TOP ROCK BAND
TROLLS
TOP NEW ORIGINAL BAND
PAISLEY TEAZE
TOP TRIBUTE BAND
OZONE RANGERS
TOP ORIGINAL BAND
BEAT CITY
TOP ORIGINAL FEMALE VOCALIST
SUE KINCAID (Right) and KATHY MORIARTY
TOP NEW ROCK BAND
WUNDERLAND
TOP OLDIES BAND
BEBOPS
ORIGINAL ROCK BAND
RUNNER UP - IZZY REXX
POP ROCK BAND
RUNNER UP -
BRITTANY
ICE NINE
RUNNER UP TRIBUTE BAND
TWEEDS 1990
INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME
1990 BUFFALO MUSIC AWARDS
MANIKINS – PART 1 – DECEMBER, 1990
BUFFALO MUSIC AWARDS
BRINGS OUT THE BEST BANDS
Reprint: Buffalo News
by Dale Anderson
News Critic
“I love it. I always love this (stuff), “Frank Pusateri said with a grin in the lobby of Manikins nightclub on Sunday night.
Pusateri, flamboyant bassist with a group called Only Humen, had a good reason to be happy. He had just collected what he called his “reward,” a Buffalo Music Awards first-place plaque in the pop bassist category. It was the third straight year he’d won it.
Pusateri had turned out for the first night of this year’s Buffalo Music Awards (Part 2 begins at 8 tonight at Manikins) in the height of his on-stage regalia as a tropical party animal, complete with day-glo sunglasses and a broad-billed white cap.
But aside from an occasional kindred spirit like WXBX deejay Tina McMahon, making her last appearance as lead singer with the group Paisley Tease in a hot pink halter top and miniskirt, most of the others weren’t nearly as flashy. The dominate modes were black leather and black lace, sneakers and spike heels.
While tonight’s show will be the standard late-night, over 21 Buffalo Music Awards affair, Sunday evening, was designed to accommodate those previously left out – the teen-agers, the bands playing original music.
The original bands held forth with great élan. Late arrivals were told of a powerful performance by Beat City, a band dramatically revised since their signing to Amherst Records. Crash Pony, a group assembled after its debut album was recorded, played as if they’d known each other all their lives.
As for the all-age’s crowd, they were conspicuously absent. Midway through the evening, fewer than three dozen people had shown up who were too young to be fitted with a yellow plastic hospital bracelet, which qualified the wearer to be served alcoholic beverages at the bar.
Organizer Rick Falkowski was disappointed that the under-21 fans didn’t come. “It’s not something they didn’t know about, “he observed. “There was lots of publicity about it.”
Also less than successful was the Music Mart – displays by music retailers and recording studios in Manikins’ second floor banquet room. Staffers for Brockum, the concert T-shirt manufacturer, said it was considerably quieter than their warehouse sale at Sinbads two weeks ago.
As an extra edition of the big show tonight, however, it did all the things the Buffalo Music Awards usually do. It brought together scores of musicians and their fans to celebrate their best, to see one another and be seen.
Every musician was full of news about his latest project. Guitarist Dick Bauerle said his 60’s band, Pastime, had become a 70’s band. The guys who use to be Big Pond announced they were about to reappear as a group called Huge Hefner.
Nullstadt’s Kent Weber, his first-place award for Best Original Bassist tucked under his arm, reported that the band’s performance at tonight’s Buffalo Music Awards would be their first without keyboardist David Kane.
As usual, the musicians also had their gripes about the show. Most of them centered on the fact that the awards were bringing them out two nights in a row – Sunday for the original bands and the awards for individual players, tonight for previous award-winning groups, and for band awards.
Weber, however, was philosophical about his complaints. “You can moan and bitch about this affair, “he noted, “but it’s better than having nothing at all.”
In accepting their awards, most musicians gave the kind of speech actors give when confronted with an Oscar. Typical was drummer David Joel of Rockcandy: “Thank you Buffalo. Thank you to everybody in the group, everybody who voted for me and the Big Guy upstairs.”
Like the Oscars’ and the Grammies, winners of the Buffalo Music Awards are determined by ballots submitted by other people in the local music scene. First-place winners three years in a row are inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame, making them ineligible for further awards. Two of Sunday night’s winners qualified for Hall of Fame status next year – Only Humen’s Frank Pusateri and Dave Elder of Party Squad, tops in the pop-rock guitar category.
