Lee Rogers @ NXNE 2006

Background/Composition: Irish singer-songwriter with a captivating voice and story-telling ability. Made up of him on bluesy-soul guitar and an electric stand-up bass player so powerful he also provided beats unwillingly.

Grade: 99

Comment: If you had walked in without knowing who Rogers was, you would have sworn he crawled out of a swamp in the deep south. His blues, soul and folk songs had a Southern comfort feel, while still showing strong hints of his Irish heritage.

Achievement of Rock 'n' Roll Expectations
80-100: Exceeds skill and knowledge expectations, i.e. rocked us so hard we peed our pants.
70-79: Achieves required skills and knowledge. Meets rock 'n' roll standard.
60-69: Demonstrates some skills. Approaches rock 'n' roll standard.
50-59: Demonstrates some required skills and knowledge in a limited way.
00-50: Has not demonstrated required skills or knowledge.

Learning Skills: E=Excellent, G=Good, S=Satisfactory, N=Sad Really

Oral And Visual Communication
Eye Contact: S
Pronounciation: E
Stage Presence: E
Stage Banter: E
Image: E
Appearance: G
Use Of Stage: S

Strengths/Weaknesses/NextStep: Rogers explained each song before he started, because they all had a story to them. This show was like story time with a whiskey drinking Irish soulman. He knew how to work the crowd with his blazing blue eyes and made the whole crowd melt with deep vocals. He just sat there while his bass player played along, but that's all he needed to do.

Musical Analysis
Level Of Participation: E
Problem Solving: G
Teamwork: E
Work Habits: E
Organization: E
Audience Participation: S
Sound: E
Composition: G
Songs: E

Strengths/Weaknesses/NextStep: Rogers' voice was breathy, deep, scratchy goodness. The mic's sound revealed every breath. The show felt really intimate and even though the guitar strumming and bass were very simple, structure wise, the lyrics and rusty melodies made things seem more complex then they actually were. This was a mix of Tom Waits, The Commitments and John Lee Hooker in the form of a charming Irishman.

Other Skills And Areas Of Interest
Charisma: E
Problem Solving: G
Teamwork: E
Sexiness: E
Haircut: N
Indie Rock Footwear: N
Nods To Disposible Fashion: N
Cool Equipment: G
Level Of Inebriation: S
Actual Ability: E

Strengths/Weaknesses/NextStep: He had the ability to nicely ask people to buy him drinks (which multiple people did) without sounding demanding or annoying. He's quickly gaining momentum in the UK, and radio has started playing his stuff over there, so keep your ears open, you'll know him as soon as you hear him.