The Ten Must-See Acts at the 2011 RFT Showcase

• Oh good grief, people.  Just go to the damn shows and quit whining.

• someone has obviously never seen a teddy p show!

• One of the "honorable mentions" will be followed up by a band in the same category who is going to completely annihilate them as far as live shows go.  This should be entertaining!

• I'm not sure I get your point, but there's a simple solution if you're concerned about the non-free-stage bands: buy a cheap $5 wristband and you can weave in and out of the venues all night.

• Again, we're writing up everyone. All the additional ways we are covering the Showcase online are designed to give a wide variety of entry points and information for people seeking out St. Louis music. As I have said before, the Showcase and Awards are designed to celebrate all the great music happening in this city. I do not think you should only see the bands listed above; I certainly won't. The voting has been happening for a month now -- if it's unfair to highlight certain acts on the assumption that the only way they could win is by swaying voters at our showcase, what of the 75+ bands who aren't playing at all for one reason or another? 

• It's concerning that in the interest of being non-objective and fair to all contestants your reply suggests by promoting the free stage artists in the exclusive write up's the possibility of being discovered or sought out on a payed venue maybe to a disadvantage to those nominated not playing to this advantage.   I realize that you are holding true to the online voting system as a basis for decision but how is an artist to sway a potential voter based upon their live performance from this event if you are already casting coverage on who as you described is a "possible starting point."

• We're publishing equally-weighted write ups on all 150+ nominees in next week's print edition. We're interviewing the folks playing the outdoor stage, not because they're necessarily our favorites, but because they are playing at the free stage and therefore may have the opportunity to be seen by people who haven't heard of them before. And the awards are entirely up to you -- the voting is all done online and I don't have any more say in who wins than you do.  This, as we said in the post, is designed to give you one way of narrowing down what you see at the showcase. There is no wrong answer, however. 

• This is not so much a showcase as much as it is a popularity contest with only promoting certain acts and giving exclusive interviews to the very same. I can gladly say I won't be attending the announcement party to hear the winners judging by the already published Top 10 "Winners Circle" listed above.

• AGREED. the hip hop set is gonna be THE SH#T! shout out to the force!

• Come see Cronus tonight if you like Jam rock!! http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=200709083304580

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