The WPGU/Buzz Local Music Awards

Awards shows tend to be self-congratulating exercises of excess, devoid of content in favor of overblown productions that do more to turn stomachs than to entertain. Besides, when was the last time you saw an awards show that actually had any relevance to the genre or art form that they pretend to represent?

Why bother? I’m glad I asked.

Somehow, if you’re reading this, you probably call Champaign or Urbana home. In which case, you are privileged to be right smack in the middle of an unquestionably vibrant music scene. From REO Speedwagon (tell me that you’ve never broken out spontaneously into Take it on the Run or Keep on Loving You) to Hum (who, coincidently, all reside in Champaign again) to the Vertebrats (the Courtney Love cover of Dancing in the Dark though?) to the Living Blue (I never liked the name the Blackouts anyway), bands of national acclaim and importance are perfecting their crafts right within earshot.

Thus, WPGU and Buzz have decided, in their infinite wisdom (hold off on that laughter, I haven’t even finished this sentence yet), that it’s about damn time that we recognize the fact that we live in a town that rocks.

So, with no further ado, WPGU and the Buzz would like to announce the First Annual WPGU/Buzz Local Music Awards.

Mark your calendar! Thursday, April 7th at the Highdive, we’ll be giving out the awards that you, dear reader and listener, will help us choose. Check out the nominees. Vote. If you haven’t had the chance to see the bands, we’ve got audio clips set up for you (but trust me, go check out these bands). We went to a lot of trouble to choose the cream of the crop. Sleep was lost. A few people had to be, um... taken care of.

Don’t just vote for the one that you happen to have seen at some random bar, or that your friend is in, or that you may have seen on a flyer somewhere. Plus, we’ve got those electronic safeguards. They’re at least as secure as Paris Hilton’s Sidekick (zing) And, there will be no excess. Well, as long as you don’t count Coulter’s penchant for fart jokes.

See you at the show,

Alex Rodriguez
WPGU Assistant Music Director
Host — Under the Influence WPGU, Sundays @ 9