Wisconsin’s top musicians, artists, bands, and industry notables were recognized for their contributions to the state’s diverse music scene at the 27th Annual Wisconsin Area Music Industry (WAMI) Awards Show, held Monday, April 30, at the Northern Lights Theater at Milwaukee’s Potawatomi Bingo and Casino.

Awards were given in 35 categories, ranging from recognition for musicianship and recordings to the industry-related technical areas, with recipients hailing from all areas of the state. Award recipients are as follows:

Band/Artist Web Site: www.twangdragons.com
Bassist: Todd Richardson
Big Band/Swing: Swing Nouveau
Bluegrass/Americana: Andy’s Automatics
Blues Group/Artist: Alex Wilson
CD/Recording: “Comin Out Swingin” – Boxkar
Classical: Fox Valley Symphony
Contemporary Jazz Group/Artist: Chris Crain & Co.
Country: Chasin’ Mason
Cover: The Toys
Drummer/Percussionist: Greg Thiel
Female Vocalist: Ronnie Nyles
Folk/Acoustic Group/Artist: Bazooka Joe
Gospel/Christian Group/Artist: Rodney Cunningham
Group/Artist: Skillet
Guitarist: Jack Grassel
Keyboardist (tie) Dean Lea and Johnny Palecek
Male Vocalist: Geoff Landon
New Group/Artist: Hindsight
Pop/Adult Contemporary: The Mahp
Print Media: Shepherd Express
Producer: Joe Puerta
Radio Station: WMSE FM
R&B/Soul Group/Artist: Mary Davis
Reeds/Brass: Jeff Petrangelo
Rock Group/Artist: BelleVue Suite
Song: “Drinkin About You” – Twang Dragons
Specialty Instrumentalist: Russ Greeley – Violin
Specialty/Nostalgia Group/Artist: The Tempters
Stage Production: On Stage Audio
Studio: Renwood Messenger Studio
Traditional Jazz Group/Artist: Paul Spencer
Urban/Hip Hop/Scratch: ILL Groove Movement
Venue: Caroline’s
World Beat (tie): Unity and Nabori
In addition, People’s Choice Awards for “Best Band/Artist of the Year” were presented for each quadrant of the state:

Southeast Quadrant – Mt. Olive
Northeast Quadrant – Cool Waters
Northwest Quadrant – Reverend Raven & the Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys
Southwest Quadrant – Madison County
Two WAMI members were honored with the organization’s Presidents Award at the program, as the East Town Association and Summerfest were recognized for their commitment to the music industry.

There were two inductees into the WAMI Hall of Fame Class of 2007, with Jim Krueger and Bob Kames earning honors.

Krueger was a gifted guitarist and native of Manitowoc, whose posthumous induction is in recognition of his guitar skills and being an occasional co-songwriter with Dave Mason from the mid-70s throughout the early 80s. Krueger wrote Mason's biggest hit "We Just Disagree." He released a solo album in 1978 called “Sweet Salvation,” and in the early 90s, he was a key member ("Otto") of the Manitowoc-based novelty/bar band the Happy Schnapps Combo.

Kames is best known for introducing the song “The Chicken Dance” (formerly “Dance Little Bird”) to the United States in 1982. The song was first recorded in Milwaukee by Kames and his son and daughter (“Dad and the Kids”), and by the end of 1982, more than a million copies were sold worldwide. Additionally, he performed other songs, including “Mr. Sandman” and “The Clap Clap Song.” Kames, s a member of the Polka duo Happy Organ, has recorded more than 72 albums during his music career. A foundation bearing his name was formed in 2005 with a mission of encouraging youth, especially high school music groups, and parents to get their children involved in music at an early age.

The Award Show included performances by 10 artists and nominees, and concluded with a Post-Show Party.

Promoting the Wisconsin music scene, WAMI provides funds to students and emerging artists, and offers continuing education for music industry professionals through monthly meetings, and semi-annual music seminars. For more information about WAMI, visit www.wamimusic.com. WAMI sponsors include Potawatomi Bingo Casino, The Milwaukee Ale House, and Shepherd Express.

