Introduction to Ultimate Music Challenge 4
Introduction to Ultimate Music Challenge 4
Hello, and welcome to UMC interactive blog-diggity. My name is Edwin Decker and I am one of the judges of America’s greatest cover band contest, Ultimate Music Challenge (UMC), located at the fabulous DreamCatcher Lounge in Viejas. UMC is sponsored by Svedka vodka and five-dollar Svedka drinks will be available throughout the contest.
The battle starts next Sunday, April 11, and continues for 11 weeks, ending with the finale on June 20. Every Monday, after each round, I will post a review of the show. The purpose of this blog is for the bands, the audience, and the judges to express opinions, talk some smack, and squeeze out a few sour grapes when necessary. That’s why we call it interactive. So please don’t hesitate to drop some comments. All we ask is that you refrain from over-the-top incivility. To that end, we reserve the right to edit and / or delete offensive or threatening comments, as determined by the Blöggermeister, that’s me, or Viejas management.
But you knew that already didn’t you?
So here we are, about to dive headlong into UMC 4. Not to sound like a blubbering romantic, but it really does seem like yesterday that Dave Patrone (A.K.A. Judge #1) asked me to cover his shift during the first UMC series, and now we’re on the verge of launching the 4th annual Ultimate Music Challenge! I cannot tell you how jazzed I am to be a part of it all. I know you’re jazzed too. I know, after four years in the making, that a buzz is a-buzzing about UMC. And why not? The word is out, the Svedka’s on ice, and the band lineup looks splendid.
By the way, how about that increase in prize money? This year it’s going to 40 thousand dollars in total cash prizes. Are you kidding?! 40K?! Do you have any idea of how much liquor 40K will buy? In rock and roll terms, that’s like a week’s worth of booze!
Speaking of prize money, last year’s finale was remarkable. Rolling the Stones took first place by eerily channeling the spirit and sound of Mick, Keith and the gang. And they won despite going against such A-list outfits as Monsters of Rock (a UMC hard-rocking favorite), Don’t Stop Believing (explosive Journey Tribute), and Siren’s Crush (hot-girl R & B, thank you Lord).
(Author’s Note: I will be posting an interview with Rolling the Stones in the next few weeks, in which they will answer such questions as, what their game-plan was, what advice they have for this year’s contestants, and in which gin joint did they blow 20K.)
About the Judges: We have the same three judges as last year, and a new alternate. (See “Meet the Judges” below”). The alternate judge is the esteemed Tony San Pietro, President of Viejas Entertainment and Production. This is the man in charge of the men and women in charge of the music side of Viejas, and as president of one of the most reputable production companies in the area, I’d say he knows a bit about the subject.
Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, Dave, Alicia and I have already had a meeting about which band we’ve decided, in advance, will win. Since there are always so many conspiracy theories about that, we figured, “well screw it… Let’s just pick a winner now.”
And this year’s winner is….
Joey Paranoid and the Everything is a Conspiracy Band!
About the Judging Process: By definition, this is a cover band contest. That’s a broad spectrum. There are top-40 cover bands, genre cover bands, era cover bands and full-blown homage and tribute bands. And, they cover a wide variety of music genres. So yes, it’s true, we will often be judging Apple groups against Orange groups, but that that’s just the way it is. Besides, it’s not that big of a deal. If I have an orange that is sweet and juicy in one hand, and an apple that has worms crawling all over it in the other, well, trust me, it’s not that hard to judge apples against oranges. Bottom line, everybody has an equal shot. We don’t favor a music genre or any particular type of cover band. We judge on performance, period.
About the Judging Categories: There are three categories of judging, each with their own sub-categories. They are: Showmanship, Musical Ability and Audience Response. Here is what the judging form looks like.
SHOWMANSHIP 40%
1. Choreography / Stage Presence
2. Energy
3. Charisma / Audience Interaction
4. Overall Style
MUSICAL ABILITY (40%)
1. Vocal Performance
2. Music Performance
AUDIENCE RESPONSE (20%)
1. Participation / Response
2. Crowd Noise / Applause (via decibel reading)
It is important to note that subcategories within the Musical Ability category count twice as much as the subcategories in the Showmanship Category. So, if I give somebody a 9 in musicianship, it accounts for 18 points toward the total score whereas the showmanship subcategories only counts for 9 points .