Sunday night’s winners and runners-up:
ORIGINAL DRUMMER
Greg Gizzi – Nullstadt/Them Jazzbeards
Andrew Case – Great Train Robbery
POP ROCK DRUMMER
Mike Cox – 33 West
Bruce Morgan – Only Humen
ROCK DRUMMER
Dave Dzialak – White Lies
David Joel – Rockcandy
ORIGINAL BASSIST
Kent Weber – Nullstadt /Fems
Paul Mordaunt – Standard
POP ROCK BASSIST
Frank Pusateri – Only Humen
Lew Reczak – Skin Tight
ROCK BASSIST
Guy Nichols – Trolls / Lost Angels
Joe Martucci – Armed & Dangerous
ORIGINAL KEYBOARDIST
Francis Preve – Beat Goes Bang
Jeff Mueller – Standard
POP ROCK KEYBOARDIST
Rick McGirr – Party Squad
Ned Wood – 33 West
ROCK KEYBOARDIST
Matt Young – Trolls / Lost Angels
Tracy Russell – Omega
SAXOPHONIST
Vince Fossitt – Great Train Robbery
Jack Prybylski – Them Jazzbeards
BLUES GUITARIST
Willy Haddath – Black Cat
Bob Falk – Tight Grip
ORIGINAL GUITARIST
Cage – Nullstadt
Tim Mordaunt
POP ROCK GUITARIST
Dave Elder – Party Squad
Ray Wood – Only Humen
ROCK GUITARIST
Michael Hund – Jamie Moses Band
Frank Grizanti – Omega
HARD ROCK GUITARIST
Joe Dzialak – White Lies
Kevin Blakita – Izzy Rexx
Mark Dixon
Tweeds
1990 BUFFALO MUSIC AWARDS
MANIKINS – PART 2 – DECEMBER, 1990
MUSIC AWARDS CLOSE WITH A BANG
SURPRISED LANCE DIAMOND NAMED DOUBLE WINNER
The Buffalo News
December 4, 1990
by Dale Anderson
News Critic
It was the old showman’s strategy – save the best for last – and it gave the second half of the two-part Buffalo Music Awards an extra rush of excitement.
Each of the ten former award-winning bands performing seemed more awesome than the one before, reaching a peak in Gamalon guitarist George Puleo’s jam with the Tweeds, followed by an incredible display of sonic intensity by Gamalon itself.
It impressed no less a figure than Dan Dokken, the heavy metal guitarist in town early for his show tonight at Sinbads. “They really blew me away,” he told awards organizer Rick Falkowski. “They were phenomenal.”
Two members of Trickster, the hot New Jersey band opening for Dan Dokken, handed out some awards. So did the California female heavy metal Quartet Vixen.
Making a promotional appearance, Vixen also turned in an impressive series of semi-acoustic songs, with their drummer playing bongos. The Trickster guys joined them through a long vamp through the Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil.”
Most astonished winner was lounge singer Lance Diamond, who took top honors for pop male vocalist and top 40 band. “This is one of those dreams come true, “he said as he accepted the band award. “I never thought I’d win this thing.”
Hall of Fame inductee Mark Dixon of Party Squad, having lost one of his dates to a Japanese-style karaoke sing-along show, used his acceptance speech to urge that karaoke “be kept in the happy hour and let Buffalo musicians work at night.”
Also getting a plaque for the first time were Rick and Marsha Falkowski. Presented by Don Tomasulo of WGR-FM (97 Rock) on behalf of the music community, it thanked them for 10 years of support and friendship.
Monday night’s awards winners and runner-ups:
ORIGINAL ROCK BAND
Rockcandy
Izzy Rexx
ROCK BAND
Trolls
Widow
NEW ROCK BAND
Wunderland
Silent Scream
CLASSIC ROCK BAND
Jamie Moses Band
Fat Brat
CLASSIC TOP 40 BAND
Party Squad
Only Humen
BLUES BAND
Willie May Band
Soul Invaders
TRIBUTE BAND
Ozone Rangers
Ice Nine
OLDIES BAND
Be Bops
Johnny Buick
POP ROCK BAND
33 West
Brittany
TOP 40 BAND
Lance Diamond Show
Skin Tight
ORIGINAL BAND
Beat City
Great Train Robbery
NEW ORIGINAL BAND
Paisley Tease
Jazzabels
HARD ROCK BAND
White Lies
Dragonfly
SOLO / ACOUSTIC
Joe Head
The Dooleys
GROUP VOCALS
The Road
Only Humen
ROCK MALE VOCALS
Joie Anes - Rockcandy
Calvin Nichols – Trolls/Lost Angels
ROCK FEMALE VOCALS
Donna Palmer – Widow
Dee Mari – Silent Scream
POP MALE VOCALS
Lance Diamond – Lance Diamond Show
Billy Martin – Hot Sauce
ORIGINAL MALE VOCALIST
Terry Sullivan – Terry & the Headhunters
James Stark – Beat Goes Bang
ORIGINAL FEMALE VOCALIST
Sue Kincaid – Beat City
Michel Weber – Solo
HALL OF FAME
Mark Dixon – Party Squad
The Tweeds
