26th Annual Review Music Awards Update & Itinerary

It's not only hard to believe but also somewhat of a surrealistic experience to realize that The Review has conducted and coordinated this annual celebration of artistic and musical creativity that has come to be known as Review Music Awards for 26 years now.

Our first ceremony in 1987 was held at the legendary Fordney Hotel, which burned to the ground in a tragic and historic fire back in 1990 that changed the face & shape of Old Town Saginaw forever.  At that ceremony we featured performances by a then unknown Larry McCray, the rising Nashville sensation Romeo Ridge, and The Mick Furlo Band, featuring drummer Donny Brown, who later went on to international fame with The Verve Pipe.

Over the years and decades many things have evolved and changed with both music and the society in which we live, but for me what remains eternally exciting is the fact that the music and artists we value and honor with this event have reached and branched out in so many notable directions, solidifying the stature of talent that we are fortunate to have amongst us to cultivate, nurture, and support here in the Mid-Michigan Great Lakes Bay area.

The Review Music Awards is the only ceremony of its kind that connects people, audience, and artist together insofar as nominees & winners are entirely determined by the voting public at large and not a special committee. But more importantly, when it comes to the quality of talent populating this area, there are certainly no losers, as every nominated artist is worthy of recognition in their own respective right - having distinguished themselves by inspiring enough of their audience and fan base to action by making it to the top of the list through vigorous nomination and finals rounds of balloting. During both the nomination and voting stage, which began back in January through our online edition at www.review-mag.com, we have clocked over 7,000 votes over a 10-week period.

Now we are set to honor the nominees and 'Class of 2012' with a special presentation of our 26th Review Music Awards Ceremony & Celebration on Sunday, April 29th at The Golden Glow Ballroom (located at the corner of M-52 & Swan Creek Road) from 4:00 PM - Midnight.

Tickets are available for only $15.00 in advance or the day of the event at $20.00.  Plus if you buy a set of 'Table Tickets' (a minimum of 8 tickets @ $10.00 per) you can derive more savings.  Advance tickets for fans, friends, wives, and family are now on sale at all the venues noted in the Music Awards Display Ad on the back page of this edition.

You may also order tickets online by going to www.goldenglow.com and clicking the 'purchase tickets' button under the Entertainment events section of their website. A full dinner menu will also be available at The Golden Glow through 7:00 PM.

In addition to a star-studded line-up of guest performers and special collaborations, we will have a notable array of guest-presenters on hand to help us honor the power of musical creativity in the Great Lakes Bay.

Program & Itinerary

What follows is a breakdown of this year's line-up and schedule, so you can you're your Sunday accordingly. I would also like to thank everybody in advance for helping make this a memorable evening. Please feel free to phone our offices if you have any questions, and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday, April 29th at The Golden Glow Ballroom for this epochal 26th Annual Review Music Awards Ceremony & Celebration

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3:00-4:00 PM * Video Highlights of Previous Awards Ceremonies. A retrospective of musical

history in the making, spanning 26 years of performances and highlights from the Review Music Awards.

4:00-4:05 PM * Opening Remarks

Review Magazine publisher & editor Robert E. Martin welcomes nominees and attendees and recaps the voting procedure.

4:05-4:15 PM * Jazz Awards

Best Songwriter, Best Jazz Musician, Favorite Jazz Club

4:15-4:45 PM * Michigan Jazz Trail All-Stars 

A scintillating compendium of top-flight Jazz musicians and previous RMA winners populating The Great Lakes Bay Region, including Mary Gilbert, Molly McFadden, Julie Mulady, Mike Brush, Matt Corrigan, Jeff Hall, Pete Simonson, David Smith & Roland Wallace.  Enjoy as they warm up for this summer's Michigan Jazz Trail concert extravaganza!

4:45-5:00 PM * Jazz Awards Continued

Female Jazz Vocalist, Best Small Combo, Best Big Band

5:00-5:30 PM * The Matt Ryan Band

Formed two years ago in Bay City, Michigan, the music of the MRB is in the vein of new country, yet is an original sound to its core. With a focus on writing great songs that fit the modern country genre, it's a blend of soulful smooth vocals with beautifully placed harmonies, sprinkled with traditional country leads to a full on six-string assault, with a repertoire of songs ranging from dynamic & beautiful to abrasive and forceful.

5:30-5:40 * Country Awards.

Best Country Musician, Best Club, Best Songwriter

5:40-6:05 PM * Mandi Layne & the Lost Highway & Friends.

Jon Potrykus, Tim Taylor & Matt DeHeus join Mandi Layne & Company for a unique collaboration demonstrating the divergent range of coloration and talented translations of material spanning the genre of Country music.

6:05-6:15 PM * Country Awards Continued

Best Male & Female Vocalist, Best Country Band

6:15-6:35 PM * The Glow Levario Band

(aka - The Tejano Project)   Rick, Glow, Rudolph & Tay LeVario with Domingo Vasquez & Guests explore the vast textures of Tejano music.

