Marlon Pitter
Connector Editor
“It takes a village to start a music scene,” said Rob Potylo of the web series “Quiet Desperation.”
The RADAR Award Ceremony and VIP Kickoff Party, presented by Pavoh.org and the New England Music Awards, kicked off the weekend by honoring three of New England’s best under-21 bands and celebrating local music.
The Meadows Brothers, the Cranks and Closer Than We Appear represented the RADAR Class of 2014 and were recognized for their hard work on Friday night at the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center.
The Cranks’ drummer Connor Gowland said, “We’re excited and honored to be here right now.”
“We love and believe in the future of New England music,” said Laura Lamere of Pavoh, Inc.
The celebration of local music included live performances by the RADAR Class of 2014, New England Music Awards nominees Sarah Barrios, Amy Allen, Chris Ross, Franchesca Blanchard and a special performance by President Soup.
Bringing their unique mix of Americana and folk music to the stage, the Meadows Brothers, comprised of Ian and Dustin Meadows, were the first to perform. The brothers from Chester, Conn., an acoustic guitar-playing duo, displayed majestic vocal harmonies to accompany their instruments.
Their set smoothly transitioned between slow and fast songs, including their upbeat original “Old Time Feeling” and cover of “In Tall Buildings” by John Hartford.
The Cranks, a three-piece indie-alternative rock outfit from Groton, Mass., took to the stage next, featuring an upbeat, clean guitar sound and strong vocals from guitarist Haley Gowland, sister of drummer Connor Gowland.
Alex Markoski’s bass playing rounded out the Cranks’ set and gave the performance an extra layer of melody and rhythm.
The Gowland siblings cited Fall Out Boy, Paramore, Guster, the Strokes and Kings of Leon as some of their many musical influcences. They believe that “genuine music makes a difference.”
The Cranks also have big plans this summer, as they will be performing with two of their biggest influences, Fall Out Boy and Paramore, at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion in Guilford, N.H. on June 30.
Closer Than We Appear were the final RADAR recipients to showcase their talents. Performing in formal attire, the Sciutate, Mass. quintet brought their brand of indie-alternative rock to the stage.
Compared to the Cranks, Closer Than We Appear’s sound was slower and mellower. Fans of Silversun Pickups, Interpol, the Killers and Modest Mouse would have enjoyed their performance. “The Best,” “High Beams” and “Three by Two” were among the songs they played.
Additional accolades, called Honor Awards, were also distributed at the kickoff celebration, which included the Grass Roots Award, the Scene Award and the Decade Award.
Acoustic for Autism was awarded the Grass Roots Award for its charitable and humanitarian efforts through music and performance.
Louis Gendron accepted the award saying, “Musicians are always some of the first in line to help out when there’s a need.”
All of the proceeds of the Acoustic for Autism compilation go to supporting autism research and awareness.
The Scene Award, for outstanding dedication, involvement and contribution to the New England music scene went to Limelight Magazine – Lowell Celebrates Kerouac, a non-profit, grassroots organization dedicated to “celebrating the life and legacy of Jack Kerouac.” Steven Edington accepted the honor on the group’s behalf.
The organization holds major events in Lowell semiannually to celebrate Kerouac’s work, for which people from all over the world come to enjoy and, in turn, give Lowell a bigger name for itself.
Ernie Boch Jr. earned the Decade Award for his contributions to local music over the last ten years. In 2006, Boch Jr. founded an organization called Music Drives Us. The organization was designed to help people use music as a tool for positive change in all facets of life. They help by funding music programs, scholarships and performances for people of all ages.
Potylo, the presenter of the Decade Award credited Boch Jr. with “getting kids out of the boiler room,” in reference to schools relocating music classes to less desirable parts of schools.
Guest speaker Michael Cusanelli from West Terrace Media captured the audience’s hearts with his love of music, but also warned young artists of things to be wary of in the business.
Cusanelli said, “Making music is fun; that’s why we do it.” Cusanelli explained that he feels there is a sense of community and belonging when making music and it is important to keep that in place. He quoted a proverb saying, “A rising ship lifts all ships,” meaning that the success of one local artist could lead to the success of the entire music scene.Staying away from people promising services for fees was one of Cusanelli’s warnings. “No one should have to pay to play somewhere. No one should profit off your dreams,” said Cusanelli.
