Fear and Whiskey

"I’m the lead singer of a metal band. Here’s a flyer for our show next week. Will you buy me a beer?"

That exchange was typical of the self-promotion, naked ambition and unhinged desperation at The Pitch Music Awards Friday night. Anyone daring to prop up the Uptown Theater's bar was obligated to console or congratulate the nominees, in addition to being bombarded with demands to attend various performers after-party gigs.

And that’s exactly why the annual event is so fun.

While most artists make no secret of their desire to win, their hunger pales in comparison to the fanaticism displayed by the parents of a handful of the bands. One of the nominated metal bands must have had fifty proud but misguided friends and family present. Their boys lost.

Of the evening's performers, I was most impressed with the Bjork-on-a-bender sound of Anvil Chorus and the scratched classics of DJs Sku and Ataxic.

I had such a great time that I didn’t bother to take a picture until I was halfway down the block after the final, dream-shattering award was handed out.