Orange County Music Awards

Dusty Rhodes and the River Band Photo credit: Ana Gibert

Monday, March 7 - Orange County honored its local musicians at the Grove in Anaheim on Saturday night during the 9^th annual OC Music Awards, a show highlighted by live performances from up-and-coming bands like Melanoid, BLOK, the Steelwells and the night’s big winner, Dusty Rhodes and the River Band.

After picking up their third win of the evening for best rock band, Dusty Rhodes and the River Band’s quirky lead singer Dusty Apocada decided he had been remiss in thanking his parents.

“Thanks for letting me live in your garage Mom and Dad,” said Apocada, followed by a short pause. “I’m 27 years old. It’s cool.”

The Steelwells lead singer Joey Winters picked up the thread during his acceptance speech for best song with single “El Capitan.”

“Dusty, I’ve got you beat,” he said. “I’m 30 and I’m still at my parents.”

Fortunately, Dusty and his band mates received a financial boost from winning best live band, a category accompanied by $2,500 in gear from Fender and a four-day recording session at Red Bull Studios. Billy Kernkamp and his band also earned the same prize package for taking home best live acoustic band.

Several of the live acts earned additional praise from one of the evening’s luminaries, Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath.

“I’m just humbled and blown away by the talent I’ve seen onstage tonight,” said McGrath. “I think Dusty might be my new favorite person. BLOK (an electro/hip-hop sibling trio) might be my favorite performance tonight. You guys rule. The Steelwells were unbelievable.”

Known for smash hits “Fly” and “Every Morning,” Sugar Ray received the OC Impact Award for their contributions to the industry and their work with the non-profit charity Music for a Cure, which brings music and it’s healing effects to critically ill children by providing instruments and supporting music therapy at local children’s hospitals.

Sugar Ray accepts the OC Impact Award Photo credit: Ana Gibert

And as McGrath reminded the room full of mostly starving artists, there’s no shame in living at home

“I started this band 22 years ago in my mom’s garage in Newport Beach and we’d play Judas Priest and Blondie songs around a keg,” he shared.

The established artist also offered up some advice and inspiration.

“We heard a million no’s,” said McGrath. “If you can’t hear, ‘You suck,’ split up right now.

“We’ve written these songs together and all of the other stuff goes away but the music stays around. That’s what makes us proud. Orange County, we are proud to be from here.”

The evening also recognized music contributors that the Orange County community lost last year, including Leo Fender's longtime associate George Fullerton, Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan of Avenged Sevenfold and Lit drummer Allen Shellenberger, who passed away in August from a malignant brain tumor.

The platinum-selling recording artists were on hand to play a touching acoustic tribute to their late band mate with “Here’s to Us,” a song written just days prior to Shellenberger’s diagnosis.   

The Dirty Heads closed out the evening on an upbeat note with new single “Lay Me Down,” featuring Rome from Sublime with Rome. The song has recently received significant radio play on Los Angeles’ KROQ.

The complete list of winners:

Best Surf: The Growlers
Best Electronic: Electric Valentine
Best Punk: The Adolescents
Best Jazz: Translucent Ham Sandwich Band
Best Folk: Yellow Red Sparks
Best Live Acoustic: Billy Kernkamp
Best Hip Hop: BLOK
Best Blues: Roman Alexander and The Robbery
Best Country Americana: Dusty Rhodes and The River Band
Lifetime Achievement: Jim Washburn
Best Indie: The New Limb
Best Alternative: Sterofix
Best Club DJ: Free The Robots
Best Pop: Stacy Clark
Best Metal: Atreyu
Best Live Band: Dusty Rhodes and The River Band
Best Latin: Boogaloo Assassins
Best World: The Dirty Heads
Best Rock: Dusty Rhodes and The River Band
Best New Artist: The Steelwells
Peoples Choice: Duress
Impact Award: Sugar Ray
Best Song: The Steelwells
Best Album: Thrice/Beggars