About Scoring and Crowd Noise:
The scoring in every category, be it stage presence, vocals, musicianship or audience response, is 1-10. The exception is crowd noise, which is on a scale of 6-10, so, the band who wins the crowd noise battle (determined by a db meter), scores 10 points, second place gets 9 points, 3rd place takes 8, and so on. These points area applied to each judge’s sheet.
Any artificial noise (whistles, noisemakers, banging on stage or walls etc.) is not allowed. If artificial noise is made, the audience response will not be factored for any bands on that show.
About Audience Response:Note that there are two audience participation categories. One is the audience applause after the set, as determined by a decibel meter, the other is audience response, which represents how the audience responds to the band during the performance: Are they dancing? Head banging? Foot tapping? Etc. That score is determined by the judges who scan the room, but at its essence, it is another category in which the crowd has a say about who they want to win.
After all the bands have performed, the powers-that-be take our scoring forms upstairs to the God-office where the votes are tallied. The results are then announced on stage and the judges are booed by the losing band’s fans and cheered by the winners, which is how it should be, sort of.
About the Wild Card: The audience will vote for two wild card bands via texting It is simple to do:
Step 1: Open a text message, and type in the number 69302 (just as you would a phone number you are texting).
Step 2: In the message field, type umc4 (not case sensitive). At that point you are registered and will receive a confirmation message. You only have to register once and from then on, will receive voting alerts every Monday, unless you unsubscribe.
Step 3: Every Monday, after the blog is posted (around 330pm) all those who have registered will receive a text message asking them to vote. You will have 12 hours to do so before voting closes. (IMPORTANT: you must register before the polls open or you will miss that week’s poll).
The votes will be tallied weekly. The band with the most votes from Heat 1 (weeks 1-4) and Heat 2 (weeks 5-8) will each advance to their respective semifinal round and have a shot to advance to the Finals!
So that’s about it, except, to remind you to tune in to FOX 5 Morning News every Friday to see a live performance and interview with select UMC bands.
Can’t wait to see you all. Last year it was so much fun. This year, I predict, it will be even better. See you on Sunday!
Sincerely,
Edwin Decker
Judge #3
www.edwindecker.com
About the Judges:
Alicia Champion is a full-time record producer officially under the Universal Music Group. She develops talent from all over the country while also composing music for television, film and commercials. She is endorsed by Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and WINNER of VH1’s nationally televised reality talent competition, “You Rock With…” Alicia is also co-founder and producer of the San Diego IndieFest. As a performer, Alicia has shared the stage and worked with Artists such as Melissa Etheridge, Pink, Metric, Far, Juliette Lewis, Me’shell N’degeocello, Fishbone, The Indigo Girls, Jonathan Brooke, and many more. Most recently, Alicia was featured on FOX’s newest musical television hit, Glee. San Diego IndieFest.
David Patrone is an accomplished Jazz Singer, entertainer, recording artist, and event producer. He performs around the United States with various bands and is the founder of Midnight Productions, which produces a wide variety of entertainment from weddings and corporate events to “The $10,000 David Patrone Swing Spectacular” here at Viejas. In addition to his musical career, he is a former Marine Staff Sergeant, published writer and poet, long-distance thru-hiker and nationally-certified, professional ski Instructor. Sometimes you can find him busking with his harmonica, wearing his trademark hat and two-tone shoes in the Gaslamp District under his blues pseudonym: “Willy B.”
Edwin Decker is a freelance music journalist and columnist and has published articles in various newspapers and magazines in San Diego and around the globe, including San Diego CityBeat, which publishes his biweekly column, Sordid Tales. His book Barzilla and Other Psalms was nominated (and soundly defeated) for a 2007 San Diego Book Award. His interview with Tenacious D is widely regarded as one of the worst melt downs in the history of rock interviews.
There are 61 Comments to "Introduction to Ultimate Music Challenge 4"
Ed! Just got done reading that intro! That was the biggest CYA I’ve ever seen!! You’ve certainly learned over the past three years how to nip controversies in the bud (bud? did I say bud? but then I wouldn’t know anything about buds…, but I digress….) right off the bat!
Can’t wait to see this blog get up and goin! See everybody on the 11th!
~~Peace
Ready to go…
We can’t wait! Thanks so much for inviting us to participate in UMC 4! Obviously, we are hoping to take home the big prize
Thanks for hosting the blog. It will be fun to follow the contest and interact with the other participants and supporters.
