Taking it to the Next Level
Only 1 Winner, but no losers in Emergenza

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  Gemma Tarlach
  May 27, 2005
  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Saturday, however, only one number matters, and it's the dreaded 13. Because that's how many bands will see their run for glory ended.

But finalists in the Milwaukee competition say they won't be going home empty-handed.

"It's fostered community. I'm in contact now with a lot of other bands and we're doing cross-promotion, setting up shows. It brought all the local chieftains together," said Kid Svoid of Sidetract, one of the 14 bands that made it to the finals.

Cory Jacobson of hard rock act Naych agreed that Emergenza has been worthwhile, even though the benefits of the competition have not been financial. Although bands receive professional assistance loading gear and doing sound checks, and also get a modest goody bag from Emergenza sponsors, there are no monetary prizes.

"It's been so cool to be part of this, to be able to play shows and see a lot of other bands. It's an expense anytime we do a show, but we do it because we believe in the event," said Jacobson.

Building a global community

The whole premise of Emergenza, which began as an informal contest between bands in Italy in 1990, is to foster a sense of fellowship among local musicians. The competition eventually spread across Europe and, in 2004, arrived on the shores of North America with events in five cities.

For 2005, organizers expanded the competition to 12 North American cities. They included Milwaukee, skipping several larger cities, after being impressed with the scene during a few scouting missions.

It was the right decision, say Emergenza staffers.

"We had a really, really great year in Milwaukee. Our semifinals averaged 400 people a night. . . . We were very surprised and happy," said Marta Guzik, Emergenza's logistics and communications manager for North America.

Guzik added that the sizes of the Milwaukee crowds were, on average, about equal to the audiences in Chicago, Boston and Montreal, Emergenza's three largest North American strongholds.

The high attendance and enthusiasm from bands and fans alike have persuaded Emergenza organizers to return to Milwaukee in 2006 and expand the scope of competition. Next year's contest will have more first-round dates, allowing more bands to participate, as well as a quarterfinals round, similar to the Emergenza structure in larger cities.

"So many people I've spoken to in Milwaukee have a tendency to put themselves down, to say Chicago is better, everywhere else is better. This proves them wrong," said Walter Kombi, the U.S. artistic director and tour manager for Emergenza.

"Milwaukee has embraced Emergenza, and I'm glad, because I'm impressed with the local scene and it needs to stay healthy. Milwaukee, you are no less than Chicago. In fact, you're more creative, more willing to take chances," Kombi said.

Put your hands in the air

The love apparently flows both ways in the Emergenza experience. Every act contacted for this story expressed a positive opinion about the competition's professionalism, from mandatory band meetings with staff to tightly run live shows and a so-simple-it-works voting system.

In the first round and semifinals, bands advanced based on the number of points earned from the audience. Instead of ballots or applause meters, crowd members were told to raise their hands once per band, for as many bands as they liked.

"The simplicity of it works well for the drunk bar crowd," quipped Sidetract's Svoid.

The competition also has proved to be a valuable learning experience.

"We were surprised by the amount of work involved. . . . You have to work hard for it every night," said Dan Stouff of Way to Fall.

"We don't do a lot of talking when we're playing, but we've learned a lot about that from other bands, about trying to win over people you don't know. Most of the time when we play, 90 percent of the people there are our friends or people who would have gone to that bar anyway," said Drop Test's John Neuenfeldt, who added that networking with other Emergenza bands has led to gigs in Madison and Appleton.

Fans benefit, too. In the first two rounds of competition, attendees could see up to eight bands perform for just $10. Even Saturday's bill of 14 of the area's best has a ticket price of just $20 at the door.

Musical melting pot

Emergenza also has brought together acts from a broad spectrum of rock, from ska to metal. For fans, that's meant hearing much more than three sound-alike bands regurgitating the same tired Korn riffs or Sugar Ray covers.

"We signed up because it seemed like a good opportunity to get exposure, to play for people who wouldn't normally see us, because the kind of music we play is not the most popular. We figured we didn't have anything to lose," said Sean Gill of prog-metal act Strange Land.

"We've had a great crowd response. It's been really pleasing to know we're connecting with people who don't know us," Gill added.

Challenges en route to the stage

The stories behind each band competing in the finals are as different as their sounds, and despite all the positive experiences, each act has faced challenges - logistical, financial, even emotional - to get this far.

The Boombox Republic, for example, formed just weeks before playing its first Emergenza show. The band wasn't just new - members were completely revamping their sound from previous stints in the acts Lovis and jam band Marzipan.

"It was kind of a scary thing, but we're younger and we want to get crazy and have that stage energy," said Republic member Michael Alt.

For pop-rock act Marashino, the challenge drummer Joey Zak faced earlier this month was far more serious. Just days after Marashino learned it had advanced to the finals, Zak was seriously injured in a car accident that killed his brother, Jeremiah.

Band member Tom LaBrosse said the desire to heal fast enough to man the kit for Saturday's show has been an important part of Zak's recovery process.

"We'll play no matter what," added LaBrosse.

Already winners

The official grand prize for Emergenza isn't tons of cash or a record contract, but another chance to play, this time before tens of thousands at an open-air festival in Germany in August.

The Milwaukee band that wins Saturday will advance to regional finals in Detroit and then, if the band wins there, to another round of competition in Boston. Two of the bands performing Saturday at The Rave will be given a slot on a regional 2006 tour organized by Emergenza, with all expenses paid, said Kombi, who will name the acts after the finals.

Bands getting ready for Saturday's showdown will tell you they want to win, and keep winning, all the way to Germany, but that in one respect, they've already won.

Said Sidetract's Svoid: "We're in it to win it, but the reality is that this has been a fantastic forum for bands across Milwaukee to be heard, to gel into a community like Seattle did in '92. Why not Milwaukee in '06?"

E-mail Gemma Tarlach at gtarlach@journalsentinel.com

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