WOW Hall Awards
CCPA Announces WOW Hall Award Winners for 2018
by Bob Fennessy
Eugene’s Community Center for the Performing Arts is pleased to announce the official winners of the 25th Annual WOW Hall Awards for 2018. 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 December issue of the WOW Hall Notes and a ballot box was available at the WOW Hall through February 17. Eugene psycho-surf rockers Egotones were first-time award winners as Favorite Local Band. For the third year in a row, keyboardist Melvin Seals won as Favorite Male Performer. Melvin performed here with Terrapin Flyer (2/16) and The Rock Collection (5/11). Eugene-raised but now NYC-based songstress Michelle Zauner aka Japanese Breakfast won a landslide victory as Favorite Female Performer. And wonder of wonders Mike Silverman aka That 1 Guy picked up his sixth award for Best Instrumentalist.
Named Best Show was the album release party for Floater. Floater won the very first WOW Hall Award in this category (they were also named Best New Act for 1994) and altogether has won it seven times! The award for Best Non-Musical or Variety event went to the WOW Hall Membership Party for the 5th time. The Almond Butters Band, who performed at said event, were named Best New Act. And the hotly contested award for Best Band Name when to Scotland’s We Were Promised Jetpacks.
So here are the winners; each receives a certificate from the WOW Hall suitable for framing.
Favorite Local Band:
1. Egotones
2. Marv Ellis & WE Tribe
3. (tie) Beat Crunchers
Critical Shakes
Pancho + The Factory
Favorite Male Performer:
1. Melvin Seals
2. That 1 Guy
3. (tie) Baths
Marty Chilla
Rob Wynia
Favorite Female Performer:
1. Japanese Breakfast
2. Kimya Dawson
3. Elizabeth Cable
4. (tie) Caitlin Jemma
Jah9
Best Instrumentalist:
1. That 1 Guy (magic pipe)
2. Melvin Seals (keys)
3. Krist Novoselic (bass)
4. Terry Bozzio (drums)
Best Musical Performance:
1. Floater
2. Beatles vs Stones
3. (tie) The Garcia Project
Kikagaku Moyo
4. (tie) Japanese Breakfast
Terrapin Flyer
Best Non-Musical/Variety Event:
1. WOW Hall Membership Party
2. (tie) Music’s Edge Rock Camp
WOW Hall Rummage Sale
3. Coalessence Ecstatic Dance
Best New Act:
1. The Almond Butters Band
2. LDW
3. (tie) Bleep Bloop
Japanese Breakfast
4. (tie) Fellowship of the Wing
G Jones
Best Band Name:
1. We Were Promised Jetpacks
2. LSD & The Search For God
3. Girls Punch Bears
4. Why?
Here’s a review of the winners of past twenty-three years:
Favorite Local Band:
2017 High Step Society
2016 High Step Society
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:
2017 Melvin Seals
2016 Melvin Seals
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:
2017 SZA
2016 Bonnie Payne (Elephant Revival
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:
2017 Melvin Seals (keys)
2016 That 1 Guy (magic pipe)
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:
2017 High Step Society/Soul Vibrator
2016 Lettuce
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:
2017 WOW Hall Volunteer Party
2016 WOW Hall Membership Party
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:
2017 The Garcia Project
2016 La Luz
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:
2017 Leftover Crack
2016 Soul Vibrator
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
