Next Great American Band Taping #8 (ep9)

The best music so far...

I felt that, to date, this week featured the best music on the show thus far. Having eliminated Light of Doom certainly raised the musicality of the show by near infinite levels, but it was also nice to not have a fixed "theme" or artist being covered.

This was also my last time traveling from Nashville to LA for the taping. I'm disappointed that I will be unable to attend the final show this coming Sunday, but I have other commitments that I have to prioritize above the travel.

Like last week, they filmed the show out of order. They actually started with filming some footage for next week's show - so I guess I will be able to comment a little bit on my thoughts about the taping without officially being there. However, it made the taping about an hour longer than it should have been. Then they called each band and filmed all three songs back to back with the intention of spreading each band throughout the show when aired. While it's obviously the most efficient way to film, it's a little awkward viewing the show this way because you tend to forget what was previously filmed and how it's all going to come together. It's also strange when the judges say the same, or similar things they just said the song before. Once the show airs, it makes more sense.

The Bands

Denver & the Mile High Orchestra

It's no secret that this is the band I want to win the competition. I was beyond excited when they were called up first. That takes a lot of stress off. Keep in mind that the friends and family in attendance for Sixwire and Light of Doom had to wait until DMHO and The Clarke Brothers had performed their entire sets before they found out who made the cut.

September - Earth Wind & Fire

• Vocals: 4 - Some initial pitch problems, but once Denver settled into the style (this vocal style being very difficult for him) it I felt it was just fine. The BGV's were just a little weak, but it was great to see other band members singing. The reality is that a few of the guys can actually sing, and it's great to see this level of depth.
• Tempo: 5. I'm not going to comment on tempo unless there's a problem. Let's face it, the bands that really struggled with this are gone.
• Sync: 5. I felt that the pocket was great, and on par with the original. It's tough to compare the two bands, because EW&F have such a huge "presence", that it's impossible to believe a band could nail it as well as they did. But this was as close as it possibly could be.
• Arrangement: 5. I have it on good authority that this was the exact same arrangement as the original. So, if you want to knock the original, go ahead, but I thought it was very, very well executed.
• Presentation: 4.5. I thought everything was great, even the bit of dancing by Denver - he was getting into it. However, I could have done without the "kick". It felt forced and looked unnatural - especially in a suite. My best guess is that he did something similar during a rehearsal, and it looked good then, but didn't quite translate during the actual show.
• Overall Impression: 4.5. I personally thought this was a great attempt at an extremely challenging song. Very, very well done. And it was probably their weakest performance of the night.

Vehicle - Ides of March

I can barely rate this... it was unbelievably good.

• Vocals: 5 - Perfect and intense. Great style - not at all static or boring like others have accused Denver of being.
• Tempo: 5
• Sync: 5 - perhaps the best groove of the night. Fantastic.
• Arrangement: 5. Again - I'd rather listen to this than the original or Bo Byce's cover.
• Presentation: 5. Huge! High Energy! I loved every second.
• Overall Impression: 5 See above. It was little awkward giving all 5's, but it deserved it, so I that's what I gave it.

The Way You Move Me - Original

• Vocals: 5. Well rehearsed, well executed, and much improved upon over the first time we heard the song back during the auditions.
• Tempo: 5.
• Sync: 5. Great feel
• Arrangement: 5. Well done, well written, well executed. Great parts. And this time, the horns were up front, but Denver still sat on top.
• Presentation: 4.5. Very good, but just missing a little something, I can't quite put my finger on it.
• Overall Impression: 5. Another great performance. Although not their best of the night.

I spoke with Jared (the drummer) after the show and he said that he was so moved by the video package (showing the family and kids) that he almost missed the count-off. He said it wasn't so much what he saw, but what it all represented. Fortunately everything came together. It's been a long two months.

After this performance, it's very possible that Denver & the Mile High Orchestra could win this competition. I personally voted about 3,500 times.

Clarke Brothers

Change the World - Eric Clapton

• Vocals 3.5 This is the third week in a row that there have been pitch problems with the vocals. I'm chalking it up to nerves. At the show it's very obvious they are beside themselves about being where they are in the competition, and more so extremely nervous about it as well. But like Rzeznik said, "You're stars now, you need to get over it." (not an exact quote, but it's close to what he meant.)
• Tempo 4.5. Pretty good, but they need something to hold them a little tighter.
• Sync 4. See above, just not quite as tight and pocketed as it should have been. In spite of not having a rhythm section this week, they still need to groove together.
• Arrangement 4. I felt it was only ok. Part of the problem is that they come off of a huge arrangement by DMHO, and it felt really small. I liked the two acoustics, but it didn't feel like the parts were distinct enough.
• Presentation: 4. Ok, but fairly static.
• Overall Impression 4. Not their best of the night. In fact, it was probably the weakest.

In spite of my ratings, I think Eric Clapton is a good artist for these guys to cover. It's not so heritage/country sounding. I actually could listen to more, if it were slightly better executed.