6:35-6:50 PM * Miscellaneous Awards

Best Solo Artist, Best Duo, Best Tejano Band,  Best Soundman, Best Folk Band

6:50-7:15 PM * Life Size Ghost

This talented exponent of Modern Rock secured the honor of being selected 'Best New Artist of the Year' and 'Most Innovative Artist' at last year's 25th annual Music Awards. Their mix of Indie & Alternative sounds flavored with a vibraphone and distinctive vocal stylings distinguish this Grand Rapids based band as a welcome & talented force on the Michigan music scene.

7:15-7:30 PM * Misc. Awards Continued

Best Concert Album or Project,  Most Innovative Artist, Best Waitress, Best Bartender, Best Music Video

7:30-7:55 PM * Keef Courage

Keef Courage is a local music group in the 989 area. Since 2003 they have performed throughout all of Michigan and the Mid-West, spreading positive vibes using their high-energy hip-hop/electronic songs and a live stage show. Featuring 2 MC's and a DJ on turntables, all their music is self-produced and original.

7:55-8:15 PM * Misc.  Awards Continued

Best CD Release,  Best Band Website,  Best Radio Station, Best New Artist of the Year, Best Music Festival, Best Live Event of the Year

8:15-8:45 PM * Brett Mitchell & the Giant Ghost 

Singer/songwriter, Brett Mitchell, born (too late) and raised in Midland, MI, picked up the sticks in his early teens & fell in love. Drumming professionally by age 17 in a variety of bands, he began songwriting. To assist his writing, he taught himself guitar & by 2005 had recorded his debut album called {Stereo}, playing virtually all instruments. One by one musicians approached him to support his live performance & the Giant GHOST, Brett's talented backing band, was formed. In 2007, Brett released his 2nd project, Small House, which includes the popular track, Born Too Late, and introduced his award winning Born Too Late video. His heartfelt and sincere songwriting is not the only draw; the live show is literally riveting with Brett singing lead from the drums and/or acoustic guitar and playing multiple instruments at the same time. Brett's newest

album, Falling Apart At The Seams, was selected Best Original CD of the Year at last year's Review Music Awards Ceremony.

8:45 - 9:00 PM * The Big Four

Best Variety Band,  Best Original Band,  Best Metal Band, Best Alternative Band.

9:00-9:30 PM * Dave Kellan & Gutbucket

Over the last 10 years Dave Kellan has rocked the country spanning coast to coast. A native of Midland, MI, and now living in New York City, since 2000 Dave has released 5 independent full length LP's of original material. Dave won Mid-Michigan Idol from a Citadel/Epic Records contest in 2002, which led to him opening for various national acts such as Uncle Kracker and Bowling for Soup. In 2005, Dave won FOUR Review awards (Best Solo  Artist, Best Blues and Rock songwriter, Blues Band Deserving Wider Recognition)  and in 2006 he won BestMale Vocalist, Guitarist, Songwriter and Instrumentalist.  Dave has won 20+ awards from Review readers & fans.  Dave Kellan's fourth CD “Rounder than the Sound” is now available and it features special guests Larry McCray and Verve Pipe drummer Donny Brown. The tracks show an array of Dave Kellan's catchy style. Last year in Dec 2011, a long awaited album was released with the powerful Michigan rock trio Gutbucket.  This has proved to be some of Dave Kellan's most prolific guitar work to date and “Gutbucket” is already getting rave reviews on a global scale.  Dave has journeyed back from New York City to join us for this year's RMA's - we hope you savor and enjoy the experience!

9:30-9:50 PM * Blues Awards

Best Songwriter, Best Male & Female Vocalist, Best  Instrumentalist,  Best Blues Bar,  Best Funk & Blues Band

9:50-10:15 PM * Killer Kong

Killer Kong is a psychedelic rock trio from Midland, Michigan, a fantastic sound explosion to write home about.  Loud guitars and slick twelve-bars mean blues so deep you can only feel the bottom, and stellar grooves to improve your mood.  Their rock 'n roll will make your night, but the catchy hooks are good for life. Nate McConnell, Alex Nemeth and Jesse Aho make a scene on drums, bass, and guitar, with a sound that goes far, over the bleachers, left field.

10:15-10:30 PM * Rock Awards

Best Rock Bassist,  Best Drummer, Male & Female Vocalist,  Best Rock Club

10:30-10:50 PM * Tay Ray

New sounds from a legendary performer on the local Hip-Hop scene. At the age of 23, with an unusual combination of an old spirit and a young restless heart.  He has set attendance records both in his hometown of Saginaw (4,800) and Grand Rapids (5,000) and set records for amounts of tickets sold to see a rising act. In 2003 Tay showcased at the Hard Rock Cafe in Beverly Hills, opening for the successful group B2K.

10:50-11:05 PM * Rock Awards Continued

Best Rock Keyboardist, Best Guitarist, Best Songwriter, Best Rock Band

11:05-11:30 PM * Alphabetics

The Alphabetics secured two nominations at last year's Review Music Awards for Rap/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year and 'Best Performer' and have secured a strong position as one of the most creative and Hip-Hop acts impacting the regional scene.

11:30-11:45 PM * Hip Hop Awards

Best Promoter,  Best Performer,  Best Producer,  Best Mixtape, Best DJ,  Rap/Hip Hop Artist of the Year

11:45 PM - Closing Remarks