209Metal View –
209 Metal and the MAMA Awards
By Mike Vanek
Hey there friends and neighbors, it’s MAMA Awards season and as a nominee its hard to describe what it feels like to have the honor of being nominated for such a thing. I have mixed feelings about this event but I will not let all of my personal feelings bleed into this column. However opinions will be expressed. When it comes to metal in this town I hold it very dear and we are lucky to even be recognized. Modesto by large in not a very metal friendly town. It is very hard to get a gig in the Mo these days. Out of the 23 or so venues or so nominated this year only a small handful of venues will openly promote metal shows and only 2 of them are in Modesto far from the once friendly confines of downtown Modesto. Spinnakers and The Other Place both on Yosemite Blvd are the strongholds of local metal and sadly the only real place we have to go to see metal bands while other venues have said they will consider, it has yet to happen. The owner of both bars Bobby Cristoulakis should be commended for helping our scene stay alive.
The people who put on metal and hard rock bands are being honored. Pamsterdam Promotionz, Myself (209Productions), Nic Padilla Promotions and Jill Ferris/Ryan Irons Presents are all keepers of the flame and have all worked hard to bring the people local and national metal bands. The rest of the promoter nominees I’ve never heard of with the exception of Ron & Doug’s Excellent Promotions who champion local rock & cover bands.
As per usual the bands who were nominated are pushing it and when asked what they thought of the MAMA Awards “Were just happy to be nominated” said Michael Potter of Divest Dreggs. and “It’s the best party of the year” said Rock Nominee Kevin Nicholas of Antithesis of It. The most excited seems to be Los Banos natives and Modesto adopted Brutal Innocence who have jubilantly promoted themselves and this occasion and I will bet they will be the most well dressed and coordinated band of the MAMA Awards as per their normal style.
So for those of you attending the MAMA awards METAL is always the last category and most people leave before we are recognized and I beg you to stay till the end and support the people that fight and scratch everyday to keep our scene alive. That is all for me this month as always!!
