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Delivering rock sandwiches to the kids

The AllBiz Music Conference was held at Whiskey Dicks this past weekend. A total of 29 acts performed for three representatives from Atlantic, Virgin and Koch records. For some, their dreams came a bit closer to reality, while others found themselves wondering if they should keep their dream alive and continue on, or if they should simply hang it up thinking, “Hey we tried it once and failed.” In the end, the conference was nothing short of a smorgasbord of talent and the world is waiting for it!

Hott Boxx from Atlanta GA perfroms during the AllBiz Label Showcase at Whiskey Dicks. Photo by jeff mills/UW

On Thursday, I arrived slightly late thanks to the wonders of Columbus traffic. The first performance I witnessed was that of Noise Auction from Columbus, Ohio. There was less than a normal crowd for their performance, but what was there was pumped and ready to cheer them on as they performed songs from their album, A Different Frequency. Surprisingly, Noise Auction didn’t seem to take the task at hand very seriously. You could sense frustration in the A/R representatives as you noticed them playing with their Blackberry organizers and Cell Phones, hoping in the back of their minds that this would be over soon. The front man, Tom Cline broke every imaginable rule of playing for a representative by yelling things out into the crowd such as, “Is everyone #$#$# drunk yet?” and who could forget the classic line, “ This song is entitled the Panty Dropper.” However, rumor has it that the Auction is in fact closing down shop after this performance. If that is in fact the truth, I’m not sure it was the kind of performance that a band with such a great run and reputation would want to go out on.

Following Noise Auction, was Philo. Philo is relatively new to the Columbus scene, but they have come to have a quick and strong following. The crowd came alive for the first time as they took the stage, there were even some of the older crowd members getting down and dirty on the floor. The crowd, hoping that the A/R reps would love the new band as much as the scene does, hung their heads low as they were given the simple stern advice, “You try to hard.”

The rest of the evening included notable performances from the bands: In the Clear from Kentucky, and an astounding performance by Cleverin, who may just have had the best performance of their career that night. Sulfate, though, was probably one of the most interesting bands to watch with its haunting vocals and strange choice of wardrobe. (The bassist had pantyhose on his head with a short top hat.) I was honestly not sure if they were going to rob us or play some rock.

Friday was the most exciting of all nights of the conference. Representatives were there from Interactive TV filming the crowd and some of the performances. Adrenaline and tension was higher than the night before and many Columbus notables were set to take the stage. The evening’s first act was solo performer Jamie Dull. He had a very high energy set liked to that of John Mayer or Jack Johnson. If I had my way I could expect to hear great things from this performer. He had a lot of energy and the crowd was really into his performance.

Columbus based Caption took the stage early in the evening to a not so intense crowd. It probably wasn’t the greatest time slot for these guys, but they certainly showed us what they were made of even without the participation of the crowd. They started their set with “We Start It” from their album Tomorrow is a Mystery. I had the opportunity to interview Caption after their performance and they simply stated that the number one thing that they were missing was an image. Something they hadn’t realized was so important.

The best performance of the entire conference had to be by Kobrakhai. They brought three songs with their upbeat danceable rock and a group of very loud loyal fans. Five of them, simply identified as the “Kobra Girls”, were wearing sweatshirts saying 9,423,045 lbs of rock in a 10 lb bag. I can only speculate that the meaning behind this is that big things come in small packages. When asked how they felt about their performance drummer, Chris Beal said, “We had a job to do and that was to deliver rock sandwiches to the kids. We did just that!”

Drama took place as the showcase went on and Columbus favorite 9GT declined to appear at the last minute. Rumors flew as to the reason behind their absence and why they disappointed their fans and forfeited the money, but they were seen on Friday doing an acoustic set at Pub 161.

To sum up the conference, Headchange, recently reunited as a four piece, gave the crowd a high energy set with two songs from an upcoming demo and an old favorite from their five piece days entitled “Velvet Sky”. The band really won over the crowd, but one can’t help but wonder if they still have the chemistry to keep it going or if it will be short lived once again.

Conference goers were also treated to the return of Jimi Hendricks provided by JB Money. He looked like him; he sounded like him and even played the guitar with his mouth. It also would be impossible to forget Mojo Mountain Authority who wowed the crowd with its reggae styling to the point where I honestly don’t think there was a still backside in the house!

All in all, it was a very successful event for both Allbiz and the Columbus music scene. The rumor mill states at press time that a band was getting a call from the A/R reps today about a possible record deal, but only time will tell. It would be a shame to leave some of this talent behind and I personally, as a lover of music, would love to see more of the talent on display.

Originally Published: January 18, 2006

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