mixes and nothing sounded good. Individuals that were performing sounded terrible. As far as the awards were concerned. That portion sucked.
I was particularly upset that they mixed P.O.D. all wrong. Part of it could have been that they didn't do their songs like they did on their CD's. That is one of my secret prides that most of my favorite bands and singers in San Diego always sound great and just like the original arrangements they did on their CD's. I don't mind a little variation. but I like consistency.
They last subject of the day will be on the awards themselves. I was so happy that "The Grams" won But I have a lot of friends that worked hard this year and although they got recognition in being nominated. I thought it was interesting that none of them won! I mean we expect Gregory Page to win, but the categories were a little weird if you ask my opinion?
I go see a lot of music in San Diego but why did none of the people who were nominated win? In all that music I have seen a lot of the bands or singers who were nominated and the ones who won. Of those that won, congrats to them but why? I have seen many of them perform at the same venues as many of my favorite bands. Time and time again it is my friends that the crowd loves. As I have said before many of these people are ready for national recognition. Although they live here in San Diego, many of them are ready for the big time in my opinion (I know what I like). But then I guess it is not a popularity contest and yet many think that is exactly what it is! So if its not that then lets look at the talent. They are all talented but a lot of them have phenomenal voices, they have professionally produced CD's that have some of the best arrangements I have heard in years. Most of them are cohesive albums with super material from start to finish. I don't even think I could pick any out of my favorites that don't have a outstanding album. And yet many who "won" did not have as good an album produced. Or.... although talented bands most were not exactly in the caliper that many of the bands I see on a regular basis are??? Some of the winners didn't really have anything in their repertoire that was new or even any new material in quite a while. I have watched award shows all my life and always wonder just how they choose they best of the best. It is one of the most difficult jobs there can be in my opinion. But that still doesn't explain why "The Cathryn Beeks Ordeal", Steph Johnson, The Wild Truth and others got passed over! That is not to say that many winners did not deserve to win, but it looks in hindsight that the organization responsible for choosing the categories, nominees, and winners, went out of their way to ignore a lot of the top talent in San Diego (or is that OB) Nah its just my imagination, because they all don't live in OB. It does seem like many who won had a very unusual band name??? But when you go to some of these shows its always the same people (my friends) who are the crowd favorites! Am I biased...Sure I am but that isn't to say I am wrong either!
Well that's my opinion....Maybe next year things will look better. Maybe I'm just inexperienced! I am new to the music scene. But I know what I like and ultimately isn't it for the fans and the musicians themselves?
Well I'm out. Hopefully I won't be ostracized for having an opinion of my own!
Ciao
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