What you missed from Monday’s Alternative Press Music Awards

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Alternative Press presented the fourth Alternative Press Music Awards on Monday night. The show was in Cleveland, Ohio but was broadcast worldwide on Amazon Music and Twitch.

Caroline Shaw
July 18, 2017

Monday night, the Alternative Press Music Awards gave fans four hours of performances, honors and awards.

Cleveland, Ohio-based magazine Alternative Press has hosted the APMAs since 2014. The magazine is dedicated to the underground, punk, rock and metal scenes today and these awards are to honor the best of those bands.

Each of the 18 winners is fan selected through weeks of voting leading up to the event. “The Scene’s Biggest Night” as Alternative Press dubbed it, however, was more than the awards. Here are some highlights from the show.

Producer John Feldmann shows you can rise above a difficult past and succeed at what you love. – Producer of albums by bands such as Blink 182, Panic! At The Disco, All Time Low and Good Charlotte. He described some of the hardships he faced growing up. “I was told I would never amount to anything and they were f—— wrong… I hope my message of life is this: Don’t take yourself too seriously and lighten the f— up,” Feldmann said.
Cassie Wilson brings attention to accessibility in venues. – Wilson won the Philanthropic Award for Half Access which aims to help disabled music fans prepare for shows in new venues as well as educate venues on how to improve the experience of disabled people at the shows they host. Her speech had some members of the audience in tears.
Josh Dun makes an appearance with Frank Zummo and Adrian Young, giving drummers some undivided attention. – After weeks of alternative press teasing that Young and Zummo were rehearsing with a special guest, they came on stage with Josh Dun of Twenty One Pilots. Dun was met with some of the loudest cheers of the night. The performance included a drumline that went into the crowd and a medley with each of the drummers at their own kits. Dun spiced up the theatrics with a solo on his trumpet as well as one of his signature backflips. The whole thing wowed not only the audience but also the show’s host, Andy Biersack. “I’m still dumbfounded by that,” Biersack said. “That was one of the coolest things of all time.”
Pierce the Veil plays a tribute to Chris Cornell. – Cornell was the lead vocalist for rock band Soundgarden and passed away on May 18, 2017. The tribute included a projection of Cornell accompanied by some quotes from the singer. Pierce the Veil honored him by playing Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun.”
Laura Jane Grace wins the Icon Award and calls attention to LGBTQ issues. – A panel of LGBTQ artists led a discussion on LGBTQ issues in music during the APMA Fan Day. These ideas were transferred to the night of the show when Lynn Gunn of PVRIS and Mina Caputo of Life of Agony presented the Icon Award to Grace. She was presented with the award for being an icon in the LGBTQ community within the scene surrounding the evening.
Frank Zummo of Sum 41 wins Best Drummer and dedicates it to someone important. – Zummo thanked his fans, friends, family, band, team and label. However, before he left stage he shared the reason he does what he does and said, “The reason I play drums is because of my father and he passed away this year so this is for f—— him.”
Brendon Urie accepts Panic! At The Disco’s award for Artist of the Year from his dressing room on Broadway. – Panic! At The Disco won Artist of the Year, but because sole member Brendon Urie is currently playing Charlie Price in the Broadway musical “Kinky Boots” he had to accept the award via a video that was projected to the audience. In the true theatrical nature of Urie, he spoke from his dressing room and walked out wearing the show’s iconic red, high-heeled boots.
Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness throws back with songs from his previous bands. – Andrew McMahon chose not to play just one song during his allowed time on stage. Instead he chose to play three songs from three different bands he has been a part of. The band played “Dark Blue” from Jack’s Mannequin, “I Woke Up In A Car” from Something Corporate and “Cecilia and the Satellite” from Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness.
Andy Biersack hosts the show for the first time. – For the last two years the APMAs have been hosted by All Time Low’s Alex Gaskarth and Jack Barakat. This year, the show was hosted by Black Veil Brides’ Andy Biersack. While not being quite as silly as the All Time Low boys, Biersack kept the audience engaged. He also performed the last song of the evening, a cover of Adele’s “When We Were Young” with his wife Juliet Simms.