Seattle Weekly Music Awards

A lot goes into Seattle Weekly's annual Music Awards Showcase—and for our fourth year, much more than band-wrangling and ballot-making. We've moved the showcase even farther northwest, where you'll find the city's best bands rocking one of its most on-the-move neighborhoods. Ballard's pubs and clubs play host to dozens of favorites and new artists alike, including jazz improvisers, Americana singer-songwriters, roots-reggae rockers, hip-hop combos, house DJs, metal gods and punk goddesses, and everything in between. Reflecting the true range of Seattle's sounds, there's something for everyone—including an outdoor stage and (for the grown folks) a beer garden. But don't lose yourself in the moment—pick up a ballot and vote, because your favorite band could win a deluxe promotional package from "music-obsessed" design studio the Volume of Silence. Finally, while you're helping yourself to a day of great music, you're helping the community, too: Showcase proceeds benefit the Service Board, a mentor program that encourages creation and experimentation. This year they've formed "tSBand," so who knows—maybe we'll see these kids on the awards stage someday.

In the meantime, you've got 50 showcase bands, and 10 DJs, to choose from. So grab the schedule below, mark your best bets, and we'll see you in Ballard this Saturday, April 29. For more info, go to www.seattleweekly.com/musicawards/.

Meet our 2006 Showcase bands!

Outdoor Stage
DJ Cherry Canoe, Jett City, Stay Tuned, 1234, The Buttersprites, The Emergency, The Ruby Doe, The Cops, Kinski.

Mr. Spot's Chai House
DJ Kid Hops, Dub Championz, Georgetown Orbits, Wet City Rockers, Nuffsed.

Sunset Tavern
DJ Scorpio, Maiden Seattle, Nigel Mustafa, Girth, Sunday Night Blackout, The Valley, The Hollowpoints, Bloodhag, Go Like Hell.

Tractor Tavern
DJ Mamma Casserole, FCS North DJs, Joy Wants Eternity, Central Services (members of Math and Physics Club), The Lonely H, Cantona, Velella Velella, Mercir, Tim Seely.

Lock and Keel
DJ Johnny Horn, Alice Stuart, Charles White Band, The Bourbonites, Blue Healers, Tim Casey and the Bluescats, Jude Bowerman.

Conor Byrne
DJ Tamara, Suicide Jack, Na, Bill Horist, Picoso, Ficus Trio, Swampdweller, Wayne Horvitz.

Balmar
Eric Fridrich, Johanna Kunin, Korby Lenker, DJ Recess, DJ Zachariah.

Paradox
SunTzu Sound DJs, Altered States of Funk, The Long Ranger, Choklate, Beehive, Beyond Reality.