When the YMCA's Fusion Cafe held the "Cutest Band in Seattle" contest just last month, a whole swarm of music fans showed up to cheer on their favorites. The finalists, if you haven't been reading lately (and shame on you), were In Praise of Folly, Blue Sky Mile, Ambitious Career Woman, Asahi, and Lands Farther East. And the winners are--drum roll, please--Ambitious Career Woman (judges' choice) and Asahi (audience's choice)!
While Asahi charmed the crowd with a beautiful set of music that would send any heart fluttering (and they sported sharp matching outfits to boot), Ambitious Career Woman used a number of humorous tactics to eventually win over the judges.
"Going into it we didn't expect to win," explained Adam, lead singer and guitarist for ACW. "Our music isn't exactly cute, so we had to think of creative ways to compete with cuter bands."
One of the clinchers was when the hardcore trio brought out an adorable, moppy-haired 11-year-old named Riley. Riley's dancing and singing (and occasional yelling) was all it took to convince the six judges that ACW were indeed the cutest band there.
You can see their cuteness for yourself at one of their upcoming gigs. They're playing at the Sit & Spin on February 7 and Graceland on February 11. Unfortunately, both shows are 21 and over, but they're working on booking a few all-ages shows in the near future, so check their website for the latest calendar info (www.ambitiouscareerwoman.com).
Since taking home the trophy, the band is definitely prepared to keep fighting for its new title.
"Sure, we'll defend our title," said Adam. "As long as we never have to go against the Blood Brothers. They're one good-lookin' band."
Indeed they are, but unlike ACW and Asahi, they don't have a trophy to prove it.
Congratulations also go out to the Spit-Licks, who are the first band advancing to 2003's Sound Off! finals at EMP's Sky Church. The Spit-Licks blew everyone away with their combination of punk, rock, reggae, and well, anything else they could throw in the mix. They defeated Royale (a female-fronted band who played an impressive set themselves), and the pop-punk quartet Benchgrinder (whose lead singer had better moves than Elvis). Round two of Sound Off! will take place on Saturday, February 8, at 8 pm in EMP's Sky Church. MEGAN SELING
