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Downside Up Local band may be a Sleep-er hit By Sarah Quelland THERE WAS A VERY ENGAGING lineup at the Cactus Club last Friday (May 25) with Local ODdity, Candyfarm, Downside, Motiv and Movement. Though Downside celebrated the release of its new CD, Sleep, the next night at the Gaslighter Theater in Campbell, the band did have discs available at Friday's show. Downside features Eric Victorino on vocals, Ryan Hernandez on guitar, Hrag Chanchanian on bass and Patrick Spain on drums. The band has been performing quite a bit these past few months, and its sound and presence come across polished and professional. Victorino has real talent as a singer and performs with passion and intensity. The band's complex music is both heavy and accessible, and Downside has developed a cohesive sound that's perfect for radio. Ultravibe.com just launched the first round of its Sound Off 2001 battle-of-the-bands competition last week with Kas KíDee & the Revolutionareez, Sloe, Sol Ascending and Trogolodyte last Wednesday (May 23), followed by Brickhead, Creamsickle and G9 on Tuesday (May 29), and Outtaline, Simplistic and Naughty Barnyard yesterday (May 30). Bands square off every Wednesday, 5-8:30pm, at the Cactus through July 25. There are prizes for first-, second- and third-place winners, and contestants will be judged by stage presence, crowd size and response, time consideration, sound and performance. The finals of the first round will be held next Friday (June 8). Round two includes Luxt, Manic Notion and Setacide (June 13); Downside, Soul Aggression and Statik (June 20); and Kung Fu Vampire, Salmon and Duce Co. (June 27). Winners of the second round will be announced June 27 and finals will be held July 6. Round three features Methlab Explosion, Divided and Element 8 (July 11); Monkey, Drain 26 and Buzzbomb Phase 4 (July 18); and Hurt, Lords of the Manor, Red Asfault and Kronic (July 25). Winners of the third round will be announced July 25, and finals will be held Aug. 3. The Sound Off grand finals are scheduled for Aug. 31 at the Cactus. The Skirts celebrate the release of their new CD, Take Off, this Saturday (June 2) at the Cactus with the Demonics, Clay Wheels and Fancy Hair Dragon. ... The third annual Big Chill Out will be held this Saturday (June 2) at the Gardner Community Center (520 W. Virginia St., San Jose). Patterned after the SoFA Festival, but with no alcohol, this event geared toward young people includes Bay Area DJs, free food, skateboarding ramps and much more. Outtaline, Sloe and Bodies in the Basement will perform. Call 408.279.1498 for more info. ... The Los Gatos Outhouse hosts shows all weekend with 5606, Anti-45, 3 Minutes Fast and Hidden Pocket performing this Friday (June 1), the Orange Peels, Bunkbed, the Eyeliners, the Contrail, the Specs and Brandt Shandera playing day one of the KSCU listener appreciation party this Saturday (June 2), and Luckie Strike, the Lawrence Arms, the Ghost, Cadillac Blindside and Short Round playing day two of the KSCU bash this Sunday (June 3). Oranger will not be performing on Saturday after all. Local cover band Uncle Melvin will be flying to New York City this Friday (June 1) to participate in VH1's game show Cover War. Close to 1,500 cover bands from California auditioned, and Melvin, which performs regularly at places like Toon's, Mountain Charley's and Fanny & Alexander's, was chosen. PLAN AHEAD: The Odd Numbers and the Pattern, May 31 at the Lido; Mallet, Dystratic, Fleshole and the Underdogs, May 31 at the Cactus; the English Beat and the Recruits, May 31 at the Backbeat; Insex, the Shadow Cabinet and others, May 31 at the Usual; M.I.R.V., Salmon, Luxt and Soul Circle, June 1 at the Cactus; the Yardies, June 2 at Waves Smokehouse and Saloon; Skinlab, Sift and others, June 3 at the Cactus; Lisa Dewey, Richmond Fontaine and Deborah Bartley, June 6 at Fuel ; Summer Music Slam 2001 with Krenshaw, Woodshed, SECURITY, Reaction 31, Mallet and Breach, June 16 at the Cactus. [ San Jose | Metroactive Central | Archives ]