The Third And Final Round Of Play For The Stage [Photos] [Review]

Last night marked the last round of Q103's Play for the Stage at Savannah's in Albany. So far, local bands Pipebomb and Tamerlane are in the running, and the final three bands Kolekora, Selfish Needy Creatures and UnCivil Liberty all competed for that coveted last spot in the finals next week, for a chance to play Q-Ruption alongside some of the biggest names in rock. Read on to see who will be moving on to next week's battle of the bands finale.

Albany-based rock quintet Kolekora opened up the competition. They were the only competing band

 that had a female vocalist. She was absolutely gorgeous, sweet and full of smiles, and was beautifully wearing a black dress with fancy stockings and heels. Not only was she pretty, she could also sing. I've mentioned before that I'm not fond of female metal singers, but Kolekora was modern, mellow rock which really showed off her talent.

The overall sound was good and I barely even noticed my head and body moving with the rhythm of the music. The singer's voice was super strong, but also feminine at the same time. Toward the end of their set, she removed her glasses (fake, I'm assuming?) and seemed to get more into it. It reminded me of in Big Daddy when the little boy removes his glasses when he feels comfortable. I was a little sad, because I would've liked to see her take the glasses off sooner. She can't be much older than myself, though, so her nerves probably still get the best of her. No need though, because she's an amazing vocalist and even has the potential to make it solo if she ever wanted to, in my opinion.

They performed a handful of songs, including "Lost," "Sorry," "Hole," "Suicide Prayer," "Polluted" and "True Sweet Eyes," who the vocalist said was about "a friend who turned out to be a real skank."

Capital District-based quartet Selfish Needy Creatures was the middle band to perform. I had seen them a couple times before, as they have played at Lights and have toured with many well-known bands. They were the only band that had their own merchandise (CD's, shirts, tank tops and girls underwear) which I thought was cool. They exploded the stage and were absolutely amazing performers. The vocalist was powerful, interactive and succeeded getting his message of save rock n' roll out to the crowd. He was all about the genre, and even named on of their songs "Rock n' Roll Will Save your Soul." His voice style was mostly that of screaming, but it was done in a classy, rock way which was awesomly backed by the instrumentals. The band's energy was over-the-top, yet awesome and necessary for the crowd that will be habitating SPAC in just two weeks. They moved around a lot, despite the tiny, sort of stage, and got the crowd involved. Other songs sang include "The Hard Way," "50 Caliber Kiss" and "I'll Be Damned."

UnCivil Liberty, a male quartet from Upstate NY, took the stage last. As soon as they started, I knew

 the decision was going to be seriously difficult. They are a rock band with great sound and a great frontman. They had a lot of support and fans at the show, some of whom even chanted their name. The band had a good use of the stage and the vocalist really got the crowd hyped, even those who weren't immediate fans. Being a little older, they seemed like naturals at performing and like music was the only thing that mattered to them, which I loved to see, as music is my everything as well. They proved the choice would not come easily and really made the competition fierce.

It's rare that I say I thoroughly enjoyed all three bands, but I honestly did. They were all amazingly talented and professional. All bands were respectful to one another and to all those in charge of the contest. They all seemed truly excited and blessed to have such an opportunity. Overall, however, SELFISH NEEDY CREATURES took home the winning title and invitation to come back for the finale round next Friday!

It has been such a fun few weeks of Playing for the Stage, and I can't wait to see what else these bands can bring next week, ultimately winning them the chance of a lifetime- to join Godsmack, Five Finger Death Punch, Sick Puppies, Skillet and Egypt Central for Q-Ruption on August 19! Good luck to all of the finalists and we look forward to seeing you next week!