Turtle Boy has hatched. Here, we present the very best of the Worcester area music scene; our award winners. Our sincerest congratulations to them all.
Of course the real excitement is the weekend of April 12-14, when many of these winners play, and the awards are presented. Find out more about these nights on page 2 and in upcoming issues.
For this, our second year, the nods came in a flood, with more than 2,400 votes in more than 30 categories. Constructed by a panel of experts as well as Worcester Magazine staffers and confidants, the nominations were whittled down and announced in February, and the polls were open to all Worcester Magazine readers for a full month.
The point is to craft as credible an award as possible. It isn't merely a popularity contest, although popularity plays its part. What we're doing here is acknowledging the wide range of incredible talent available to those of us who love and enjoy live music in these parts. What we can all agree on is that the awards do their job if they help people find and appreciate the amazing acts showcased herein.
One important point. The Turtle Boy Awards generated a mass of messages on the area's Web sites and boards. Worcester Magazine staff, as a rule of thumb, does not respond to message board posts, even though we read them diligently. It's not that we don't see them or discuss them — we do. It's just that we save our own viewpoints for the magazine and its Web site when it comes to certain matters. Still, we work hard on this ballot and have already begun making notes on how we can improve it next year. We appreciate all the feedback, and we urge you to keep in touch. Visit www.worcestermagazine.com and e-mail any one of us at any time.
That said, Worcester, here are your results:
Pop
Winner: The Curtain Society
Second Place: Jediah
Third Place: OSB
Write-in Winner: Go!
Alternative/Indie Rock
Winner: Carry The Zero
Second Place: DC-5
Third Place: Walter the Orange
Ocean
Write-in Winner: The Rectangle Club
Rock
Winner: Uncle Billy's Smokehouse
Second Place: Seemless
Third Place: Castine
Write-in Winner: King Rex
Emo
Winner: Silent Drive
Second Place: Francine ... and Her
Ruby Slippers
Third Place: Dakota
Write-in Winner: Craig
Singer/Songwriter
Winner: Michael Thibodeau
Second Place: Steve Mossberg
Third Place: Chris Reddy
Write-in Winner: Jim Berkeley
Surf/Rockabilly/Garage
Winner: Jason James
Second Place: Ghouls Night Out
Third Place: Muck and The Mires
Write-in Winner: The Rectangle Club
Roots/Country/Folk
Winner: The Bee's Knees
Second Place: Riverbend
Third Place: John Cate and
The Van Gogh Brothers
Write-in Winner: Jim Berkeley
Jam/Groove
Winner: Ray Hendricks Revival
Second Place: Hint of Lime
Third Place: Oak Street
Write-in Winner: Singuya
Hardcore/Punk
Winner: The Numbskulls
Second Place: Bane
Third Place: Apparitions
Write-in Winner: With No Remorse
Electronic/Experimental
Winner: The Deadites
Second Place: The Pandas
Third Place: The Rectangle Club
Write-in Winner: First Strike
Funk/Soul
Winner: White Chocolate
Second Place: Soul Movement
Third Place: Collapsible Three
Write-in Winner: The Franks
Blues/R&B/Swing
Winner: Wilbur and The Dukes
Second Place: Night Train
Third Place: Shakey Steve and
the Blue Cats
Write-in Winner: Hothouse
Blues Musician
Winner: Jon Short
Second Place: Jim Perry
Third Place: Mike Lynch
Write-in Winner: Billy Blue
Jazz Group
Winner: The Worcester Jazz Orchestra
Second Place: The Chaplin Brothers
Third place: Rich Falco/Rich
Ardizzone Quartet
Jazz Musician
Winner: Dick Odgren
Second Place: Linda Dagnello
Third Place: Rich Falco
Write-in Winner: Paul Chase
Tribute Act
Winner: Beatle Juice
Second Place: The Joshua Tree
Third Place: Killer Queen
Write-in Winner: Almost Human
Live Act
Winner: White Chocolate
Second Place: The Deadites
Third Place: Jediah, The Steamy
Bohemians (TIE)
Write-in Winner: OSB
Hip-Hop/Rap
Winner: The Alchemystics
Second Place: The Franks
Third Place: Al Bombz
Write-in Winner: Tom Brown
Female Vocalist
Winner: Dawn Sweet
Second Place: Sunta Africa
Third Place: Lisa Marie
Write-in Winner: Amanda Lirange
Male Vocalist
Winner: Jediah Jarvais
Second Place: Brendan Mahoney
Third Place: Jake Brennan
Write-in Winner: Paul Starvaski
DJ
Winner: DJ Shame
Second Place: Bobo
Third Place: DJ Jack Frost
Write-in Winner: DJ Xtreme One
MC
Winner: Afro DZ ak
Second Place: Tom Brown
Third Place: Spit Supreme
Write-in Winner: Young Chyno
Cover Band
Winner: Doctor Robert
Second Place: Radio Earth
Third Place: Short Bus Romeo
Write-in Winner: Pet Rock
Metal
Winner: Skulltoboggan
Second Place: Standard Deviation
Third Place: Frozen
Write-in Winner: With No Remorse
New Act
Winner: Sawmill
Second Place: Clear the Way
Third Place: Crush
Write-in Winner: King Rex
New Record
Winner: Seemless What Have We Become
Second Place: OSB Transitions
Third Place: The Black Dead Love Songs
Write-in Winner: Tom Brown The Contradiction
Hardest Working Act
Winner: Uncle Billy's Smokehouse
Second Place: Craig
Third Place: Huck
Write-in Winner: Panache
Live Venue
Winner: The Lucky Dog Music Hall
Second Place: Tammany Hall
Third Place: Ralph's
Write-in Winner: JJ's Sports Bar &
Grill
Best at Self-Promotion: Craig
Best Playing Face: Derek Kerswill of
Seemless
Most Improved: Craig
Most Underrated: Panache
Best at Drinking & Playing: OSB
Crankiest Band: The Deadites
Best Club Owner: Erick Godin of
The Lucky Dog
