By guest blogger Angela Hart
The energy building all night at the second annual Bay Rising music competition Wednesday in San Francisco blew up with the final band, Dynamic, which took first place, claiming $10,000 in prizes.
The band, which formed seven years ago at Cal State Hayward, said they take their real-life feelings like political angst or love and translate them into songs. Dynamic delivers their energy with a saxophone player, two guitarists, a trombone player, keyboardist and a female lead singer’s powerful vocals.
Their sound is as smooth as soul, filled with heart-thumping hip-hop and a voice that could top Beyonce’s — with a jazz undertone.
All their beats of the drum and belts of the voice can move forward now, with the prizes they’ll get from winning the competition at the Great American Music Hall. The Bay Area band can finally record their first full album with a five-day recording package at Yonas Media West Recording Studio, including mixing and mastering. Dynamic will receive loads of other prizes, including $1,000 for CD manufacturing and artist development.
“We’ve been waiting to record our full album for more than a year,” said lead vocalist Kimiko Joy, who kept her vocal cords and the audience hot even at six months pregnant.
The build-up to the final victorious band was no tread though.
A BandsOfTheBay.com website member (and guest artist at the site’s launch party at Red House last spring), the French Casettes, claimed second place. They rocked the crowd with droning guitar and vocals that can’t help but remind a listener of Led Zeppelin or the Strokes. Their influences range from Neutral Milk Hotel to Miles Davis.
Third place was Joel Streeter — who strummed his acoustic guitar through a mix of electronic instruments, and surprised listeners with the mix of country twang/bluegrass and modern rock. Ballsy.
Weather Pending coaxed the audience, firing up the battle with soothing high vocals and heavy electronic influences. BOTB.com members The Dandelion War shook their maracas and tapped their xylophone underneath Larry Fernandez’s high and low vocals, — with the lead singer’s mother among the appreciaters.