Good luck to all!
Dr. Jill
Arrowhead (Check out our website- http://arrowheadlive.com)
I can’t wait until Sunday. It is an honor to have been chosen to compete against some of the best bands around. We hope to meet a lot of new people and Rock the shi# out of the place.
What’s Up Everyone!!!! =) So excited to hear and see what happens at this years Ultimate Music Challenge! “Hello!” to the judges. =) Hope all of the bloggers are doing good! Our drummer Saul will be competing this year with “White Trash A Go-Go” so you know we will be out there supporting him as well as our friend Chris from Old School. Good luck to ALL of the bands! Have fun and just do your thing! It’s fantastic exposure @ the best venue in town. Lots of Luv’! Ang
Wendy O’ Williams’ ____ Korn?
hey ed, who will the judges be this year?
only the subject of this blog post…
ha ha, i’m dumb… been a long weekend that overflowed onto tuesday
Hey Angie girl!! Good to hear from you!
Yeah I can’t wait til Sunday when we can all start listening to the words of wisdom from the awesome judges who ALWAYS see and hear exactly what is being presented in all the competitions!! Always understand what the bands are presenting! Always in agreement with the fans! And of course the bloggers with all their in-depth, insightful commentaries!
Good luck to all the bands competing this year! Like Angie said… go have fun and be yourself! Of course I have a few “picks” of my own from the lineup, but I’ll keep those to myself. Who knows… maybe someone I don’t know will become my #1 pick for the contest!
~~Peace!
Ok, sorry if there are like 20 posts on here from me all saying the same thing. My computer is wiggin’ out. = /
Hey Colleen! =) Glad to see you keeping the blog alive and Sp***Y! We are going to be out there for a few of the shows in May for sure. I can’t believe what this UMC has grown into! It’s come a long way since UMC 1. They keep improving on it year after year, listening to the bloggers and the audience. I definitely give them props for that. And the blog looks amazing this year. Whomever was in charge of designing it did a great job! =)
I’m excited to hear how it went last night. Please someone share!
See you all soon! =)
BTW, i just said S-P-U-N-K-Y. HAHAHA!!!
Colleen, you’re particularly ornery this early in the game. For the record, judges don’t think they are always right. We just are always right
Geeze! Did I say ANYTHING about what the judges “think”? Don’t think so! And I agree with you (ow!) the judges are always right……..except when they are wrong of course! And I get to be the “judge” of that! Haha! Watch out! Ed…are you throwing down the gauntlet?
Ornery?!?!?!
~~Peace
ornery, i love that word
i think the first time Ed is wrong and EVERYONE in the crowd boo’s our table will sit quiet instead of sticking up for him, just for you Colleen
V. Mike–thank you!
“ornery” … I like that word too, but think it’s being misused in this case.
~~Peace
i have to agree, i think we need ed to use the word in another sentence to prove he knows how to use “ornery” properly.
love you ed…
I love the UMC! and the blog… maybe I just like to hear myself talk?
Looking forward to Sunday. The lovely Mary was scheduled to be on call but she got someone to cover that for her so we can be there.
Looking at the line up and my two cents:
Stelitta’s Groove, if you remember they played in week 7 last year and were beaten by Don’t Stop Believin’. They just put the band together and had only one rehearsal prior to the show. I do remember that the drummer and ba** player were among the hottest rhythm sections to play the UMC. If they’ve been playing out since last year watch out!
Midnight Run: Journey Tribute from Fresno! WOW the buzz for the UMC is getting out there isn’t it? I listened to them on the web and they sound pretty darn good. The docker look might do them in though. ha ha
60 Years On: Elton John Tribute. This could be a great show. They tout themselves as a show band and that is really what it’s all about for the UMC. I see that they are going to be on a local TV channel on Friday morning. Alan Neff, the drummer played with us (JumpStart) two years ago [when 6ONE9 crushed our dreams].
Ramshackle: Seems like a terrific band that one might enjoy when drinking at Second Wind. (not that there’s anything wrong with that) I have seen Monster’s of Rock at the Second Wind on several occasions since the lovely Mary and I live right around the corner.
Rockola: You must be 21 or older to get into the DreamCatcher. If that applied to bands then this one would be the only band old enough to get in. Rockola has the resources to do well in this contest, several pre-packaged “shows” and an audience on standby from TJ to Timbuktoo. Will they bring a knock-your-socks-off show or just show up with a club set? …and will they encourage their followers to come out and support?
