It was like "The Oakridge Boys" with down syndrome.Was the VFW already booked that night?

I am, and have been an Indy Music Scene fan for years. I support all kinds of different musical talents and all genres. However, I want to point out that this is what the comment section is for. To voice your opinion on a particular person's article. The POINT TO THE WHOLE THING...was that Napier came in the middle of the last song of a 6 song set for Thrive and based his opinion on half of a song, yet was there for an entire set from Triptych and you guys (Moonshine Mason). These are Thrive's fans on here and Triptych's fans on here, speaking out about how they feel about an unfair article, when their bands were not entirely listened to. How can you form an opinion on something if you come in there with an already preconceived opinion of what genre of music you like? It's a little unprofessional to then admit that you came in late and then pass judgement on a band. None of Thrive's fans are worried about this causing problems for them. They are a great band! I am sure that Triptych feels the same. They should be the most upset out of everyone. They say any publicity is good publicity, but Triptych wasn't even mentioned in the article and they took a VERY close 2nd. We are not dogging the band that had comments made about them, but come on...be there and listen to every band and then write an article. Don't half ass it. It's ridiculous. Jeff Napier has been known to run in certain circles and only like certain genres of music and has dogged on others before as well...including a local promotions company...same deal with that. He also showed up late and formed an opinion. BE ON TIME NAPIER!!!!

I'd just like to take a moment and thak everyone who came out to Birdy's to see us play. There were those who drove from Lafayette and elsewhere, as well as some new Indy fans (we met playing Birdy's the firt time) who came to see us again. I'd also like to point out that we appreciate the talents of ALL the other musicians who put in the same (or more!) effort as us to perform the music they love in a critical environment. I've been performing live for over 20 years, and while I normally feel no apprehension or anxiety over playing a show these days, there is certainly more pressure than normal at these types of events, even for us "pros". I'd be lying if I said I enjoyed every band's music that I heard on Friday, but obviously not everyone enjoyed ours, either. To each his own. I'm admittedly flattered that Mr. Napier was willing to afford us such generous comments. Thank you for the recognition. However, had he taken the same opinion of our group as he did some of the others, it would certainly be easy for me to view him in the same light as those who have posted here. BUT, just as we do what we do to provide some relief from the daily grind in the form of entertainment, shouldn't Mr Napier's comments be viewed as entertainment as well? Like I said, not easy to do when the crticism's pointed at oneself (or a friend), but in the long run, what's the big deal? Thrive and Tryptic Cabin advanced to the next round, we received some great free publicity and made some new fans as well and Mr. Napier's work received lots of attention. Everybody wins!

Nothing has changed with this guy, so I'm not sure why we would be surprised. This is the same guy who always bashed The Why Store back when they were selling out The Vogue!! He had no talent then, and he sure as heck hasn't changed. His opinions are meant to get under people's skin on purpose. Don't get too upset.....he's just another dude.

Thanks to Ryan and Birdy's for having us. We had a great time and congrats go to Thrive and Triptych Cabin for advancing- they definitely deserved it. As a band coming down from Lafayette, we really enjoyed meeting lots of new people and making all sorts of great friends during the two times we played. We take coming in third place as a victory for us! Kenny Moonshine Mason and the Rot Gut Gang www.moonshinemasonandtherotgutgang.com

Jeff's life partner plays in Moonshine Mason and the Rot Gut Gang... no lie..the pedal steel guitarist. Can you say....Broke Back!!!

were ya running late? battle started at 8:30! did you not get the memo?!!!

Wow, Mr. Napier. If you were going to half-ass a review and not actually attend the show that you were likely getting paid to be present at (since presence is, after all, usually expected of one charged with reviewing something) you'd think that you might not have pointed out your negligence in the first sentence. At least he makes it easy for us to understand why this review is so bad. He's inept, and he clearly makes no effort to hide it.

