Musical friends tune in to scene

If you want to hear some opinions on local bands, one of the best places to turn is the people that are in them.

This is especially true in a cozy scene like Fargo-Moorhead's, where bands of divergent genres will share bills and sometimes even members. At the very least, most musicians in local bands are interested in what their peers are doing, says Chris Hennen, a local promoter.

"I think it's always been pretty tight-knit," says Hennen, the promoter behind the Winter Carnivale 2007 at the Fargo Theatre on Saturday.

It may be the size of the community that draws it together, Hennen says.

"I've talked to friends in Minneapolis, and they say it's not like that. People don't hang out and go to each others' shows," he says.

Before performances by a quintet of Twin Cities headliners - including hip-hop headliners P.O.S. and Mac Lethal - 16 local bands are set to play at the day-long indoor festival. So it seemed like an ideal time to ask members of several of the area acts on the bill to name the local bands they like best (other than their own, of course).

Here's what they had to say:

Alex Stotesbery, guitar, Throbbing Hot Rods

Though he's looking forward to the "nice platter of local bands" at the Carnivale, one of Stotesbery's favorite local groups won't be playing there: the power punks of The Diversion Scene.

"It's just a different sound - not what you're used to hearing in this town," he says.

Sarah Winters, piano

A solo artist who moved here in September from Fergus, Falls, Minn., Winters has taken to the acoustic rock of Riseage.

"They really get into the music. You really feel it. It's passionate," she says.

Paul Olson, vocals, Midnight Suit

Trimming from a longer list of local highlights, including Carnivale performers Battlefields and A Message of Bullets, Olson lists metal band Five-Star Fracture and rockers Quick to Fall as his tops.

"They're fun, they're happy and they have awesome meaning in their songs," he says of Quick to Fall.

Chris More, bass, Final Fight

More's favorite local band is Battle at Sea, a six-piece indie-rock group with saxophone and keyboard players. "I just like the finger-tapping and the emotion," he says.

John Shipley, drums, Battle at Sea

The veteran area drummer is looking forward to catching a mid-afternoon set by Battlefields, "simply because they usually rock your face off."

Josh Vangsness, DJ Buck Nastee

Though he's excited to see show openers Post-Traumatic Funk Syndrome because he's heard good things, the Fargo DJ favors area hip-hop collective Me and You Crew.

"They've got great lyrics and pretty good energy on stage," he says.

Mark Henning, saxophone, Kimmy Gibbler

A member of one of Fargo's few ska bands, Henning's list of local bests includes The Diversion Scene, Me and You Crew and Christian rock band Beside Still Water.

"It's a lot of harmonized guitars," he says of Diversion Scene's triple-axe lineup. "They're just really good and very talented."

Russ Peterson, saxophone, Post-Traumatic Funk Syndrome

The music professor at Minnesota State University Moorhead has a pretty busy schedule, so he had to cheat a bit. His favorite group in town is the F-M Symphony (for which he plays bassoon).

"Is that legal to say?" he says. "I love the rock stuff; I just don't get out to it that often."

Readers can reach Forum reporter Dave Roepke at (701) 241-5535