WAMI 2007 Nominees

Group/Artist

ILL Groove Movement
Skillet
Geoff Landon and the Wolfpack
Twang Dragons
Ronnie Nyles
Cool Waters

CD/Recording
“The Illiad” – ILL Groove Movement
“Lucky 13” – Carry Nation
“Comatose” – Skillet
“It’s About The Music” – Jack Grassel & Jill Jensen
“Comin Out Swingin” – Boxkar

Female Vocalist
Alaria Taylor
Ellen Winters
Adekola Adedapo
Lisa Hannon
Ronnie Nyles
Karen Todryk

Male Vocalist
Geoff Landon
Lem Banks
Paul Karcz
Jon Shoen
Chris Szabini
Cory Chisel

New Group/Artist
Marcella
Liam Ford and The Band in Black
Krash
Hindsight
Rabid Aardvarks
Category X

Song
“Drinkin About You” – Twang Dragons
“Rebirthing” – Skillet
“Level Groove” – Paul Spencer Band
“Song For Your Mother” – Jack Grassel & Jill Jensen
“Synergy” – ILL Groove Movement

Big Band/Swing
Swing Nouveau
Mr. Lucky Swing Syndicate
All-Star SUPERband
Ladies Must Swing
River City’s Jazz

Bluegrass/Americana
Andy’s Automatics
Twang Dragons
Liam Ford and The Band In Black
Meaghan Owens
Frogwater
The Darkhorse Project

Blues Group/Artist
Big O and the Shakers
Reverend Raven and the
Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys
Alex Wilson
West Side Andy and Mel Ford
Roy Edwards Band

Classical
Bel Canto Chorus
Frank Almond
Kenosha Symphony
Fox Valley Symphony
Skylight Opera

Traditional Jazz Group/Artist
Paul Spencer
Jack Grassel
Steve Lewandowski
Sam Steffke
Crawford Jazz Band
Alex Maryani

Contemporary Jazz Group/Artist
Chris Crain & Co.
Streetlife
Bennet Carl
Valley of the Dolls
Ellen Winters

Country
Geoff Landon and the Wolfpack
Twang Dragons
Nashville Pipeline
Madison County
Chasin’ Mason

Cover
Mt. Olive
The Toys
Johnny Wad
Cherry Pie
Sonic Circus

Folk/Acoustic Group/Artist
Bazooka Joe
Stringbenders
Ronnie Nyles
Alaria Taylor
No Strings Attached
Julie Moffitt

Gospel/Christian Group/Artist
J4
Rodney Cunningham
2 High
All Saint's Gospel Choir

Pop/Adult Contemporary
The Mahp
Sunspot
Molitor
FireSign
The Dammitheads

Urban/Hip Hop/Scratch/ Group/Artist
ILL Groove Movement
Black Elephant
BNC
The Black House Gang
Cincere

Rock Group/Artist
Fahrenheit 420
Bellevue Suite
Spiral Trance
Analog Machine
Decibully

Specialty/Nostalgia Group/Artist
The Boogiemen
Light Up
Pat McCurdy
45 RPM
The Tempters

World Beat
One Drum
Unity
Nabori
Kojo
Mountain Lion

R&B/Soul Group/Artist
J4
Eddie Butts
Mary Davis
Rick Holmes and the Stratotones
Soul Treatment
The Tempters

Bassist
Rick Holmes
Dale Shaffer
Rick LaJeunesse
Todd Richardson
Mike Spellman
Andy Holcomb

Drummer/Percussionist
Frank Babeck
Paul Spencer
Scott Schroeder
Dave Schoepke
Greg Thiel
Tom Capponi

Guitarist
Steve Lewandowski
Don Weber
Ron Plevak
Tom Dixon
Chris Dame
Jack Grassel

Keyboardist
Sam Steffke
Dean Lea
Johnny Palecek
Kostia
Joe Hite

Reeds/Brass
Jeff Petrangelo
Lynn Lewandowski
Dave Smith
John Hibler
Brett Murphey

Specialty Instrumentalist
Tommy Greywolf – Fiddle
Russ Greely – Violin
Stas Vanglenski – Baion style
Ray Fehrenboch - Fiddle
Geoff Brady - Vibes, Theramin

Band/Artist Website
www.ronnienyles.com
Ronnie Nyles
www.illgroovemovement.com
ILL Groove Movement
www.twangdragons.com
Twang Dragons
www.lwent.com
Geoff Landon & the Wolfpack

Venue
Caroline’s
Summerfest
Mill Creek
High Noon Saloon
Northern Lights Theater – Potawatomi
Milwaukee Ale House

Print Media
Shepherd Express
Maximum Ink
Kenosha News
Rick’s Café
Appleton Post Crescent

Producer
Ben Estes
Joe Puerta
Marc Golde
Vinny Milevolte
Rick Probst

Radio Station
WMSE FM
WAPL FM
WIIL FM
THE BREW FM
THE HOG FM

Stage Production
Eliminator Audio Productions
White Noise
On Stage Audio
Lighthouse Productions
Clear Wing Audio

Studio
Renwood Messenger Studio
Rock Garden
Nexxus
Smart Studios
The Exchange

Milwaukee's own Tom Green - who first became known for his Elvis tributes - has died.

Green, whose given name was Thomas M. Greenblatt, died of cancer March 1. He was 50.

