Talent

This year I've had the privilege of judging for the Club 3 Degrees music tournament.  After being in the Minneapolis music scene for years, you would think that I have heard all kinds of talent and have seen it all.  But this past year, I took a step back from being prominent on the scene itself and decided to focus on my own music.  Thus, when I judged for the tournament this year, I saw the sheer amount of talent that has sprouted within the Minnesota borders.  Having to give points to various bands, many of whom compose music that I only wish I could compose, based on the talent I have heard elsewhere is a hard task.  But with a few concerts under my belt, I have a short list of bands for Minneapolitans and music enthusiasts to watch out for- they are coming up fast on the horizon!

Mark This Day

This band is incredibly new, but perform very well live.  I can't wait until their songwriting becomes stronger and their screamer truly finds his niche.  Give them two years and a well-recorded full length and this band will definitely make their mark on the music scene.

Blank Page Empire

This band contains a few of the remnants of Nihilio, a group who had started to make a name for themselves when they disbanded about a year ago.  In my opinion, Blank Page Empire kept the best parts of their former band and made it more southern.  Ryan Menghini's well-done vocals brings already solid melodies and catchy hooks to a whole new level.  Hopefully this band will be able to play a bigger stage at Cornerstone this year- that may be their solid ticket into a strong musical career.

Hyland

I have known this band since they first started out under the name Tomorrow's 39.  Now with only one original member left, frontman Jon Lewis has taken his years of music and put them to the test in this year's music tournament.  This band is not a new face in the tournament; they have been trying to secure the first place spot for years but have always come up just a few points short.  Their new music sounds like a glorified version of their older repertoire; however I hope that as the band gains more fans and hopefully a label in the near future, their second label-released record will begin the transformation of their music into a style all their own.  It's about time these boys went somewhere and I have a feeling that this is the year everything breaks loose for them.

Keep checking out Club 3 Degrees and the shows they have going on there.  Also, be sure to stay tuned to these bands, see if they made it into finals (which will be at Club 3 Degrees in mid-April) and head out to a show as soon as possible!