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November 30, 2006
Inland Empire Music Awards showcases local musicians
Award season is upon us and our own Inland Empire will have its time in the spotlight. The Inland Empire Music Awards is an awesome opportunity for the local music community to get some recognition for their own star quality.
Yours truly will be judging this year’s show and I hope to be seeing some submissions coming from all over the Inland Empire, but specifically from Redlands.
It’s not that I’m partial to Redlands; I feel that I have a pretty fair opinion of music. But I have been showcasing local bands and their latest albums once a week in the Facts for more than nine months. And let me just say, I never run out a material and I always meet beautiful, interesting people.
My main beat at the Redlands Daily Facts is public safety. I’m the reporter at the scene of the house fire or following up on the murder trial. But because I am such a lover of music and a lover of community, my editor let me start up the Local Music Scene column.
I have met so many really capable musicians and truly genuine people during my nine-month stint as local music columnist and I would like to see some of them get the recognition they deserve.
Of the musicians that have been featured in my column, I have a few nominations.
For Best Alternative – Phoenix and the Turtle of Yucaipa; Best Country – Bucksworth of Riverside and Kelly McGuire of Redlands; Best Folk – Jay Ray of Wrightwood, Spiro (soon to be in Venice Beach), Lori Larson and Mobetta Loretta, both of Redlands; Best Jazz – Hip Pocket, Hobo Jazz and The Zanja 8, all of Redlands; Best Pop Rock – Chris Thayer and Anderson Hall, both of Redlands; Best Indie Rock – Bad News for the Toros of Redlands; and Best Classic Rock – All Marbles of Redlands.
For all intents and purposes, I have not seen a list of any of the other nominees, but of the bands that I have been fortunate enough to see live at the Vault, or the Performance Loft or the Tobacco Lounge, these are a few artists that I think should take advantage of the extended deadline and submit some of their music by Dec. 15.
In fact, I encourage all musicians a like to submit their work.
The reason I wish to support this fairly new award show, now on its third year, is that I like what founder and producer Martin Brown hopes to accomplish with it.
“I am very proud to see the award show in it’s third season,� Brown said. “It goes to show that the public is still interested in being entertained by good music when they go out to dinner or to a neighborhood venue. The idea behind the IEMAs is really to bring the community together for one night and show them that the I.E. has a diverse scene.�
I couldn’t agree more.
What better way to find out what other local musicians are doing and support those whose work you commend, then to submit to and attend your local music award show.
All of you deserve to be there.
Information: www.ieweekly.com/iema
Posted by Darcie Flansburg at November 30, 2006 11:49 PM