From Kathie:

It is with a sad and heavy heart that I have to notify you (many of you already know) that Norrie passed away on Wednesday, March 7.

The family has asked me to email you and invite you to a celebration of Norrie's life at the Bavarian Inn on Wednesday, March 14, at 6:00 p.m.

Many of his band members will be there. The death notice will be in Sunday's newspaper and I believe it will state that private services have already

been held, but this is your invitation to the celebration. I have tried to have a complete list but if any of you know someone I left out, please

contact that person. If you have any questions please email me at Norrie's email address above or phone me at (414) 489-0072.

Kathie

For Immediate Release


“Spiral Trance teams with RockIt Records”

Milwaukee, WI USA – February 13, 2007 – Spiral Trance is thrilled to announce their newly inked distribution deal with Rockit Records & Recording™, a Division of Heavygunz Enterprises Inc. Immediate coverage begins with the currently available EP “As We Are” and extends to include the forthcoming full length CD to be released later in 2007.

Spiral Trance continues to build their reputation for performance as a hard-hitting professional band. Their blistering original tunes generate serious live energy that radiates from the stage during their show. The band line-up includes guitarist, vocalist, and keyboardist Paul Karcz, guitarist Matt Stevens, bassist Leon Royal T, and drummer Bill Lyles.

They have performed before enthusiastic crowds at numerous rock showcases throughout the country including Chicago’s Meca Music Conference, the world famous Whisky A Go Go, and Summerfest, Milwaukee’s International Music Festival, to name a few. Their song “Hellacious” was recently selected Song of the Year by the Wisconsin Area Music Industry and received the WAMI Award.

On national and international levels, Spiral Trance has charted on multiple CMJ radio stations throughout the country and they have enjoyed consistent top placements in over ten categories on BROADJAM.COM. Peak ratings include global-number-one placement in the HARD ROCK category and worldwide-number-two placement in the ROCK category.

Music Journalists, Music Program Directors, Promoters, and Booking Agents should contact Spiral Trance management, Setting Sun Entertainment & Promotions for additional information and booking dates.

RockIt Records & Recording™ Setting Sun Entertainment & Promotions
A Division of Heavygunz Enterprises Inc.
PO Box 507 9308 68th Street
Greendale, WI 53129-0507 Kenosha, WI 53142
Phone: (414) 525-9005 Phone: (262) 948-1975
Fax: (414) 525-9006 Cell: (262) 496-9941
Email: rockitrecordsusa@aol.com Email: booking@spiraltrance.com

76 Juliet to Perform at Benefit for Seriously Injured Sheriff Deputy

WAMI award-winning band 76 Juliet will be taking part in a benefit to help raise money for injured Deputy Tim Johnson of the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s office and his family.

On the morning of Friday, January 12th, 2007, Deputy Tim Johnson was seriously injured. At approximately 6:30am while performing his normal work assignment, a vehicle attempting to stop, spun out of control and directly struck Deputy Johnson, sending him 35 feet into the air. He then struck the concrete barrier wall. He sustained severe head trauma. He remains in critical condition at Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital in Milwaukee.

Deputy Johnson and his wife have two small children; a son who is almost 3 and a daughter who is one year old.

A fundraiser for Deputy Johnson & his family will be held on Sunday, February 18th, 2007. The fundraiser will be held at Domnick’s Bar & Grill at 11027 S. 27th Street in Franklin, WI. It will start at 12:00pm and conclude at 2:00am. The benefit will be in the hall at the location from 5:00pm to 12 o’clock midnight. The owner of Domnick’s donated the location and all services.

76 Juliet will be joined with other local bands Hazmat, Boxing Day and The Greater Milwaukee Fire & Police Pipes and Drums for an evening of non-stop live music. In addition to live music, there will also be raffles, a 50/50 raffle, and a silent auction with many great items.

Please visit www.76juliet.com for additional details.

Milwaukee, WI -- In February of 2006, hundreds of local musicians joined forces to help WAMI Award-winning pianist Sam Steffke as he fought a life threatening health battle. A rare blood disease temporarily stopped this prolific jazz pianist in his tracks and the music community banded together to hold “Jam for Sam” in an attempt to raise money to help defray health costs and the loss of wages during his convalescence. We are thrilled to announce that over $11,000 was raised for Steffke and his family last year. After that jam packed day of music, Steffke and his family decided that they wanted to share the wealth so they committed to put aside funds to start a non-profit organization that would continuously help ailing musicians in Southeastern Wisconsin.

That promise has been kept and this year local musicians will gather again (with Steffke leading the charge at the piano) to raise money for the organization that came out of last years efforts: Jam for S.A.M.- Serving Ailing Musicians. This non-profit, which is currently in the application process for the State of Wisconsin, will serve as a source of temporary aid for professional, self-employed musicians who are suffering financial hardship to due to a medical crisis.

