Best Live Performer (Band) 16.69% Strut Train* 16.36% Blue Moon Boys* 14.69% Rosemary Gates 11.69% homeless j* 8.35% Might As Well* 2.17% Go Dog Go 2.00% The Agency 1.67% Northern Kind. Wailhounds 1.50% Gold Room, Third Frame 1.34% Blamie It On Rio, Chris & Paul, Shelley Dixon Band 1.17% Point of Departure, Unkyl Dadday Others with Votes: Sfumato (Black Tooth Grin), Rule Seven, David Todoran & The Mobile Homewreckers, Fawn Liebowitz, Freak Brothers, Ghost Galleon, Joey O. Band, Octopussy, The Beautys, Borrowed Time, Jettingham, Black Jack Shellac, Heavy Step, Industrial Strength, John Curran & Renegade, Matthew Street Band, Misfit Toys, The Rupert Bomb, Third Frame, Tito Discovery, White Trash Disco, Actual Size, Amethyst, Bel Airs, Corporate Circus, Dave Latchaw, Downbreed, Dream Evil, Einstein Savage, Fat Ass, Gravity, The Jury, Melissa Perkins Band, Mouthpiece, Nostalgia, Pop ‘N’ Fresh, Primetime Band, Sad Boy Trouble, Sarin, Stardust Dance Band, Sunny Taylor Band, Surface, Tri State Killing Spree, XS Force 2000 Winner: Blue Moon Boys 1999 Winner: Blue Moon Boys 1998 Winner: Blue Moon Boys 1997 Winner: Blue Moon Boys * On the ballot

When called upon to do the impossible, Strut Train came through. They were the first band in the five-year history of the Best of Readers Poll to unseat the Blue Moon Boys as Best Live Band, although the difference between the two was about as thin as Mr. whatzup’s bank account. Despite an amazing night of performances, it would be hard to name a band more deserving of the title. Strut Train also won the Best Hip Hop or Funk Band award. They were last year’s Performer of the Year. The lineup remains the same: Ian Mosher on trumpet; Matt Cashdollar on saxophone; Duane Alexander on bass; Tony Timms on bass and Dave Pagan, vocals and guitar. If anything, they’ve gotten better. The band has been at Soundmill Studios working on a new, yet-named CD scheduled for release in mid-summer. They’ve already written 11 of the 15 or so songs needed. Their debut CD, Aww Yeah! was last year’s Best Local CD/Rock. New management had them playing in northern Michigan last year, bringing their high-energy act to cities that could use it, such as Petoskey, Boyne Mt. and Traverse City. This year, they will join the Big Bottom Shakedown Tour, playing three dates with the likes of Freakbass and Rev. Right-Time & The First Cuzins of Funk. The tour will make a stop at Sneaky Pete’s, tentatively scheduled for March 23. Check out whatzup and the band’s newly reconstructed web site, www.struttrain.com for more information. The band is particularly proud of the web site. They are using it more for promoting themselves and loading it with MP.3 versions of Strut Train songs. It also will have a Strut Train video game for children of all ages. By the way, now is a great time to catch the Train before it pulls out of the station for more shows around the Midwest. Timms said the band has been playing more locally recently to raise hard cash for the new CD and a van in which to tour. Aww yeah, the life of a Whammy Award-winning band. You just can’t beat it.

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