I too walked into Birdy's in the midst of Thrive's set. I, unlike Mr. Napier, found that what I heard of their set was extremely good. Even though that is not my genre of choice, I truly loved it. I really liked their power ballad. It showed their diversity and that they were great musicians. I can't wait to hear them again. Triptych Cabin should definately have gotten some recognition in the article. Not only did they place second in that night in the battle, but they also had a great set. Was he the only one to not see the crowd having a great time? Did he not enjoy the set? Did he not hear the demands of an encore? I know that I saw the crowd having a great time. I know that I heard a great set. I know that I heard the demands for one more! I truly enjoy the battle because of the different types of music that is played. Even though Thrive and TC are two different types of bands, they both were great! I truly believe that the two best bands that I heard made it into the third round. I am also glad that Mr. Napier is not the sole judge and jury on what is considered great music. Thank you Thrive and Triptych Cabin for making Friday night's battle a great time! To Mr. Napier, maybe you should go to your link and learn how to listen to good music. Just an idea...

Mr. Napier, Sorry you didn't find the show as enjoyable as the rest of the crowd but the voting spoke for itself. Maybe you would be a little more comforable in Martinsville or Mooresville where I am sure they are putting on a country show that you could enjoy.

yeah!!! what they said!!! That music is so original it died out 50 years ago.They were entertaining for nostalgia's sake.What I did not understand was the underhanded complements. Listen, if you didn't like the music then state that.Obviously,Mr.Napier,has more covers to his book than pages, and for a "writer" that is not a good thing.

I would really like to say that I was offended by Napier's unfounded comments about Thrive; however, good sense precludes my saying that, as it is clear that anyone this rude and ignorant could only be doing it to get attention. I do not wish to play into his weak attempt at having a persona. Still, to admit that he only came in the middle of the last song and then wrote a scathing review of a band he hadn't even really listened to is preposterous, and, I would think, embarrassing for the writer. While I was not at the show, I did have the good fortune of being able to buy Thrive's CD. These are talented musicians whose music is as good as, if not better than, much of the music played on the radio today. In addition, their personality comes out through their music, and I don't believe their audience could be considered "contingent." It's bad enough Napier chooses to write a review of a band he hasn't heard, but in an awkward attempt to belittle the band as much as possible, he has to slam the fans just to lend himself some imaginary credence? Inexcusable.

I opened the nuvo today to casually read through it, and I found the article about the battle I attended last friday. After leaving that night, my friends and I were talking about how many good bands there were. There was a huge range of styles and talents displayed, and the crowd was treated to a great live show. This is not the impression one gets from reading this article. It sounds like there was one country band that was good, and the rest were not "worth paying attention to." My point is that the music scene in this town is better than most people realize. What we need to do is get more people into going out to see all the amazing bands that work tirelessly to provide entertainment. Unfortunately, this article does the opposite of this. Mr. Napier seems to me to be a critic who just demeans everything to create a false sense of superiority. He didn't even see thrive's soft song which was acoustic, melodic, and completely different than anything mentioned in his review. He shouldn't have even admitted that he was late. The worst part of the review was leaving out Triptych Cabin. Hello? Were you actually there? They were fantastic, and one of the many reasons I will attend future battles at Birdy's. Despite what you write in your paper, the music scene in indianapolis will continue to grow, and the people who are actually at the shows this idiot reviews will know how it really was.

Granted, everyone has the right to their opinion and I am huge fan of Thrive as well as other local bands, including Triptych Cabin. Hence the fact that there is always bias going on with this man who calls himself a "writer"...Thrive and Triptych are two totally different genres and they can't be compared when it comes to styles, etc...but each hold their own in their genres. There are many good bands in this city who don't get recognized, because the radio stations and NEWSPAPERS are only backing certain bands. It's sad really! I agree with the comment about Thrive being a great band below, but I disagree with the comment about Triptych Cabin...they deserve to be where they are as well in my opinion. The main focus here should be on a man who writes an article "unfair" at that, who has things to say about a great band, yet didn't even see the entire set. Who also didn't mention any other band in the battle that night, other than one and didn't even mention the band who came in second and moved on to the next round. What a waste of time and money for NUVO to send someone like this out, who really has no idea what real live music is all about!

