Scene Cleveland Music Awards 2006

The Vacancies' vintage sound is no-bullshit rock and roll. And they're learning from a master: The tattooed sensations signed to Joan Jett's Blackheart Records for their album A Beat Missing or a Silence Added. The band is on tour with Boston's Street Dogs and old-school Cali-punk legends the Adolescents. -- Ferris

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Best DJ/ Electronic
At 29, Deviant has compiled a lifetime's worth of credentials. Which is why he was chosen for inclusion in the Balance Record Pool, a collective of the top 40 progressive DJs in North America. His latest release, "That Marijuana Track," was a top-selling internet hit. Meanwhile, Deviant stays busy composing original tracks and remixes while spinning at Abasso.

Jugoe knows how to bring downtempo out of the chill-out room and onto the dance floor. Known as Jude Goergen to his mother, the DJ is still getting rave reviews from underground heads for 2005's The Rustbelt EP. Residencies at the Lava Lounge and the Mercury Lounge continue to elevate his profile.

Mick Boogie is one of Cleveland's hottest exports. The ace hip-hop DJ is the Midwest's go-to guy for hellified mixtapes of heavyweights like Mobb Deep, Kanye West, and Busta Rhymes. Boogie also hosts the successful League Crew Radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio and moonlights during basketball season as the official DJ of the Cavaliers.

The variety emanating from Misterbradleyp's turntables keeps clubgoers on their toes. The DJ has two residency gigs at Fusion, spinning reggae on Wednesdays and downtempo, deep house, and Latin rhythms on Thursdays. Misterbradleyp also teams with Jugoe for the monthly Nitty Gritty party at the Touch Supper Club.

The members of Whitechapel modestly claimed to be better drinkers than musicians. Over two years, the constantly gigging band has released three stellar EPs and a well-received full-length, Under a Grey Sky, before disbanding a couple months ago. Unlike many bands with New Order and Joy Division obsessions, Whitechapel's dance-rock sounded fresh and forward-thinking. RIP. -- Matt Gorey

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Best Concert
The Life and Music of Sam Cooke (State Theatre, November 5-6, 2005): The Rock Hall tribute shows are always a good time, and this kind of event offers the potential to lure more people to Cleveland. This year's festivities paid tribute to the legacy of Sam Cooke, best known for his 1957 hit "You Send Me." The shows featured a diverse bill, from Elvis Costello to Aretha Franklin, and sadly, hosted the last area appearance for Lou Rawls, who died in January.

Coldplay and Richard Ashcroft (Quicken Loans Arena, March 20, 2006): Coldplay fever may have cooled a bit, but Clevelanders turned out in droves to see Mr. Gwyneth Paltrow and crew. The band mixed past hits and album favorites with plenty of material from its latest release, X&Y. Former Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft was a great pick for an opener, offering a solid set of songs from his new solo release as well as old Verve favorites.

Foo Fighters and Weezer (CSU Convocation Center, October 8, 2005): Weezer banged out a set of old favorites and a healthy serving of tracks from its latest release, Make Believe. But the night clearly belonged to Dave Grohl, who served up one of the year's highlight albums with the ambitious double-CD In Your Honor. The Foo Fighters' set list was loaded with hit after hit -- and even a few future hits.

Nine Inch Nails (Gund Arena, October 9, 2005): Trent Reznor rolled into his adopted hometown for a concert at Gund Arena that certainly had teeth and proved that Nine Inch Nails is still one of the circuit's best live bands. The night's secret weapon was Queens of the Stone Age, ripping off a fiery, hit-loaded opening set that went above and beyond the call of duty.

U2 (Quicken Loans Arena, December 10, 2005): On the heels of its well-received How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, U2 offered a show that could have been titled "How to Keep a Bunch of U2 Fans Glued to Their Seats for Two Hours." -- Matt Wardlaw

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Best Metal/Hard Rock
Amps II Eleven capped 2005 by scoring the highly coveted opening slot for the Dead Boys' anniversary show. The band's filthy hard rock, dispensed with a PBR-induced swagger, has earned comparisons to Zeke and Camarosmith. After enduring lineup shake-ups in early 2006, the Parma group is recording a new album for Smog Veil.

Audiblethread concocts lengthy epics and has even been known to play an occasional acoustic set. The band plans to release an EP titled Polar Shifts: Vibrations in September before breaking ground on a full-length.

If Dead Even's vicious metal has a timeless quality, it's probably because of the band's pedigree. Vocalist J.C. Koszewski and guitarist Matt Brewer are former Integrity alums, and the band has shared the stage with the likes of Hatebreed, Terror, and Shadows Fall. After putting out a split CD with Michigan neo-thrash outfit Dissonant this spring, the band is working on its second album.