See you there!
Oh no, “ornery” has been used quite properly in this case and anyone who doubts it merely need to go back to the old blogs and observe Colleen’s litany of ornery.
By the way, the word “ornery” comes from “ornary,” which is a stylization or shortening of the word “ordinary.” Not “ordinary” in the good way mind you, rather, ordinary in the sense of a commoner, a low person. A person like that was often called “ornary,” (with the “di” being silent) which evolved to ornery – as in “ugly and unpleasant in disposition or temper.”
Who loves ya Colleen?!
Obviously not you.
google FTW
Oh, and Dave – thanks for giving the run down on the bands. I’ve already pre-picked the winner of course, so I probably won’t be showing up, but you should go down and see if I got it right.
HA HA HA!!! You guys crack me up! Ed, Colleen isn’t being “ornery’” she’s just being herself..and you KNOW this blog would not be a BLOG without her!! Right, Colleen??
See you all on Sunday…oh, and Ed, if its a packed house, can I park my wheelchair right next to YOU???
only if I get to sit on your lap!
you got it baby!!
Renee– thank you! I have NO idea why Ed is picking on me so early in the game! But I’m tough and can take whatever he can dish out. No matter how ornery he gets!
“ORNERY” the new blog word. We can add it to “dynamic” and “pitchy”!
Ed– you know I love ya!
~~Peace!
Dave — I too thank you for the run down on the bands. I tried to look at all the web sites, but with only dial-up available to me I don’t have the patience to wait. Can’t wait to hear what you will have to say about the great “Dave Band”!
Why don’t I just get the Dave Band story over with now since not too many are paying attention. As you might remember I left JumpStart not long after UMC 2… Longing to do something different and rewarding. I threatened original music and attempted a collaboration with Mr. Decker.
Through no fault of Ed’s I just couldn’t get the creative spark burning and decided to revert to what I know, producing live music (then write some tunes with Ed). It was during UMC 3 that I realized my fledgling project was forming with all Daves!
I was successful in organizing a group of five Daves and proceeded to book our first gig. Unfortunately one of the Daves required that we actually play together first before I book that first gig. Two Daves went their own way.
moving along… When applications opened for UMC 4 I put us in, Still not having played together or even being in the same room at the same time we never had that meeting where we choose a cool name.
We are not 100% Dave.
I’ll still promote the show as the Dave Band but perhaps we can get some name advice?
ask Ed… he’s GREAT at renaming bands!!! LOL…
btw…thanks for the rundown on the bands. I am fairly new to this blog, (last year was my ‘first’!) and it really helped me. Hope to meet you there…just look for the chick in the chair!!
re. Renee… last year was her “first”, but she jumped in and survived!! She caught the “bug” and is back for more! Tough lady! Didn’t get scared off like so many have been. Great lady. I respect those, male or female, who have the courage to stay with the blog!
~~Peace!
awwww…thanks Colleen!! I couldn’t leave NOW!! I’m having WAY too much fun!!!
Here we go again…
The fabulous Mrs Swatts and I will be attending the opener and as many of the competitions as is humanly possible until the bitter end! RTS will be just a Tad busy this weekend but we’ll make it. Good luck to all the bands throughout the competition, bring your fans and your ‘A’ game. You can’t advance without either. And don’t worry about the dreaded first slot. It worked out pretty good last year.
Edwin, you Dark Overlord and Master of the Mighty UMC Blog you, thank you for carrying on the tradition. I’ll take you up on some Svedka. Ms Champion & Mr Patrone – looking forward to seeing you both again.
To the regulars here: Rene, Coleen, Dave M, Angie, et al….HEY! See you there.
This year’s group is as eclectic as any other with some really exciting groups entered. I have a few favorites but let’s see how this shakes out over the next couple of months. Dave M. – I DO remember Stelitta’s Groove and felt much the same as you. A little more seasoning and….Rockola is always a force, 60 Years On seems interesting, Midnight Run could dash to the finish this week, and Ramshackle will party it up. Let’s see.
Keep ‘em flying and let’s have FUN and Rock Out!
Vince AKA Charlie Swatts
Hi Vince!! How have you been? Hope to see ya at the UMC!!
Hey Renee!
