Who’s your Sammies?

Local emcee Task1ne should have won the Most Audacious Performance of 2010 award at this past Saturday’s Sammies Block Party and Music Extravaganza in Midtown.

The sun had long set and, just a few ticks after 8 p.m., Task joined DJ Rated R and other local deejays and emcees on the main stage for Joints & Jams, a hip-hop showcase. Task dissed the region’s other awards show, spit rhymes and then—as the crowd raised its hands and hollered in approval—pulled his shirt off and continued with his ferocious set.

SN&R contributor Josh Fernandez posted on Twitter: “Task1ne is a crazy beast who should be kept in a cage.”

Sammies 2010 also taught the thousands-strong crowd—who enjoyed beers, a circus theme and live tunes along the R Street Corridor near Shady Lady Saloon and R15—that, when it comes to the local music scene, the caged bird doesn’t sing, it screams. And that Sacramento’s best skies definitely appear in the autumn.

Confused? OK, some clarity: Sacramento singer-songwriter Autumn Sky and melodic post-hardcore six-piece A Lot Like Birds were the big winners at the 19th annual Sacramento Area Music Awards, taking home two awards each.

Autumn Sky won the biggest kudos of the evening, Readers’ Choice award, and also took home some hardware for Outstanding Singer-Songwriter, barely edging out previous winner Be Brave Bold Robot.

Autumn Sky handily won the Readers’ Choice award with 197 votes.

A Lot Like Birds—featuring musicians Michael Littlefield on bass, Michael Franzino on vocals/guitar, Ben Wiacek on guitar, Athena Koumis on violin, Cory Lockwood on “screams” and Joe Arrington on drums—were the surprise winners of the night, taking home awards not only for Outstanding Screamo/Post-hardcore act, but also winning the 2010 Outstanding Album/Release award, along with their producer, Jack O’Donnell.

The group’s album, titled Plan B and released this past spring, can be downloaded for free on the band’s Facebook page. A Lot Like Birds edged out Musical Charis’ People, People and DLRN’s The Bridge for the record-of-the-year nod.

The 2010 Sammies Block Party and Music Extravaganza took place from 6 to 10 p.m. between 14th and 15th streets on Second Saturday and was hosted by local musicians Adam Saake and TAIS. Restaurants along the block, such as Magpie Caterers Market and Cafe, offered Sammies-themed menus, and Burgers and Brew even grilled up a special Sammies hamburger.

Other winners included the CUF, who was at the party to accept its well-deserved induction into SN&R’s Sammies Hall of Fame, along with other HOF winners the Secretions and 7Seconds.

And the No. 1 Sammies vote getter of the year was local funk outfit the Nibblers, who raked in 221 votes and won the Outstanding Funk/Soul/R&B category.

In other close races, Aaron King edged out the Hucklebucks for the Outstanding Blues award, the Nickel Slots and Whiskey Dawn tied for Outstanding Country/Americana (which was a very close category all around), Tainted Love barely beat Children of the Grave and Steelin’ Dan for Best Cover Band (the first year for this category), Random Abiladeze took the prize over Izreal and A.R.A.B. to repeat as Outstanding Emcee, Kate Gaffney slipped past Blvd Park for Outstanding Folk, Sister Crayon took Outstanding Indie by two votes over Lite Brite, and Another Damn Disappointment was two up on Final Summation for Outstanding Punk.

In the hotly contested Outstanding Hip-Hop Producer category, first-time winner Goldfingaz took the award just ahead of Jon Reyes and J-Intell, who tied for second.

And in the Outstanding Teen Band category, girl duo Dog Party won its first Sammies award.

DJ Rated R won his first solo Sammies for Outstanding Turntablist; Tha Fruitbat and DJ Whores both won for the second year straight; and Walking Spanish, Kill the Precedent, Hoods, Tera Melos, Tribe of Levi and Zuhg all won for the first time.

In total, 35 Sacramento Area Music Awards were dished out this year and nearly 2,000 votes were cast.

2010 Sammies Hall of Fame
The CUF

2010 Sammies Hall of Fame
The Secretions

2010 Sammies Hall of Fame
7Seconds

2010 Readers Choice Award
Autumn Sky

Outstanding Album/Release
Plan B produced by A Lot Like Birds and Jack O’Donnell

Outstanding Blues
Aaron King

Outstanding Cover Band
Tainted Love

Outstanding Country/Americana
Whiskey Dawn

Outstanding Country/Americana
The Nickel Slots

Outstanding Dance Night
Fuck Fridays at TownHouse Lounge with DJ Shaun Slaughter

Outstanding Deejay
DJ Whores

Outstanding Electronic
Tha Fruitbat

Outstanding Emcee
Random Abiladeze

Outstanding Experimental
Tera Melos

Outstanding Folk
Kate Gaffney

Outstanding Funk/Soul/R&B
The Nibblers

Outstanding Hardcore
Hoods

Outstanding Hard Rock/Alternative
Track Fighter

Outstanding Hip-Hop/Rap
Tribe of Levi

Outstanding Hip-Hop Producer
Goldfingaz

Outstanding Indie
Sister Crayon

Outstanding Indie/Electro/Progressive
The New Humans

Outstanding Industrial Rock
Kill the Precedent

Outstanding Jazz
Harley White Jr.

Outstanding Latin
Sol Peligro

Outstanding Metal
KnifeThruHead

Outstanding Pop
Pets

Outstanding Punk
Another Damn Disappointment

Outstanding Reggae/Jam/Roots
Zuhg

Favorite Reunion
Oleander

Outstanding Rock
Walking Spanish

Outstanding Screamo/Post-Hardcore
A Lot Like Birds

Outstanding Singer-Songwriter
Autumn Sky

Outstanding Teen Band
Dog Party

Outstanding Turntablist
DJ Rated R