2010 Music Showcase: 1 night, 50+ bands, 5 bucks this Saturday on Wash. Ave.

Jon Hardy & the Public
It's been a long year for Jon Hardy & the Public. After building serious momentum with the release of Working in Love and an EP of Randy Newman covers, as well as a triumphant set at Twangfest 13, the soul-charged pop band lost its drummer to California and has retreated from regular performing in St. Louis. Nevertheless, the recent Sugar EP, which includes a shockingly gorgeous cover of the Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go," makes it clear that the band is far from giving up. (RK)

Magnolia Summer 
You would have never called Magnolia Summer a "pop" band two albums ago. But in the past few years, Chris Grabau's group has found a way to craft triumphant guitar rock that's both accessible and smart. The band still exhibits traces of country darkness and big-sky despair, but on its most recent full-length, Lines From the Frame, these concerns are wrapped in glorious guitar chimes and heartthrobbing choruses. (CS)
3 p.m., Main Outdoor Stage (14th & Washington)

Best Rock Band

Brookroyal
Brookroyal is poised to follow in the steps of fellow local rockers Cavo and break through on a national level. Together just three years, the quintet has a full-length (Motives) and an EP (There Was a Time) to its name. Both releases are full of radio-ready modern rock in the vein of Disturbed, Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin and any other band in heavy rotation on KPNT (105.7 FM). In fact, Brookroyal is a perennial Pointfest performer — and last weekend, the band even appeared at the two-day Rocklahoma festival alongside a global array of rock and metal heavyweights. (AZ)

the Incurables
It's been a minute since the Incurables released its mid-tempo, power-pop debut, Songs for a Blackout. But two new demos — the introspective, electric-piano-driven ditty "Wish" and the feedback-laden rocker "16 Lines" — posted online have kept anticipation high for another full-length in the near future. In the meantime, periodic live performances by the Jimmy Griffin-fronted outfit will have to do. You never know who's going to be in the Incurables on any given night, but you can count on the fact that whoever does show up will be some of the best players in town. (SM)
1:15 a.m., The Side Bar

LOGOS
Much has been made of the fact that LOGOS released its debut, Beautiful Disguise, and was consistently playing shows all over the city before its members even graduated from high school. But post-adolescence, the trio's undeniable musicianship and adventurous song arrangements stand on their own. LOGOS' tunes call to mind prog-rock masters of the past, but retain enough youthful spirit and bombastic production to make them appeal to people outside of the KSHE crowd. Two new songs the band posted online do a good job of capturing the intensity and precision of the group's full-throttle live performances. (SM) 

LucaBrasi
The St. Louis music scene is stylistically fragmented; generally, one or two bands handle a particular sub-genre with precision and tact. LucaBrasi is that band when it comes to throttling modern rock. Each member of the quintet knows his purpose — and the result is a powerful live sound that relies on guitarist Jerry Jost's arsenal of effects-laden riffs, his brother Mike's muscular drumming and Matt McInerney's dynamic vocal style. LucaBrasi's attention to melody and subtle interludes make its densely packed, epic moments sound that much more enveloping. (SM)
4 p.m., Main Outdoor Stage (14th & Washington)

Tok
The provenance of the band's handle is unclear, but stoner-rock threesome Tok is perfectly named. "Tok" is monosyllabic, sounds slightly primeval and, most important, it rhymes with "rock." Brothers Matt and Bryan Basler take the loud and fast repetitions of riff rock and then go on excursions toward psych, rockabilly, grunge and punk. Tok's last LP, Long Tall Cobra Box, proved that the Basler bros have no shortage of avenues for their grade-A shreddage — and the band's live sets are an exercise in eardrum abuse. (CS)

Best Vocalist (Female)

Beth Bombara 
Beth Bombara may have cut her teeth on sweetly sung coffeehouse folk, but the raw power of rock & roll emboldens newer material with her band, the Robotic Foundation. Bombara has a classically pretty voice — she's never off-key and can handle the soft/loud/soft dynamics of indie rock — but she's at her best when momentarily surrendering control and letting the rough edges show. (CS)
7 p.m., Lola

Celia 
It's one thing to hold sway over a bar full of music fans, but it's quite another to grab the attention of a collection of rug rats and ankle-biters. However, Celia Shacklett is the rare singer that can do both. She entertains and educates our city's youth with her funny songs and easy wit, but her more adult-oriented material sinks deeper, thanks to smart guitar pop and positive (but not cloying) songwriting. Her voice possesses both Midwestern humility and a funky, bluesy hint of soul. (CS)
1 p.m., 11th & Washington Outdoor Stage

Syrhea Conaway (Syna So Pro) 
It's a little unfair to lump Syrhea Conaway in the Best Vocalist category. The woman behind Syna So Pro doesn't have just one voice, but many: She uses looping technology to stack her vocals to the heavens, layering harmonies and rhythmic vocal snippets until a veritable Conaway Tabernacle Choir is created. Technology may allow her to endlessly duplicate herself, but her vocal technique is rooted in old-school music theory and native talent. Forget, for a moment, that she plays every note on her records and in performance; her a cappella reveries prove that her voice (solo or en masse) is the secret to her sound. (CS)
8:15 p.m., Nara Cafe & Hookah Lounge