As they would say in the 80s, “we’re halfway there,” and for any of these artists to have a prayer of a chance to become this year’s champ, they have to get past this night first.
The 2014 Acoustic Live Challenge continued from 247 Sky Bar in Downtown Indianapolis. Tonight, we’ve got four more acts eager to prove themselves and achieve the ultimate goal of being crowned this year’s champion, among other great prizes that go along with it.
And because we can’t stress this part enough, here’s a quick rundown of the rules:
Each act – which can have no more than 3 members on stage at a time – gets 25 minutes to perform. In addition to trying to impress those in attendance, they’ll also have to wow a panel of judges who will critique them on everything from overall performance and originality to marketability and appearance. At the end of the night, the crowd and judges will vote for who they think should move on (with a 60/40 split between both parties respectively). Whoever is in the top 2 in terms of total points at the end of the night moves on to the semi-finals.
Now that that formality is out of the way, let’s get this party going.
Normally, we have five bands on the bill, but one canceled at the last minute so that leaves us with four. The show must go on, and up first, we have two parts of full band that goes by the name of Glenwood Drive.
A lot of bands will throw around the word “eclectic” to describe their sound, but even after a few songs, I’m pleasantly surprised at how accurate that statement holds up. Much of their fare stems from the rock/folk path, but each song has a completely different feel. Some are soft and easy-going, some throw in some dissonance for good measure, and they even break out a harmonica to give it a blues-ier feel. More impressively, some of those elements are all thrown in during the same song, showing that they really aren’t afraid to switch gears at the drop of a hat. All of this is complimented by frontman Jordan Schaaf’s unique, raspy vocal delivery, even if at times that worked against him when he had to let his foot off the gas, resulting in more of an airy sound. Overall, it was an enjoyable set from two guys who seem to love what they do.
I’ve seen a lot of things during this battle (this year and last time), and honestly, from all my years of going to local competitions, there isn’t much that surprises me.
And then I met a person named Ted Yoder, and everything I thought I knew about the Acoustic Live Challenge just vanished away, much like the Pacers in the 2nd quarter of Game 6 (too soon?).
What makes him different? Not just that he was an instrumentalist or that he drove all the way fro Goshen (about three hours north of Downtown Indy), but the fact that he played everything on a hammered dulcimer. Hey, the rules just say “no electric instruments.” How you choose to do things is up to you.
What he did for the next 25 minutes was a very personal, very intimate set that saw him play songs from all across the board. Some were happy, some were somber, and all were very enjoyable. What he lacked in vocals he more than made up for in spot-on dynamics and intonation. Yoder describes himself as more of a composer than anything else, and the stories he had to go along with each composition make him that much more enjoyable. The downside? The songs he does have lyrics for are covers, some of which are Beatles tunes. After hearing that, all I wanted to do was hear a Beatles cover (thanks a lot, Rob!). Seriously though, he was more than a welcome change of pace, he’s a well-traveled musician who knows how to write a good song.
And now for something completely different, or at least back to the norm. We’ve got a soloist for act #3. That being said, let’s welcome Steve Kennan.
Some acts suffer from trying to do too much, but Mr. Kennan has figured out that the right use of pedals and loops can give you a full band sound, despite being on stage by yourself. More impressive was that he didn’t let them become a distraction. His music was the strongest aspect of it all, and he definitely let it shine through. His songs are personal and have a lot of personality to stand on their own. To go along with that, he has a lot of natural showmanship he brings to the stage. Kennan looks completely in his element up on stage, and it actually feels like a cohesive show. He knows his strengths, and now, so does everyone here.
One more to go. This is one of those rare occasions where we have two bands in one night in the first round. I don’t know much about them, but seeing as they attempted to take over hosting duties when Rob was late getting to the stage, this looks like it will be a fun ride.
Now, let’s welcome Bury’n McIntyre.
They mention that they’ve been playing for years, and that part is very evident, even after hearing the first note. The kind of chemistry they displayed is only something that could be developed after knowing each other for so long. Their songs are largely upbeat and their harmonies sounded great. They may not win any awards for overly thought-provoking music, but their songs are fun and cohesive, plus their on-stage banter insists that they’re serious musicians that know not to take themselves too seriously. In the end, this competition is all about performing and having a good time, and perhaps no one has done that more than these guys tonight.
Four up and four down. Now comes the fun part of the evening. Fans now have to vote for who they like, making sure to vote for three of them or else that ballots don’t count (bit of a PSA for you there), and we here at the judges’ table sit and discuss what we just saw. We have an idea of who we like, but ultimately, this isn’t our decision alone to make. This might be one of the closest weeks we’ve seen thus far. While they tally up the points, all that’s left is to hurry up and wait. Yayrah…
Host Rob Snodgrass makes his way back to the stage to thank everyone for coming out. Then he gets to the part that everyone wants to hear. So who’s moving on? These guys:
2nd: Ted Yoder
1st: Glenwood Drive
And another week is in the book. Congratulations and pleasantries are exchanged and the gear is packed away until next time. The first night of the semi-finals is all set up, but we still have one more night to fill out. Who will get these spots? You’ll just have to stop by and find out.
The Acoustic Live Challenge is taking a week off to recuperate (and to set up for the annual Slamology Car and Truck Show at Lucas Oil Raceway next weekend). We’ll be back in two weeks (June 19) to see 5 more bands show us what they’ve got as the road to the semi-finals continues.
So until then, take care and keep supporting local music. See you in two weeks.