2005 Best Punk Performer

32.35% Tri-State Killing Spree* 27.94% Take Sides* 18.20% Friday the 13th* 15.07% Impact* 2.57% Color by Numbers Others with Votes: Blame It on Rio, Grave Robber, Migraines, Made to Change, Systematic Overthrow 2004 Winner: Tri-State Killing Spree 2003 Winner: The Migraines 2002 Winner: The Migraines 2001 Winner: n/a 2000 Winner: n/a 1999 Winner: n/a 1998 Winner: n/a 1997 Winner: n/a * On the ballot

Some people are never satisfied. Take Pete Dio, the drummer for Tri-State Killing Spree. Moments after accepting the Whammy for Best Punk Performer, Dio was complaining - no, it was more a qualification than a complaint - was qualifying the win. "It’s nice, but it is not a well-balanced nomination," he said. "What do you mean?" I asked him. "There are better punk bands than us that didn’t get nominated," Dio said. "Like River Bottom Nightmare." "Well, whose fault is that?" I asked. The answer Dio gave sums up the spirit of punk. "The punk community," he said. "It’s underground." The punk community doesn’t concern itself much with conventions of above-ground society. Things like nominating punk bands for awards goes against what punk is all about. Last year, after winning the same award, Killing Spree front man Kevin Roulette said it was a long time coming. Until last year, Tri-State Killing Spree had not been on the ballot. Ever. There were, however, lots of write-ins for Killing Spree. In 2002, punk winners The Migraines thought Tri-State Killing Spree, who were, of course, not nominated, should have won. Next year, look for River Bottom Nightmare to get nominated and win. Just a prediction based on an emerging pattern. But for now, all eyes, punk and non-punk, are aimed at Tri-State Killing Spree. And that’s as it should be. I guess. I mean, Tri-State Killing Spree have been around for a long time. Roulette started the band in 1989, because there were no punk bands in town at that time. The current lineup - Dio, Roulette, Eddie Emo and Bill Ankenbruck - is different than last year’s. Another difference this year is the six-inch long wound on Roulette’s left forearm. It is a wound Roulette inflicted upon himself recently, on stage, at a gig, in a fit of being Kevin Roulette. It is an impressive wound and the zipper of stitches that closed it will leave a nice scar he can tell his grandkids about. Far more impressive than a couple of Whammy awards, in a punk kind of way.

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