The Saint Alvia Cartel @ CMW 2008

BACKGROUND/COMPOSITION: This six-piece has a helluva lot of buzz to live up to, including the pressure of a Juno nomination. Their sound's a little tough to pin down and they tend to waver from punk to pop to reggae with wreckless abandon. Perhaps a little Ritalin might help them focus in class.

Grade: 90

Comment: Some beer was spilled, but it was a reasonably small amount. No harm, no foul. Judging by the crowd, it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume the people who weren't there to see White Cowbell Oklahoma were there to see The Saint Alvia Cartel. They weren't disappointed.

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: E
Pronunciation: G
Stage Presence: E
Stage Banter: E
Image: G
Appearance: G
Use Of Stage: E

Strengths/Weaknesses/NextStep: 

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

Strengths/Weaknesses/NextStep: 
You could tell these guys are really into their music, which made it a much more pleasurable experience for everyone watching. This is a tight sextet; there's obviously a lot of practice going on behind the scenes.

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

Strengths/Weaknesses/NextStep: 
The Saint Alvia Cartel are a walking wardrobe malfunction, but because they're such a fun band, we can probably assume it's a planned part of their image. Singer Ben Rispin was sporting a sweater made him a dead-ringer for Spiderman villain The Sandman, despite it being red.