WOW Hall Awards
WOW Hall Award Winners
by Bob Fennessy
The Community Center for the Performing Arts is pleased to announce the official winners of the 23nd Annual WOW Hall Awards for 2016. Begun in 1994, the WOW Awards are designed to honor the public’s favorite performers of the past year. A ballot was published in the January issue of the WOW Hall Notes and a ballot box was available at the WOW Hall through February 16.
There were a bunch of new winners this year. Electro-swing pioneers High Step Society topped the poll for Favorite Local Band, keyboardist Melvin Seals was picked for Favorite Male Performer, beautiful Bonnie Paine of Elephant Revival was named Favorite Female Performer, funk band Lettuce was a big winner for best show (let us pray they return), all female band La Luz was the Best New Act and Soul Vibrator was the people’s choice for Best Band Name (where the double entendre rules). The only holdovers from 2015 were That 1 Guy as Best Instrumentalist (the 5th award for Mike Silverman and his one-of-a-kind instrument – The Magic Pipe) and the WOW Hall Membership Party for Best Nonmusical/Variety Event (4th time).
Congratulations to Maya Vagner for winning the $30 gift certificate. Maya’s choices were Girls Punch Bears, Watsky, Kelsey Wilson, That 1 Guy, MarchFourth, Witches Ball, The Crookes and Pigs on the Wing, respectively.
So here are the winners; each receives a certificate from the WOW Hall suitable for framing.
Favorite Local Band:
1. High Step Society
2. Vial…Experiment
3. Soul Vibrator
4. Hyding Jekyll
5. (tie) Egotones
Eugene City Barnstormers
Favorite Male Performer:
1. Melvin Seals
2. (tie) Buckethead
Del the Funky Homosapien
3. Aesop Rock
Favorite Female Performer:
1. Bonnie Paine
2. La Luz
3. Kelsey Wilson
4. (tie) CloZee
Susan Lucia
Best Instrumentalist:
1. That 1 Guy (magic pipe)
2. Melvin Seals (keys)
3. (tie) Buckethead (guitar)
Jeff Austin (mandolin)
4. Terry Bozzio
Best Musical Performance:
1. Lettuce
2. Elephant Revival
3. MarchFourth
4. La Luz / Snow White
Best Non-Musical/Variety Event:
1. WOW Hall Membership Party
2. Witches Ball
3. (tie) OCF Spring Fling
Wanderlust Circus
4. MarchFourth
Best New Act:
1. La Luz
2. Car Seat Headrest
3. Beat Crunchers
4. (tie) Louis the Child
Mandolin Orange
Best Band Name:
1. Soul Vibrator
2. STRFKR
3. Girls Punch Bears
4. $uicide Boy$
5. Hyding Jekyll
Here’s a review of the winners of past twenty-two years:
Favorite Local Band:
2015: Cherry Poppin’ Daddies
2014 Medium Troy
2013 Blue Lotus
2012 Sol Seed
2011 Medium Troy
2010 Medium Troy
2009 Medium Troy
2008 Cherry Poppin’ Daddies
2007 Medium Troy
2006 Reeble Jar
2005 Eleven Eyes
2004 StopSignGo
2003 The Sugar Beets
2002 The Sugar Beets
2001 Abakadubi
2000 Abakadubi
1999 Habaneros
1998 The Varicoasters
1997 Cherry Poppin’ Daddies
1996 Floater
1995 Cherry Poppin’ Daddies
1994 Cherry Poppin’ Daddies
Favorite Male Performer:
2015 That 1 Guy
2014 Aaron Carter
2013 Karl Denson
2012 Alcyon Massive
2011 Matisyahu
2010 Hank Williams III
2009 Jason Webley
2008 Bassnectar
2007 Jason Webley
2006 Andrew Bird
2005 Jello Biafra
2004 Marty Larsen-Xu (RnR Soldiers)
2003 Rob Wynia (Floater)
2002 Greg Brown
2001 Rob Wynia (Floater)
2000 Mike Watt
1999 Rob Wynia (Floater)
1998 Steve Perry (Cherry Poppin’ Daddies)
1997 Steve Perry (Cherry Poppin’ Daddies)