I agree thrive is a great band, and you really can't review a band without seeing the entire set. By the way, if you're writing a piece on a certain event, should you not be there on time to catch the enitre thing? As for Tryptic Cabin, I don't know how they've gotten this far. And the Cowboy outfits! Who let those guys in?

I myself am not an "English" major either, so thanks for looking that up. How in God's name did you feel like death or dying or that Thrive was a stagnant band, when you listened to their music? YOU ONLY CAUGHT THE LAST SONG OF THE SET, which ironically was a song called "determined!" You said it yourself that you got there at the end of their set. Give me a break? This is ridiculous. We read NUVO to hear about the live music and Arts in Indianapolis and the diversity in it, not to hear one persons' opinion on a set that they barely heard any of and who is obviously not an open minded person when it comes to live music? Where were you the rest of the show Mr. Napier? WOW! This is sad for NUVO, very sad. Steve Hammer...now that man knows how to do a review article, instead of a clearly opinion based article. GIVE ME A BREAK NUVO!!!! You seriously have this guy on your payroll?

LMAO, maybe you weren't even in Birdy's that night or have never even been in Birdy's. "suburban" is the exact OPPOSITE of pretty much anything or anyone I've ever seen in Birdy's over the last DECADE.

You have got to be kidding me. Hey Jeff you must know more than anyone else in the bar that night huh? Get a clue.. Sorry open your tiny ass little redneck mind and get an open minded clue. Fan votes= Thrive 504, Tryptich Cabin 444, Moonshine Mason 278. Hmmm, hooked on phonics tells you that 278 is Barely over HALF the votes the 1st and 2nd place bands received. Judges Votes= Thrive 251, Tryptich Cabin 251, Moonshine Mason 167. Hmmm, hooked on phonics will tell you this also reads Moonshine mason was "slightly" behind in the judges votes. To continue. Are you flippin serious! You state the only band worth watching is a band dressed up in matching Cowboy outfits and who's BEST SONG IS A COVER!@!!!$!#$@!#$! Who ever wrote the politics comment is dead on spot. You should be writing about politics with such a tiny brain and closed mind. Tryptich Cabin is not even mentioned in your attempt at an article and as seen above, destroyed moonshine in both fans and judges. As far as your comment to a funky line dance, hmmm.. was there ANYONE dancing to moonshine mason? Oh wait, maybe there was.. there mom's and dad's, and maybe their cousins and 2nd cousins? Couldn't be much more than that with a whopping 27 out of 200 first place votes.

Ok, so apparently Moonshine Mason and the Rot Gut Gang is one band, but at least put band names in quotes or something so those of us who have never heard of the band before can know that this is one band, and not two! UGH!

I'm curious that Jeff Napier's review contained so much detail about the band Thrive's set, when he states himself that he arrived when they were "finishing up." Jeff has a right to his opinion as any of us do, but I'm disappointed that he felt that he had enough exposure to this band's set to provide such a detailed review, when obviously he saw only a small portion of their performance. And to classify the entire set as "moribund" when he heard only a song or two is an unfair assessment of a musically diverse, 25-minute set. I wish this review focused on the music Jeff heard and the bands he saw perform instead of extrapolating a conclusion from a brief encounter and ripping on fans. Indy's local music scene isn't as robust as we all wish it where, and I don't see how slamming the fans supports an encouraging atmosphere for live music. I now know how much credibility to give Jeff's future reviews based on his approach to this one.

I attended the Battle of the Bands on the 21st. I don't believe your review of Thrive's set correctly reflected what this band and the band members are all about. This is a set of guys who truly love what they do and they do it well. This is why they won. I'm sure they were there to win, as would anyone there, but they interact with the crowd, love their fans, and they also do local fundraisers. However, I'm sure they appreciate the only compliment you gave them by comparing them to TOOL. While everyone is entitled to their opinion, it would have been a less abrasive review if would have focused on the music and not what their fans were doing in the crowd.

