Historians may pinpoint the moment when the crowd at the first whatzup Best of 2000 Readers Poll Awards show February 15 rushed the stage shouting, “one more set!” after Strut Train’s high-energy show-closing performance.

It took only a few minutes to get their wish.

Moments after Strut Train’s midnight set, the Fort Wayne band received the final Whammy of the night, for Performer of the Year.

It was a fitting end to the four-hour-plus show at Columbia Street West that honored the winners of whatzup’s annual Best of Readers Poll. Earlier in the evening, Strut Train also won a Whammy for best R&B/Hip Hop/Funk Band and a Whammy for CD/Rock, for Aww Yeah. That tied them with Sunny Taylor who also won three Whammies, for Pop Perfomer/Solo or Band, Acoustic Performer and Live Perfomer/Solo.

Strut Train had been scheduled to return to the stage after the award was announced — but winning also seemed to pump up the crowd and the band. As if to reward fans and celebrate their victories, the five-member band launched into a blistering second set that brought a long but high-energy evening to a close, at one point flipping one of their CDs into the air before cooler heads and visions of lawsuits prevailed.

The first live awards show in whatzup’s four-year Best of Readers Poll history was hosted by Dean Robison, whatzup media columnist and host of “Scene Machine” on Comcast Channel 57. He ably held the evening together, an evening which included performances by nine bands or solo acts, providing — probably for the first time — a fascinating cross-section of the best of the northeast Indiana music scene under one roof.

Performers that evening, a number of whom were also Whammy winners, were: David Todoran and the Mobile Homewreckers; Francie Zucco w/Ken Jehle and Free Time; Northern Kind; Michael Schwarte; Rosemary Gates; Shelly Dixon and Melissa; Perkins; The Chronics; Sunny Taylor and Matt Sturm; and Strut Train.

After reading this lineup, if you missed the show and are now kicking yourself, don’t fret; just plan to attend next year’s Best of Awards Show.

In all, 39 awards were given, based on the voting of whatzup’s readers in the entertainment magazine’s Best of 2000 Readers Poll. Over 1,000 readers voted, either by filling out a ballot or on-line at the whaztup’s website.

About 600 people crowded into the back room at Columbia Street West to hear favorite performers and to find out who would win the coveted Whammy awards. The Whammy award, designed by Robinson, is a silver LP with the award winner’s name on it.

“We wanted to bring the first Best of Awards Show to Columbia Street West because this is such a great venue for music,” said an exhausted but exhilarated Mr. whatzup, making his most visible public appearance ever in a curiously conservative suit and tie. “Columbia Street owner John Freistroffer was the first club owner to get hehind whatzup, and we knew from the beginning we wanted to be here.”

Terry Ratliff, Visual Artist of the Year, was commissioned by whaztup to create an original painting of Performers of the Year Strut Train, which appears on this week’s cover.

Stan Liddell, owner of Piere’s Entertainment Centre, won the first Special Achievement Whammy Award for his work in making Piere’s a preeminent music venue, not only in the midwest, but nationally as well.

A number of the races (the voting lasted for two months) were extremely close, according to Mr. whatzup. Close or not, all the winners were remarkably enthusiastic when their names were announced. Even jaded whaztup staff members were touched by the obviously deep meaning the newly created Whammy held for the winners. As an indication of the mutually supportive feeling among local musicians, acceptance speeches invariably included mentions of other nominees in that category as being just as deserving.

Mr. whatzup was joined onstage by a number of celebrity presenters, including Doc West, Jack Hammer, Kevin Ferguson, Sandy Golden, Jim Gebhart, JJ Fabini, Michael Dean, Marc Engel, Brian Lemert and Mark Melchi. Jason Hoffman, whatzup columnist, played the accordian and sang in a, uh, very unique style.