The roar welled up from the back of the room as JR from Geno’s announced, “And the award for Best Punk Act goes to Covered In Bees.” For three years in a row these guys have been charming the pants off Portland. What’s not to love? They attend comic conventions, they wear aprons, they have a song called “Mo’ Honey Mo’ Problems,” and Boo isn’t afraid to wear make-up. It doesn’t get more punk than that.
CIB work hard, too. Eschewing Portsmouth's RPM Challenge (in which bands make an album in a month), the Bees set themselves the task of making an album in 24 hours — composing, writing, and recording everything in a single day. Deserving? Absolutely.
— Sonya Tomlinson
Runners-up
1. Outsiders
2. Pubcrawlers
3. Leftovers