Wow, clearly this is an opinion column rather than a review column. 1) First of all, not being an English major,I had to look up what "moribund" meant: mor·i·bund [mawr-uh-buhnd, mor-] –adjective 1. in a dying state; near death. 2. on the verge of extinction or termination. 3. not progressing or advancing; stagnant: a moribund political party. Must say, wrong adjective to describe Thrive here, as Mr. Napier clearly contradicts himself in the next couple of sentences by also using words such as "rabid", "freaky", "aggressive", "sappy", and "funky" to describe Thrive's music. I'm just not sure how Napier can relate any of these words to "approaching death". If this is how death approaches, bring it on!! 2) Where is the mention of the second place band, Triptych Cabin, who also had a VERY tight, well played set? How can you do a review and leave bands out entirely? Mr. Napier must have been too busy at the bar getting wasted in order to prepare for the bands that followed Triptych. 3) Which band is Jeff writing about, Moonshine Mason, or Rot Gut Gang? A decent writer would clarify, after mentioning both in the first sentence of the second paragraph. Come on NUVO!!

Well if you had heard all of Thrive's set you would know that these guys were worthy of winning that night! And where is it mentioned about Triptych Cabin who got 2nd??? Hmm...I guess your fetish for cowboy outfits is more than what and how the band sings??? I guess this is why Bunny Wabbit won last year! They were horrible and weren't even close in caliber to the other bands that played! Thrive is a great band and so is Triptych Cabin...who moved on to the next round with Thrive...DESERVINGLY I MIGHT ADD!!!!!! If you saw the crowd for Thrive and Triptych it was more than any other band because all of us know what good music is!!!! Please get a clue!!!! These other bands that you mention, Moonshine Mason and the Rot Gut Gang, were not good enough to make it to the next round...Thrive and Triptych are better bands AND are great guys! And as far as your line dancing comment...yea I was in on that and that's just how we roll! Did you by chance see how many people were wearing THRIVE shirts or who were up dancing because they play great music! Thank goodness the FANS actually had the voting edge, as it should be! WE PAY THE COVERS TO COME SEE THE BANDS WE LIKE AND VOTE FOR THEM ACCORDINGLY! Just because you write articles in NUVO doesn't make you an expert in music!!!!! I guess we showed NUVO how it was done by getting THE BEST BANDS THRU!!!!!! Keep up the good work genious! Nissa

I have one question. Did you even see Thrive's entire set? Also, did you happen to catch the band that took 2nd that night, by the name of Triptych Cabin? Yeah, they played right after THRIVE. I'm just curious about this, because it seems as though you have one style of music that you lean towards when it comes to winning you over. Almost every article you write that I have read seems to have a negative comment about someone. Do you know the amount of work that it takes for these bands to do what they do or the blood and sweat they put into preparing for a show like this where they are being judged? I am confused by your thinking Mr. Napier. How do you come to the conclusion that the "country" band was the only band of the night worth listening too? Seems to me that the bands with the two biggest crowds of people, who I know had people drive in from out of town to see them, were obviously well worth watching that night, it shows in the judges scores and the fan votes, doesn't it? You only saw the last song of the night for Thrive and you didn't even mention the 2nd best kick ass set that was done that night by Triptych Cabin. Were you off in another room getting high while they were playing or something? Granted, the "country" band was tight and good for their genre of music...which brings me to another subject. Genres...it seems as though you only like bands like the rot gug gang and oh...wait, was it The Shake Ups that you wrote about in an article once before that I read? Why is it that no other bands in this town gets a chance, except for the Stereo Deluxe's and the Virgin Millionaires? I mean you compared Thrive to being a mix of sound such as TOOL and Three Doors Down. Is that not good music? It seems to me as though NUVO is very picky and choosey about who they write articles for when it comes to music and then they send people like you out to do a write up on music, which you obviously have huge bias about. The top bands took 1st and 2nd place that night and it will show as well in the coming rounds. You would really be better at writing about politics, because that's chalked full of a bunch of people who have no idea what they are talking about half the time.