Pink Floyd Niagara named Tribute Band of the Year
Punkers mingled with hillbillies. Rappers chummed with rockers. And before the night was over, they all saluted Niagara's Polka King.
Niagara musicians partied well into the night for the second annual Niagara Music Awards Tuesday, capped by a Special Achievement Award for St. Catharines music giant Walter Ostanek. Even with the Order of Canada, three Grammy Awards and a star on Canada's Walk of Fame, Ostanek admitted he's still humbled by local recognition of his 52- year career.
"I don't take any of this lightly," he said. "I'm going to put (this one) on my mantel piece with one of the Grammys."
Relishing his role as the elder statesman of Niagara's music scene, he offered some advice for the potential next polka king: "Don't give up ... and try to have a day job, so you make enough money to pay your bills!"
Ostanek's award was one of the emotional highlights of the show, once again held at the Niagara Centre for the Performing Arts. Twenty-seven awards were handed out, recognizing everything from bar bands to world music.
Niagara's musicians were eager to celebrate their own.
"When I started writing music, I tried to meet everyone around here, and there was no one around," said St. Catharines rapper Femapco, who won Hip Hop Group of the Year. "Now, people are everywhere. People are proud of where they live. There's some element of creating a scene where you live."
Repeat winners from last year included Welland rockers The Guv'Nor Generals and Townline (formerly Oliver Black) singer Serena Pruyn.
"Our whole lives, we just wanted to be rock and rollers," said Guv'Nor Generals singer/guitarist Charles Horse. "It's nice to see (the awards) recognize the fact that's what we're doing."
Pruyn, one of Niagara's most popular rock singers, was shocked at winning Female Vocalist of the Year again.
"I didn't think it was going to happen," she said. "But it's really awesome. My heart's pumping a mile a minute."
After winning Group of the Year at last year's show, crowd favourites Pink Floyd Niagara took home Tribute Group of the Year.
"It's just great that people still like this music," said keyboardist Larry Swiercz.
The group, which has performed at the Niagara Centre for the Performing Arts the past two summers, hints it may hit the road this year.
There was also a huge cheering section for Welland's Oracle, the Jethro Tull tribute act, which won Best Bar Band.
Drummer Steve O'Brien said he was "blown away" by the submissions he heard for this year's awards.
"To hear the music coming out of Niagara, it's unbelievable," he says.
Tuesday's show saw 13 performances, including the
Crooked Trail Band, The Broken Lyre and Sukkapunch. All were winners
from last year's inaugural show.