Asian Rock Band The Slants Sweeps Northwest Semi-Regional Finals in Bodog Music Battle of the Bands to Secure Place in TV Series
Portland, Oregon-based Asian outfit The Slants - Simon Young (bass), Aron (vocals), Jen Cho (keyboards), Gaijin (keyboards), AC (drums), and Jonathan (guitar) - have just won the third round of the second-ever Bodog Music Battle of the Bands. The Asian dance rock band will now be moving on to round four of the competition for an opportunity to win a million dollar recording contract.
So far in the competition, The Slants have obtained first place in every single round. However, it has not been an easy journey as they had the odds stacked against them from the beginning of the battle in Seattle.
"Half of our band was stranded on the way up to the show because of car problems," says founder and bassist Simon Young. "However, a close friend of ours saved the day when he decided to drove from Portland to pick them up-and they barely made it to the show on time! Furthermore, during the rush to get the other members up here, they left several pieces of key equipment - like drumsticks! Luckily, our friends in the band Silversafe were also performing and gave us enough to make it through."
Unlike most bands in the competition, a major portion of The Slants' fan base is made of proponents of Asian culture: appreciators of anime, manga, jrock, and games. In fact, a large portion of The Slants' tour duties include special performances at anime conventions such as Kumoricon, Sakuracon, MTAC, and others across the country.
The Asian media, a very supportive network, has also helped propel interest in The Slants, with publications such as The Asian Reporter, Asian Week, AA Press, and Shojo Beat Magazine doing features on them.
Keyboardist Gaijin adds that "I think what really helped us in this round was the support from the Asian and anime convention community. We had fans buying tickets from the East Coast, voting for us even though they couldn't come. And when we got there, several staff members from Kumoricon and Sakuracon (anime conventions in the Northwest) surprised us by showing up to show some love."
The band has also brought some new and innovative techniques to rally their fans together for the battle, such as creating a special website specifically dedicated to the competition: www.myspace.com/slantsrockbodog. At the site, fans can get instant updates, step-by-step instructions on how to vote for the band, and purchase tickets to each show.
The Slants will be performing in Los Angeles, CA on March 12, 2008 at The Avalon against several other contestants. To make the stakes higher, the show will be filmed for a reality television show. Winners will be selected from a panel of expert judges and industry guests, as well as votes from the audience and fans that have enlisted online.
In addition to future Bodog Music events, The Slants will begin an international tour in 2008, playing other Asian/anime conventions throughout the United Sates, Mexico, Canada, Taiwan, Japan, and Australia. They also plan to release a DVD documentary, a new limited edition E.P, and begin recording their next album before the end of the year.
So far in the competition, The Slants have obtained first place in every single round. However, it has not been an easy journey as they had the odds stacked against them from the beginning of the battle in Seattle.
"Half of our band was stranded on the way up to the show because of car problems," says founder and bassist Simon Young. "However, a close friend of ours saved the day when he decided to drove from Portland to pick them up-and they barely made it to the show on time! Furthermore, during the rush to get the other members up here, they left several pieces of key equipment - like drumsticks! Luckily, our friends in the band Silversafe were also performing and gave us enough to make it through."
Unlike most bands in the competition, a major portion of The Slants' fan base is made of proponents of Asian culture: appreciators of anime, manga, jrock, and games. In fact, a large portion of The Slants' tour duties include special performances at anime conventions such as Kumoricon, Sakuracon, MTAC, and others across the country.
The Asian media, a very supportive network, has also helped propel interest in The Slants, with publications such as The Asian Reporter, Asian Week, AA Press, and Shojo Beat Magazine doing features on them.
Keyboardist Gaijin adds that "I think what really helped us in this round was the support from the Asian and anime convention community. We had fans buying tickets from the East Coast, voting for us even though they couldn't come. And when we got there, several staff members from Kumoricon and Sakuracon (anime conventions in the Northwest) surprised us by showing up to show some love."
The band has also brought some new and innovative techniques to rally their fans together for the battle, such as creating a special website specifically dedicated to the competition: www.myspace.com/slantsrockbodog. At the site, fans can get instant updates, step-by-step instructions on how to vote for the band, and purchase tickets to each show.
The Slants will be performing in Los Angeles, CA on March 12, 2008 at The Avalon against several other contestants. To make the stakes higher, the show will be filmed for a reality television show. Winners will be selected from a panel of expert judges and industry guests, as well as votes from the audience and fans that have enlisted online.
In addition to future Bodog Music events, The Slants will begin an international tour in 2008, playing other Asian/anime conventions throughout the United Sates, Mexico, Canada, Taiwan, Japan, and Australia. They also plan to release a DVD documentary, a new limited edition E.P, and begin recording their next album before the end of the year.
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