Amazed - Lonestar

• Vocals: 4.75 - There were slight pitch problems at the beginning of the song, but they were quickly corrected, and easy to forget. He brought passion without screaming, so I went from 4.5 to 4.75.
• Tempo: 5. They held this ballad well together. Tempo drift is more acceptable in a ballad because it's less perceptible and can add to the emotion when done well. If there was any drift, I didn't notice it - which is exactly the idea.
• Sync: 5. Everything felt nice and tight. This slower tempo ballad songs really work to the Clarke's advantage. Well executed.
• Arrangement: 5. Soft, not overplayed, perfect for the song.
• Presentation: 4.5 - maybe we could do something other than stools. The show's not conducive to creative staging, however.
• Overall Impression 4.75. I loved it, in spite of the touch of "country cheese". (which is just one of the reasons why I don't like country.)

This Little Light of Mine - Public Domain/Spiritual

The only "Band Choice" song that's technically not an original. However, the arrangement is unique, so it's easy to forget about that.

• Vocals: 5. He's comfortable here. And, while I hope that when they get a deal, he doesn't yell on every song, when it's good, it's really good.
• Tempo: 5. Well rehearsed. No problems.
• Sync: 4.5. They're pretty tight, but it does get frantic, and some of the detail in what they are doing is lost. There must be a way to convey what they are doing while holding things a little tighter. It's not bad, just not perfect.
• Arrangement: 5. I like this arrangement. It's fresh, yet a great through back to a song I learned in Sunday School, but most likely originated as a Negro spiritual.
• Presentation: 5. I love the energy they bring, with so little, and it worked well here.
• Overall Impression: 5.

This is the Clarke Brothers that we first met. It's fast, aggressive, and passionate. It's what their fans are going to want. It's what I want out of them.

Sixwire

Reelin' in the Years - Steely Dan

• Vocals: 3.5 - lead straining too much, BGV's (a key feature of the band) not tight enough with some pitch problems. While the other bands have a touch more leeway about this, we wouldn't cut Denver any slack if the horns were off, it's their main feature.
• Tempo: 5.
• Sync: 5. No one is more consistent.
• Arrangement: 5. Well put together. The band played great.
• Presentation: 4 - they actually looked a little board during much of the song. It could have been how their nerves hit them, but it shouldn't. These guys are pros, and need to look like they are giving it every time (Even though their playing sounds like it).
• Overall Impression: 4.5 - awesome live, not quite awesome on TV.

I'd Really Love to See You Tonight - England Dan & John Ford Coley

• Vocals: 5. Well executed. Great pitch, and good emotional timing.
• Tempo: 5
• Sync: 5
• Arrangement: 4. I felt it boring, and too vanilla. However, the acoustic solo beneath the lead vox was very well executed, and a good touch. Another issue I had was live. The kick drum was just a thud, no attack. On TV, it worked ok for me, but live it was too boomy and distracting.
• Presentation: 3.5. Another stool song. Just not a lot of interesting stuff happening here. I understand it's a ballad, but it may as well have been a recording, because there was nothing else happening. At least I can listen to the song whenever I want, and not have to fit one of their concerts in my schedule.
• Overall Impression: 4.5 - a good, soft ballad. I'm trying to keep my style preference out of it - because I don't really care for this style.

It's Good to Be Back - Original

• Vocals: 5. Perfect. Great BGV's, it's what we come to hear (or at least some of what we come to hear.)
• Tempo: 5
• Sync: 5. This song has a particularly great groove.
• Arrangement: 5. Well thought out, and high energy that's well conveyed and showcases the band well.
• Presentation: 5. Excellent.
• Overall Impression: 4. WHAT? Why did I give them a 4 when everything else was a 5? Here's why. This was the third time we've heard this song. Once in the audition, then again when the bands did a cover and original, and again now. The other original we heard was Go On last week. This was a disappointment to me, so my overall impression of the song was lessened. While the performance was great, you'd expect it to be, but do they have anything else?

The truth of the matter is that all three bands performed the song they auditioned with, probably because all three felt it was one of their strongest. Ok, that's fine. But I think Sixwire then made a mistake when they performed it again. Franklin Bridge did the same thing. We heard their audition song twice. If they had been standing in the last three, would we have heard it again?

Closing Thoughts

I've had a blast. Thanks for following along and humoring me each week. I hope these reviews have been helpful. I'll do a review of next week's show as well. The show is going to be much broader stylistically than any previous show (believe it or not).

All three bands deserve to win this. All three bands deserve a deal. No matter the outcome, I'm proud of how well each of these bands have done. They are all from Nashville. And more than that, they (all three) have sacrificed, beyond comprehension in some cases, to compete and hopefully succeed. I have heard complaints numerous times that this show isn't about finding the best band. There are better bands playing in bars all over the country (especially when compared to the earlier bands in the competition). Yes, that's true. There are. But there are three primary kinds of bands that we didn't see in this competition:

1. A band that wasn't aware of the show
2. A band that wasn't good enough, or entertaining enough for the show. (This is where we have to accept the producer's prerogative. It's their show.)
3. A band wasn't able or willing to give up a life they already have established in order to compete.

Most of the guys in the three bands left have immediate family, jobs, friends and lives that they had to set aside for two months to do the show. And I can't imagine the weighing and balancing that each member had to go through to make their decisions. I know, if it were me, I would think about a record deal, a dream fulfilled, potential financial gain and stability, then I would be looking at my two incredible little boys, my gorgeous wife, and say...

chs