A silent auction will also be available online for those who are interested. Silent auction items will include music equipment, studio time, CD’s and many other music related items. Featured artists who will perform are: Steffke (with various bands/friends,) Streetlife with Warren Wiegratz, Jill Jensen, the All Star SUPERband, Greg Koch, and Eddie Butts among others.

To volunteer or to donate to the “Jam for S.A.M.,” a website has been created: www.jamforsam.com. All updates and a listing of local musicians performing will be posted on this website and it will be updated daily.

What: Jam for Sam
When: Sunday, February 25th, 2007
1-5pm
Where: Long Wong’s
5230 W Bluemound Rd
Milwaukee, WI
Tickets: $10 at the door (cash or checks only)
Checks should be made payable to Jam for S.A.M.
Donations: You may contribute the day of the event or go to any TCF Bank in the metro area and make a donation to the “Jam for Sam” Fund.

The Twang Dragons, Milwaukee's own roots rock band, have recently returned from performing in England. As part of the tour, they released their second CD, Love Junkie.

"We thought it would be the perfect time and place to introduce our new CD," says Lisa Hannon, lead singer of the Dragons. "The audiences were so enthusiastic about our music and the response to Love Junkie was outstanding. We can't wait to go back next year and are hoping to play in Ireland in addition to the England gigs."

The Twang Dragons will be performing at the Cuda Cafe in Deerfield on Saturday, December 9th.

"We're really looking forward to releasing Love Junkie to our audiences here," says Hannon.

To find out more about the Twang Dragons, please visit their website or MySpace site.

Promoter and Shank Hall owner Peter Jest, along with many popular local musicians, are hosting a benefit concert for the National Cancer Institute at Shank Hall on Sunday, November 26th, at 8pm. The event is being held in honor of Janeen Martin, a singer-songwriter who died of cancer last March.

Martin performed with many popular local bands, including Skyline,
Shattered, Mudflap, Miss Trixie, and others. She sang her last show at
Shank Hall with Miss Trixie in November of 2005, and this year's event
commemorates the one-year anniversary of her final performance.

The show features many of the musicians who played with Martin over the
years, and represents an impressive roster of six acts, including:

Shattered, a Rolling Stones tribute act known for playing the Stones
songs that even the Stones don't play anymore. Shattered has been twice
nominated by WAMI as Specialty/Tribute act of the year.

Michael Tierney will be playing a set of his solo material. Tinker is perhaps best known locally and nationally for his performances with Beatallica, a Beatles/Metallica act with a cult following. He also plays with Irish rock band Reilly and The Tinker Boys.

Lloyd Tess will be performing songs he was co-writing with Martin at
the time of her death. This is the first opportunity audiences will have
to hear Janeen's final songs performed live before Lloyd takes them
into the studio.

Several others among Janeen Martin's former band mates will be
performing their current material, including Cheri Modrow, formerly of
Skyline, playing with Pete Hansen. Mike Kendall, co-founder of Miss Trixie will debut his new band at the show. Julie Brandenburg, will play a set with her current band, The Quark Quintet, and then finish the evening with True Heart Susie.

Shank Hall is located at 1434 N. Farwell Avenue, Milwaukee, WI. Doors
will open at 7pm on Sunday, November 26th, with Shattered opening the
show at 8pm. The cost is $10.00, with all proceeds going to the National
Cancer Institute. Peter Jest and all of the musicians are donating
their time and talent to this event, and have set a $2,000 donation goal
for the show.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) coordinates the National Cancer
Program, which conducts and supports research, training, health
information dissemination, and other programs with respect to the cause,
diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cancer, rehabilitation from cancer, and the continuing care of cancer patients and the families of cancer patients. The NCI is a component of the National Institutes of Health. For more information about the National Cancer Institute and its programs, visit www.cancer.gov.

Once again this holiday season a benefit concert featuring the Sleighriders and an auction will be held at Shank Hall on December 18th.
All proceeds are given to a worthy benefit.

This years proceeds will be contributed to The Safe Zone Community Art Center, where music students can receive instruments and instruction from qualified teachers.

The Sleighriders are some of the best and most widely respected musicians and singers from the Midwest. Featured performers are members of Bad Boy, The Boogiemen, Blue Hand, Eddie Butts, Streetlife, Speakeasy, Annie and the Orphans, No Strings Attached, Pretty Grimm, Dirty Ernie and many more. Never before has so much talent been assembled under one roof. Here is where thirty or more musicians perform as one, to unite for the common cause, "to give the gift of music to children."

Please come out and support the Safe Zone and do your part to save live music. This is a show you will want to be part of for years to come!

For more information, please visit The Sleighriders website.