1996 Rob Wynia (Floater)
1995 Steve Perry (Cherry Poppin’ Daddies)
1994 Artis the Spoonman
Favorite Female Performer:
2015 Kimya Dawson
2014 Babes With Axes
2013 Brandelyn Rose (Blue Lotus)
2012 Norma Fraser
2011 Lynx
2010 Frazy Ford
2009 Katherine Whalen (Squirrel Nut Zippers)
2008 The Blow
2007 Juliette Lewis
2006 Neko Case
2005 Yako Onuki (Melt Banana)
2004 Bitch
2003 Jennifer Folker (Drumattica)
2002 Shelley Doty
2001 Laura Kemp
2000 Laura Kemp
1999 Iris Dement
1998 Carrie Akre (Goodness)
1997 Shelley Doty
1996 Lynette Knackstedt (Skankin’ Pickle)
1995 Shelley Doty (Jambay)
1994 Laura Kemp
Best Instrumentalist:
2015 That 1 Guy ( magic pipe)
2014 That 1 Guy (magic pipe)
2013 Felix Blades (guitar)
2012 Chris Wood (bass)
2011 Jason Webley (accordion)
2010 That 1 Guy (magic pipe)
2009 That 1 Guy (magic pipe)
2008 Buckethead (guitar)
2007 Steve Kimock (guitar)
2006 Buckethead (guitar)
2005 Dick Dale (guitar)
2004 Walker T. Ryan (guitar)
2003 Dick Dale (guitar)
2002 Dick Dale (guitar)
2001 Chick Corea (keyboard)
2000 Mike Watt (bass)
1999 Vassar Clements (fiddle)
1998 Mike Watt (bass)
Best Musical Performance/Show:
2015 Pigs on the Wing
2014 Bohemian Dub Ball
2013 STRFKR
2012 Cherry Poppin’ Daddies / Medium Troy
2011 Medium Troy / Synyrgy
2010 Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
2009 Medium Troy
2008 Floater
2007 Ratatat
2006 Built to Spill
2005 Flogging Molly
2004 Rock ‘n’ Roll Soldiers / White Hot Odyssey
2003 Floater
2002 GWAR
2001 Floater / King Black Acid
2000 Sugar Beets / Nectar Way
1999 Floater
1998 The Skatalites / Let’s Go Bowling
1997 The Skatalites / The Toasters
1996 Sky Cries Mary / Floater
1995 Pennywise
1994 Floater
Best Non-Musical or Variety Performance:
2015 WOW Hall Membership Party
2014 Doug Benson
2013 WOW Hall Membership Party
2012 WOW Hall Membership Party
2011 Doug Benson
2010 Yard Dogs Road Show
2009 GRRRLZ ROCK
2008 Buckethead Guitar Hero Challenge
2007 MC Chris & Transformers
2006 Yard Dogs Road Show
2005 Star Wars III with MC Chris
2004 Suicide Girls
2003 Chuck Palahniuk
2002 (Tie) Monsterama
Rummage Sale
2001 Young Women’s Theater Collective
2000 Bindlestiff Family Cirkus
1999 Young Women’s Theatre Collective
1998 Jello Biafra
Best New Act:
2015 Unknown Mortal Orchestra
2014 Garcia Birthday Band
2013 Shook Twins
2012 Blue Lotus
2011 Sol Seed
2010 Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk
2009 Portland Cello Project
2008 The T Club
2007 Devil Makes Three
2006 Band of Horses
2005 Reeble Jar
2004 Xiu Xiu
2003 The Ovulators
2002 Hell’s Belles
2001 Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer
2000 California Guitar Trio
1999 MeShell Ndegeocello
1998 Soul Function
1997 Young Women’s Ritual Theatre
1996 Ben Harper
1995 Trillian Green
1994 Floater
Best Band Name:
2015 Cherry Poppin’ Daddies
2014 The Cunninlynguists
2013 Conjugal Visitors
2012 Bad Mitten Orchestre
2011 Nashville Pussy
2010 Devil Makes Three
2009 The Cunninlynguists
2008 The Circle Jerks
2007 Conjugal Visitors
2006 Three Blind Mics
2005 !!!
2004 StopSignGo
2003 Eat !@#$ %^&*face
2002 Blasphemous Abnormality
2001 Abakadubi
2000 Sugar Beets
1999 Moth
1998 Cherry Poppin’ Daddies
1997 (tie) Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Save Ferris
1996 Trillian Green
1995 Sweaty Nipples
1994 Sweaty Nipples
