‘M’ is for music

The glamour. The grandeur. The pomp and circumstance. OK, let’s call it what it really was—a good time with some kick-ass music performances.

It was the third year of this kooky little thing called the CAMMIES, the local music celebration modeled after the Sacramento News & Review’s 16-year-old SAMMIES. It’s an ever-evolving thing—we know what works in Sacto doesn’t necessarily work here in Chico. This year we wanted to create a more organic Chico experience—tweak it a bit, get the bands more involved, make it less stuffy.

The 2008 CAMMIES Awards Show was a classic (albeit, slightly larger) Chico event. We didn’t take ourselves too seriously. Longtime local musicians were deservedly given their due. And the performances were quality, and covered a lot of musical terrain. The rippin’ blues of opener Big Mo was followed later by Candy Apple’s ‘60s power pop. Then there was supreme playing by Groovediggers (which excellently slowed down the tempo) while Fallon tested KZFR’s delay button for the live broadcast.

The intimacy of the El Rey Theatre was also a welcome change to the more cavernous Senator. For some, it was their first glimpse into the old theater since it stopped showing movies in 2005, and showed that the El Rey could be the new hotspot for live music.

We couldn’t have asked for a better night. For those who missed it (or were sprawled out on the couch listening to their radios), take a look at what transpired.

See ya next year!