Westock
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Westock is an annual student music festival held every year in the Wauwatosa West High School auditorium in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. The show was initiated in 2001. Its name is derived from the legendary 1969 concert, Woodstock.
Westock is a unique outlet for student artists and bands to present covers of their favorite acts, or even showcase their own original music. Acts perform one at a time on the stage for a set time limit (time limits have ranged between 10 and 30 minutes). Between each act, there is a 5-minute set-up time (during which another featured act may come out and perform while the stage is being set up). There is an intermission generally halfway through the show, sometimes featuring still more acts in the atrium of the school. Emcees and DJs are sometimes featured in the show as well.
The show generally features music of rock 'n roll and its derivatives, although all genres of music are welcome. Many different genres of music have been presented at Westock. As of 2005, 44 different acts have graced the Westock stage. Many acts convene for the sole purpose of performing in the show, while many others, such as the Orin Project and the Oprahs, have actually continued their careers beyond the festival. Some acts have appeared at several festivals (Waking Bradley holds the distinction of being the only act to perform in the first four festivals).
The show is typically produced by one or two Wauwatosa West seniors and one or two juniors (junior producers for one year automatically assume the position of senior producer for the next year, though they may concede if they wish). The show is advised by a faculty member of the school, funds may be appropriated by the school, and professional sound companies (such as Go Audio of Milwaukee) may be hired for equipment; besides that, the entire festival is run, scheduled, advertised, and performed by students.
As the show takes place in a high school auditorium, general rules are strictly enforced - for example, as of 2005, rushing the stage is prohibited. However, students are generally encouraged to stand up, dance, jump, and sing along to the acts on stage.
T-shirts have become a norm for Westock - a shirt has been made exclusively for each festival every year since 2002. A typical Westock t-shirt consists of a unique logo on the front, and a listing of each featured act on the back. Other forms of merchandise may also be sold - in 2003, a compilation album was recorded.
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[edit] Auditioning for Westock
Students interested in performing in Westock fill out an application for audition. Auditions for Westock are held one to three months in advance of the show itself. From year to year, the number of acts that qualify for the show has varied. To qualify for a show, the act auditioning must contain at least one current student at Wauwatosa West.
Judges are present in the auditorium to watch each act perform one song (preferably the best one the act has to offer). The judges score each act on stage presence, charisma, and technical skill and precision. Acts are placed in the show accordingly (generally the highest-scoring acts are featured toward the end of the show, and have the longest set times, unless they specifically note otherwise on their application).
[edit] Line-Up History
Note that these are the official billings of each concert, and are advertised as such on merchandise. On occasion, the billing has changed (acts may drop out or be added; name changes; timeslots may shift; etc.).
[edit] 2001
Event held March 26th
produced by Eddie Villanueva and Steve Stoll
The Corbis Finster Band
Psychedelic Blues Project
Jewels And The Pact
Shamoo's Got One - Borrow His
The Tenants
Nojplant
That One Band
Waking Bradley
Chester
Mist
[edit] 2002
Event held April 26th
produced by Steve Stoll, Sanjiv Laud and Lauren Zimmermann
Waking Bradley
The Bullies
Ophidian
Uptown Jug Champions
Bucolic For Now
The Eclectics
Driftwood
Chester
-also featuring-
The Orin Project
Asymptote
Mist
[edit] 2003
Event held April 16th
produced by Sanjiv Laud and Bryan Cera
Odio
Driftwood
Shoecase
Chester
Glittering Generalities
Cambridge Yard
Armed And Hammered
The Oprahs
Waking Bradley
Psychedelic Blues Project
-also featuring-
PCTI
Ultrasound
Captain Cuervo
Ryan Soderberg
[edit] 2004
Event held April 3rd
produced by Bryan Cera and Jesse Stumbris
Spastic Adolescence
Wuesday Tuesday
Füchin Grad
21st Place
Freezer Burn
Lief Sjostrom
Waking Bradley
The Institute
[edit] 2005
Event held April 16th
produced by Jesse Stumbris, Erik Arvoy and Nick Miller
Unidentified
Lace Of Bass / Natural Disaster
Roz & The Fresh Cut
Integrated Theory
The Maxwells
Grade Zero
Turnaround Captain
-also featuring-
New Man Group
Evan Parliament
[edit] 2006
Event held April 29th
produced by Erik Arvoy and Nick Miller
Zinnia
One Way Out
Last Precedence
Integrated Theory
Grounded 4 Life
Avenue
Radiation Station
Army of Hades
The Maxwells
-also featuring-
Dave Kruse
Erik Arvoy
