Reelin' In the Years

The Big Story: Free Radicals won three awards and finally knocked Wonderland, who had just moved to Austin, from her perch. Texas Johnny Brown and Sisters Morales won two awards each. Tony Avitia's Broken Note took out Justice as the top label in town.

The Subplot:

Jug o' Lightnin' won Best New Act.

Shape of Things to Come:

Blue October won its first award.

Business As Usual:

Zydeco Dots, Norma Zenteno, Cactus and the usual venues.

Where Are They Now?

Secret Sunday, who won Best Album honors, evolved into MenMechanical and Pale.

2000

The Big Story: South Park Mexican busted out of the box with five wins and another for his label.

The Subplot:

SPM outdrew national act 8STOPS7 at his showcase gig.

Business As Usual:

Almost everything aside from SPM.

Where Are They Now?

SPM is serving 45 years in TDCJ.

2001

The Big Story: South Park Mexican and Japanic won three each. Fitz's ended the Satellite's run at the top of the rock clubs.

The Subplot:

Moses Guest interrupted Blue October's reign atop the rock/pop category.

Business As Usual:

Zydeco Dots, Norma Zenteno, El Orbits, the usual venues.

Where Are They Now?

Sevenfold, Clandestine and Japanic all broke up. Clandestine piper E.J. Jones and singer Jen Hamel have solo careers. Members of Japanic are in 2003 nominees James Catholic, and front man Tex Kerschen is in Swarm of Angels with members from previous winning bands such as Rusted Shut and the Pain Teens.

2002

The Big Story: John Evans and Little Joe Washington picked up five awards between them.

The Subplot:

Westbury Squares, Flying Fish Sailors, Drifter, Davin James, Rozz Zamorano and Solar Flare Records picked up their first wins.

Business As Usual:

Zydeco Dots, Norma Zenteno, El Orbits, Cactus, the usual venues.

Where Are They Now?

Westbury Squares are defunct and Best Funk/R&B winner Simpleton is dormant. Simpleton's bassist Marc Armaos is now in Faceplant, while drummer Beans Wheeler is in Los Skarnales.

Overall

The Big Story: From an event saluting the obvious -- yes, ZZ Top and Clint Black are still bound to win a popularity contest in this town -- the Music Awards have progressed into the official holiday of Houston's music community in most if not quite yet all of its multiethnic multiplicity.

The Subplot:

Evidently we all like to alter our minds with various substances. A lot.

Business As Usual:

We hand out trophies, and the bands take them on the moving truck with them to Austin, or New York, or San Francisco, or prison, or wherever the hell all our favorite bands go. Big ups to all the bands that have won and stayed put.