Battle rages for Bon Jovi bragging rights

Local Scene column by Tom Lounges

BY TOM LOUNGES
Times Correspondent

This story ran on nwitimes.com on Friday, July 14, 2006 12:35 AM CDT


With the hoopla over Nicole Jamrose subsiding now that she has taken to the road with the national "Nashville
Star Summer Tour," attention has been shifted to The Crawpuppies.

For weeks the group -- vocalist/acoustic guitarist Chad Clifford, bassist Aaron Hedges, guitarist Mike Curtis and
drummer Chris Karp -- have been banging through a series of elimination gigs in Chicago, hoping to win a spot
on Germany's prestigious "Emergenza Festival."

"We got fifth place out of the remaining 16 bands last Sunday (July 9) at the finals held at The Metro," Hedges
said. "Mike got voted 'Best Guitar Player.' ... We were the only pop rock band left in the whole competition."

The Crawpuppies (www.crawpuppies.com) stepped out of one battle arena and into another one this weekend.

"We submitted an MP3 of our original song, 'Out Of My Head' (from their 2005 "Peaceful Amnesty" CD) in the
'Have A Nice Gig' contest sponsored by The Mix 101.9FM. The winner gets to open for Bon Jovi and Nickelback at
Soldier Field on Friday, July 21," continued Hedges. "We've made it into the Top 5 by people voting online for us
on the Mix radio station Web site, www.wtmx.com."

The final five square off live onstage Sunday, July 16, at Chicago's Aragon Ballroom at Lawrence and Broadway
avenues. There is no cover charge to attend this all-ages event.