Brothers Lounge’s Battle of the Unsigned Bands has been going strong for the past six weeks. Every Thursday, three bands compete in front of a panel of three judges; one band wins and advances to the semi-finals. Last night, the first of two semi-finals took place. The three bands competing came from all over the state and included Columbus’ Josh Krajick Band, Cleveland’s Rob Dusky and the Rounders and Alliance’s Townhouse Suite.
Josh Krajick (pictured) kicked things off with a stellar set. The unkempt Krajick looks like he could use a shave and a shower, but he’s got a great, soulful voice and can play the heck out of a guitar. Clearly influenced by classic rock, he plays with enough passion to overcome the traditional nature of his blues-based material.
Next up, Rob Dusky and his band delivered a solid set that got better the longer the band played. Clearly the audience favorite of the night, Dusky and his Rounders came off as a good jam band, capable of delivering harmony vocals and jingle-jangle melodies that have rightfully drawn comparisons to Rusted Root.
Townhouse Suite played last and cleared the room with a loud, aggressive set. At their best, the guys recalled the refined metal of a band like System of a Down. They occasionally settled for a rote nu-metal sound, but their musicianship was distinguished enough to make them worthy competition for Krajick and Dusky.
Though it was a close call, Krajick ended up winning and will return to play the club on May 28 against next week’s winner. — Jeff Niesel
This article appears in May 13-19, 2009.
Why do you mention how he looks? Life is like a box of chocolates-you never know what you get inside. We know what is inside of Josh Krajcik, pure, heart and soul. The simple truth.