Timely Next Great American Band Thoughts

Friday’s Next Great American Band was a shocker.  Franklin Bridge was a victim of demographics in the voting, much as Light of Doom was clearly a beneficiary.  Tween girls have to be burning up the lines voting for the pretty little boys who actually managed to impress me this week.

Franklin Bridge was extremely popular from what I could tell of the buzz.  While not entirely my thing, I consider them extremely talented and marketable.  I’d be shocked not to find them signed by someone after the show’s run ends.  I would, from a business perspective.

When it came down to them and Tres Bien, much as I like Tres Bien, I was certain they were gone.  So were they, based on their shocked reaction and their classy nod toward the other band.

That makes it especially cool that Tres Bien was hands down best of the week, much as Cliff Wagner was the previous week.  I was reminded of early Stones or perhaps The Who.

The Clark Brothers were meh this week, to me, in a way I perhaps can’t define well.  I thought the choice of song was foolish, and the singing reminded me of my brother when he is so-so trying too hard and not using his own voice as he should.

Dot Dot Dot was at their best this week and they’ve grown on me to the point where I have to say I like them.  The dude can sing, and it might matter less for him the genre than for the others there.  The look and antics aren’t necessary, except for marketing and proclaiming their expected audience.  The talent is there.  In fact, I can’t see any remaining band, or any remaining after Rocket and The Muggs, not being marketable in some reasonable form.  Denver may be “corporate,” for instance, but they could make a good living performing.  In fact, they are Taylor Hicks-like in their appeal as a potentially compelling live show in a modest sized venue.

Who will go next week?  On the merits of being stellar this week, maybe not Tres Bien.  Someone will probably be a combined victim of demographics and their own not-as-good this week.  Clark Brothers?  Cliff Wagner?  Both still adequate to good, but given that the youngsters were both better than before and clearly riding the crest of the youth vote tsunami, they have to be called safe.  Dot Dot Dot apparently benefits from the demographics too.  Call them safe.  I was surprised how well Denver did.  If that was demographics, and their performance, which I liked, didn’t hurt them, they may be surprisingly safe.  Six Wire is too good, too favored, and too sexy to be in danger.  Who does that leave?  Clark Brothers, Cliff Wagner and Tres Bien.  On strength of performance, It should come down to Cliff Wagner or Clark Brothers.  However, it could come down to one of them versus Tres Bien.  I love Cliff Wagner, but if I had to deduce who goes I would probably name them based on voting patterns and performances.  It should be the Clark Brothers who go.  They’ll Carrie on regardless, after all, but they’re almost too niche even compared to others, and they don’t have enough other appeal.

Posted by on 11/20 at 11:47 AM

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