After Dark with Beth LaMontagne

April 06, 2006

Backstage at Portsmouth's #1 awards show

Watching the show backstage at the Spotlight Awards on Wednesday. Photos by Jamie Cohen

Embarassing video of me backstage.

Listen to my backstage interviews.

Every April, the Portsmouth Herald invites all the artsy people in town to a big party at the Music Hall and recognizes a handful for the work they did over the past year. I always skipped this event, thinking it was too theater heavy, or I disagreed with some of the choices for nominees (Pondering Judd got nominated AGAIN?).

Now that I'm a staffer, I decided to see what the scene was like, hop back stage and shcmooze with the bands, scope out the lobby for people to interview and of course, watch the show.

On the night of the awards, I arrived un-fashionably late and quickly scurried backstage to ditch my coat and grab my tape recorder. In the Green Room, I ran into fellow Spaulding High School alum Jimmy Dozet, guitarist of The Press. We chatted it up long enough for me to get him to admit the band was wasted. (Edit that part out though, he said.)

Out in the hall, people were milling about with little plastic drink cups of wine and beer. I took a seat just as the lights came down and Rocky Horror began. Usually not a huge fan of musical theater, I was very impressed with the energy of the performers. They sang the crap out of that Time Warp song. I guess when you're doing Rocky it's hard not to get into it.

They were promptly followed by The Press who entertained the crowd to a luke-warm reception.

the press.jpg

The Press are rappin' fools.

It's not that their performance wasn't an easily accessible mix of funk and hip-hop. It wasn't that they sucked, musically or entertainment-wise. They were just playing to a big crowd of middle-aged people. I saw a few bobbing heads. I guess I just wanted them to get the same type of reception Billy Butler got when he came out and did his mock-rap ala SNL to kick off the show.

Billy Butler makes the whole world smile.

People were waving hands like they just didn't care, they were on their feet and clapping. I know the musical theater fans are obsessed with Billy Butler (as they should be) but just because the Press wasn't making fun of rap doesn't mean you can't get up and shake it a little. I guess the drinks hadn't quite kicked in when they did their set.

After Butler was the first round of awards. That's when I headed back-stage for a beer.

Tom Colletta, The Press, Laurel Brauns, the members of the Texas Governor, Bruce from the Press Room and loads more local musical personalities were hanging out, drinking Sam Adams and Red Hook brews. The conversation was mostly gossip and reflections of past award shows. People love to bring up the infamous Satan's Teardrops, Guts, Monkey Butlers tribute to the Clash Spotlight Awards. From what I hear it was wild, man. People were doing beer bongs and then someone whipped out a slip-n-slide. Then some moron from the Monkey Butlers had to trash a monitor and short out the whole show, which then started a riot and the town's people burned down the theater. Really, really crazy.

My favorite parts, by far, were the musical acts. Laurel sounded great, her voice delicately wavering in all the right places. Her rubber ducky boots were well-fitting and absolutely adorable. Jon Nolan and Hokum were pop-rock delicious and the Texas Governor got everyone warmed up for the bar with their closing rock set.

Laurel Brauns is beautiful.

Often I think artists in this town feel isolated, like no one except their friends are listening, but last night was so positive, so encouraging. People seemed to genuinely care about supporting other artists. This town sometimes talks a big game about the arts but when it comes to following through, they drop the ball. The Spotlight Awards made me feel like that was finally changing, that this city is ready to put their artistic money where their mouth is. Heck, Portsmouth Community Radio was broadcasting the event and just about every musician mention the Wire's RPM Challenge.

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David Goolkasian AKA the Texas Governor

Even though I spent the night secretly waiting for the after-party at the Muddy River, it was really lack-luster in comparison with the show,. Martinis were flowing like water and people were dancing like mad when Heavens to Murgatroid started pulling out the covers. I mingled, had a few, but by the time midnight rolled around, everyone was so far ahead of me I was like a sober judge in the Friday night Paddy wagon.

As Billy Butler said, it was great that people could come together to celebrate music and theater and the arts in the spirit of selling papers. While that joke may be true to some extent, it was also nice that people could come together for music, theater and art just for the sheer fact of letting those creative people know that somebody, anybody out there appreciates all the passion and all the hard work they do. Bravo, everyone.

Posted by blamontagne at April 6, 2006 05:27 PM

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