Mrs Swats & I WILL be there Sunday and many more Sundays. We’ll hook up, I’m sure of it! OH – and careful when Ed gives you that ‘lap dance’. It a killer.
so i’m not sure if i will make it up this sunday, stuff keeps adding up to an already busy weekend.
gonna try my hardest, but it’s not looking good.
hope to see you guys there. only a few more days
Hey gang, here is a little more info that I just added to the introduction. No need to reread, I will just post here.
Wildcard Band
Vote for your Favorite Band!
The last three UMC events have had 4 bands compete against each other in each semifinal round. This year, you the audience will make it 5.
Two bands that do not advance from their first round now have a chance to compete in the semifinals, and it is entirely up to you.
Text UMC4 to 69302 to keep updated on all the action and vote for your favorite band that did not advance. The votes will be tallied weekly. The band with the most votes from Heat 1 (weeks 1-4) and
Heat 2 (weeks 5-8) will each advance to their respective semifinal round and have a shot to advance to the Finals!
Tune in to FOX 5 Morning News every Friday to see a live performance and interview with select UMC bands.
Ed! What a great job you did in updating the intro!! Nice work at updating us! Thank you so much!
~~Peace
i’ll have to dvr the fox5 morning news now.
good job Ed
I DVR’ed it to, but didn’t see anything. Did anybody else watch? I’m wondering if it came on at the very end, after my DVR stopped recording.
I saw the news this morning…60 Years On was on at about 9:45 …they said it was their FIRST live appearance..I wasn’t too impressed, but, I know the sound system at Viejas is awesome, so, I think they might do ok..Each week Fox5 is supposed to have a band from the UMC to play a couple songs.
oops..I meant 8:45!! I DVR’ed it, and skipped all the way through to the end, and it was around that time.
Here’s the link to the Fox 5 Video…
You have to select “Entertainment” from the menu on the left then find the videos in the library. As of today there are two clips for 60 Years On.
I am already critiquing! ha ha but, my lips are sealed for now.
Ed, maybe you can fix that post of the link so it works better?
http://www.fox5sandiego.com/videobeta/
Yeah I saw it too and was also already critiquing! I too am waiting to see what they will bring on the dream catcher stage. And yes they always put their bands at the very end of the broadcast. So set your Dvr for 8:45 to 9:05 and you should be able to get both “sets”. Liked the UMC banner behind the band. I like the fact that Fox lets the band play one complete song without cutting them off for commercial like another channel does.
Just want to wish all the bands the best of luck!! Have fun playing, and KNOW that WE will sure be having fun watching you!!! See y’all tomorrow!!!
Can’t wait for Dead Man’s Party!!
Can’t wait for Ed’s posting of week 1to say WOW! And tonight was just the beginning!
Peace!
WOW!!!…I am a new fan of Ramshackle, and if any of them are reading this…my sister wants to book you for her wedding reception!! ( hows THAT for a first impression?) Ed was obviously liking them too! ( yes, Ed, I saw you tapping to their beat!! ) , Rockola totally rocked, and their BeeGees hit was great! Lots of fun last night, and can’t wait til next week!! Thank you to Dave M. and Vince for coming by to say hi to me…
btw…I just noticed that the time stamp is wrong..didnt anyone tell them about daylight savings time?? LOL
Hello all, this is Eddie, the singer from Ramshackle, and I just wanted to thank everybody who came out last night and showed us all kinds of love. We are humbled to have been able to share the stage with Rockola, Stellita’s Groove, Midnight Run and 60 Year On, and we are excited to be a part in the Semi-Finals on June 6th. Thanks to the judges for all their kind words and for allowing us to continue on this ride. We are looking forward to seeing everyone out there every week as we will be coming out to support everyone else! Thanks!!
Eddie
http://www.ramshacklesd.com
Awesome! CONGRATS!!
so, who won last night??? where’s Eds comments??? Colleen????
Ramshackle. Waitin for Ed to post the week 1.
coming VERY shortly
Famous last words, Ed!
[...] [...]
Ok people, Week 1 post is up, have at it!
http://www.ultimatemusicchallenge.com/umcblogfour/?p=161
[...] Blog entry for Ultimate Music Challenge 4. If you have never been here before, please read the Introduction as it has all the pertinent information about judging, scoring, decibel meter readings, wild card [...]
I agree with the judges in that they are always right!
DP