MUSEXPO 2009: The Best Of Round-up
By Seraphina L.
Last week I brought you exclusive coverage of MUSEXPO 2009, where I broke down each artist showcase. For those of you who missed it – don’t worry! This article is a quick round-up of the highlights all in one stop.
Want to know which night was the best or which artists came out on top during the four-day event? Check it all out below as I combine the best of Sunday – Wednesday night’s showcases!
Artists:
Highlights:
Overall
For the first night of showcases, I’d say that this night was the most diverse going from acoustic folk to alternative rock to Japanese rap. Although I was used the House of Blues location for MUSEXPO from last year, The Viper Room did a very good job of creating the same intimate feeling as The Foundation Room had. No matter how hard or fragile the music was, the artist was very up, close, and personal with the small space accented with dim red lights.
Top 3 Artists
- Dead Letter Circus – This band from Queensland, Australia is the type of music I only let into my musical palette every once in a while, but they were also the only band who fully engaged me from the Whiskey stage. It’s a bit harder to do that with a bigger venue.
- Purple Melon – Although this British band wasn’t too happy with their bassist being compared to American Idol’s Sanjaya, they had the most solid tunes throughout the night with their retro-kissed sound.
- Tigarah – Sexy, sassy, and talented. This petite Japanese rapper was the last act of the night and closed it out superbly with her high energy.
Artists:
- Andrew Paul Woodworth
- Derek Miller
- Gin Wigmore
- Floor Thirteen
- Sorgente
- The Blue Van
- Addeboy vs. Cliff (featuring Adam Tensta)
Highlights:
Overall
Monday night was the best night of the event, hands down. What I liked most about all the artist in general this night was the fact that they all truly knew how to use their musical skills on stage. They were rocking out and not focusing too much on the fact that this was an industry event. The talent tonight was also diverse but the stage presence was definitely cranked up. I also had a hard time picking a top three so it really was a top four even if I considered two of the acts to be a tie (The Blue Van and Sorgente).
Top 3 Artists
- Addeboy vs. Cliff (featuring Adam Tensta) – The best closing act out of the entire event. I was sad to know that they put all of the hip-hop and rap in the first two nights only. The lighting was great as the guitarist did his amazing solo performance among the beats and when the rhymes were flowing on stage, it was like one big college party.
- The Blue Van – This band was absolutely the closest to what I listen to these days. Although they were focusing a little too much on getting the audience to clap their hands, their sound was the first true indie rock sound I had heard all week.
- Sorgente – This German band seemed to come from outer space – but in a good way! Color coordinated in green, this band got the Viper Room to actually get down their their funky beats and awesome harmonies.
- Gin Wigmore – This singer-songwriter definitely has a face and a voice to remember, but her personality that sneaked into her performances was very charming as well.
Artists:
Highlights:
Overall
Although I was a bit bummed that the horrible economy had bumped me out of getting registered with a badge this year, I still managed to do a bit of networking myself. Some bands were happy with my reviews in the beginning of the week and some weren’t but exposure is exposure right? It also gave us all something to talk about. Many of the musicians from earlier in the week had stayed to see their fellow arists perform and the vibe of camaraderie felt much stronger on Tuesday night. As for the performances, it was safe to say that it was a solid night as well.
Top 3 Artists
- Jessie J – Two words: Powerhouse vocals. Damn, this girl could sing and she had the attitude to back it up. She was the best opening act in the entire event.
- Yves Klein Blue – If you like Franz Ferdinand, you should definitely check this Australian band out. They’ve got style and the chops to be as catchy as Franz.
- Domenica – Yay for models choosing music instead of the catwalk! Lead by a gorgeous slender female, this grunge rock band was the true essence of rock all night.
Artists:
Highlights:
Overall
I was expecting a lot for the last night. Is it wrong to expect the last night to blow me away? Well, I guess I set my expectations too high, because the closing night was just all right. It wasn’t bland because there were a few great acts during Wednesday night, but over all the night seemed a bit disappointing. I had expected to have a a hard time choosing which artists to choose for my top three acts again, but this time it was hard to choose because not one act beat out any other ones by a landslide.
Top 3 Artists
- Samantha Heard - This singer-songwriter who fully made an impression on the audience with her musicality rather than just her looks. Although stage presence and appearance is an important factor on how you want to present yourself in a showcase, I was just blown away by her skills. This is not to say she was a plain Jane either, because this girl had beauty and brains to wow us all.
- Hey Ocean! – This group was another indie band who had a very diverse set. Staring out with heavy percussion on everyone’s part in the band, the group went from indie pop to bossa nova to alternative rock to funk. It was refreshing to see and hear especially when the Whiskey acts were failing to impress me lately.
- On Blast – I am proud to know that this band is somewhat local to LA. Hailing form Long Beach, On Blast has a very different sound than you would expect to hear based on their appearance. Once the lights went down, I was pleasantly surprised with the vocalist’s eerie yet pure tone and the dark rushing beats put underneath his melodies.
That’s it, everyone! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did this year. Make sure to check back next year when I rock my face off once more and bring you exclusive live photos again!
