Sparks the Rescue

Best ROCK ACT in PORTLAND

If we were Sparks the Rescue, we probably wouldn’t have bothered coming either. The band’s singer, Alex Roy, showed up about 20 minutes after Sparks pulled off the night’s biggest upset, triumphing over Rustic Overtones and other local heavyweights to be voted Portland’s Best Rock Act. “Honestly, we didn’t think we’d have a shot in hell against some of the competition,” Roy said. “It feels amazing.”

It turns out that Sparks were having band practice (a pretty good excuse), getting ready for several events that should cement their status as one of Portland’s biggest bands: a gig at WCYY’s huge Rave ’n Rage concert at Lewiston’s Colisee on May 24, another show at the Station on May 30, and the release of their first full-length album this summer. If they get any more popular — they’ve got over 600,000 song plays on MySpace, a total unheard of around these parts — we’re gonna have to build a new venue for them.

— Christopher Gray + Deirdre Fulton

Runners-up
1. Rustic Overtones
2. Cambiata
3. Hiss & Chambers