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AP Music Awards enjoy stars above and on Voinovich Park behind Rock Hall
from: cleveland.com
By Chuck Yarborough, The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- No surprise, really, judging from the screams piercing the ears of those those who sweated on the red carpet at Monday's inaugural Alternative Press Music Awards: Fall Out Boy is the fan favorite.
The band from the suburbs of Chicago won the coveted artist of the year award at the ceremony held at Voinovich Park behind the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
Ice-T has the rules for the inaugural AP Music Awards: Dance, keep the speeches short, hold up the award and buy his *&^%# album.
The actor-rapper was the "official'' security for the gig at Voinovich Park behind the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum on a brilliant, sunlit afternoon that segued into a starlit night -- and his entry onto the stage, accompanied by his bulldogs and band Body Count, set a perfect, lighthearted tone for the evening. Oh, and his *&^%# was not the only one in a show peppered with language saucy enough to make a Marine blush, with an underline from his own rockin' performance later in the show.
It was an evening that began with a marathon red carpet, packed with screaming fans reminiscent of the Beatles' onslaught of Public Hall back in the '60s. And really, the comparison isn't that far afield.
Aerosmith's Joe Perry, who was one in line in that carpet, spoke about the continuity of rock.
"We all go back to Robert Johnson and the blues,'' Perry said. "They all learn from each other. We're only one link in the chain. It's all about playing live.
"It's primal, and it's in our DNA,'' he said.
Brendan Urie of Panic! at the Disco, dressed to kill in a gold jacket that would have been perfect for 1950s Vegas, delivered what host Mark Hoppus of blink-182, host of the event, said was a sample of why the 6,000 on the lawn should "expect the unexpected'': a medley of Frank Sinatra songs, accompanied by the Cleveland Contemporary Youth Orchestra.
What SHOULD have been expected was Urie taking home the very first Skully, as the awards have been dubbed because they are a skeleton shaped to resemble an old-fashioned microphone, for best vocalist.
Pierce the Veil took home best live band, but not without giving credit where it was due. Vic Fuentes' statement, "What makes a great show is great freakin' fans,'' was greeted with a roar from that 6,000-strong throng. The band's rhythm section scored big, too, with Mike Fuentes named best drummer award and Jaime Preciado named top bassist.
That was really true when Cleveland's own Machine Gun Kelly, who confirmed that he will reprise last summer's E.S.T. Fest at Nelson Ledges, teamed with Sleeping With Sirens for a tune before Yellow Card took the stage to present the breakthrough band to Crown the Empire.
All Time Low took home the artist philanthropic award, one of 12 fan-voted awards, for their work with the charity SkateForCancer.
Bring Me the Horizon from the United Kingdom earned the best international band award. Phil Manansala, from the band Of Mice and Men, took home top guitarist honors.
Black Veil Brides was honored with the most dedicated fan awards, and in true rock 'n' roll fashion, lead singer Andy Biersack, who later joined the Misfits in a performance, jumped the barrier and handed the award to a fan.
One of the elder statesmen of alternative music -- the Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan -- took home the inaugural vanguard award, one of three that were not voted on by the fans. The others would be the icon award, which went to JOAN JETT, and the guitar legend award, which went to Slash.
Introduced by red carpet co-host and wrestling star CM Punk -- "Billy Corgan in the realm of music is a god'' -- Corgan put the honor in perspective: "Kids should always kick bleeps like me out of the way.''
"I'm no legend, your favorite song is legend,'' he said. "That's what makes it work.''
"I didn't start a band to be anybody's [bleeping bleep],'' he said. "I started a band to kick your [bleeping] head in,'' Corgan said.
His meaning is that each generation should find its own way, and not be led down a path by the previous.
Laura Jane Grace, the transgender frontwoman for Against Me, introduced Jett, noting the singer had never backed down or let the gender discrimination so rampant in rock music stop her.
Ironically, the only really discrimination might be from the Rock Hall itself: For some reason, the frontwoman for JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS is not in the hall.
Grace was one of three artists who joined Jett in a fantastic set that in some ways was the highlight of the evening. Cleveland's own Billy Crooked, from the band the Vacancies, sang along with the diminutive singer with the giant voice. Slash, just in town Sunday night for a sold-out Hard Rock Rocksino show, teamed with her for a cover of the Rolling Stones' "Star Star,'' a tune with lyrics that guarantee it'll never be heard on Radio Disney.
The show had its problems -- sound was sometimes inconsistent, and there were the usual lags that crop up when a gig is broadcast over live television, as this one was on AXS-TV. After all, few concerts have commercial breaks.
But this was a pretty good shakedown cruise. The Rock Hall's Todd Mesek confirmed that the show will return in 2015, which means next year will be a banner year, with the Rock Hall inductions here in April and the second APMAS here next summer. |
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