We’ve all heard that annoying pop song that won’t get off the radio, but the mtvU Woodie Awards allow college students to show support for the musicians who have really shaped their lives.
The Woodies will feature performances by bands both famous and under-the-radar, from the likes of Death Cab for Cutie to Matt and Kim. The categories to vote for include the “Breaking Woodie” for the artist on the rise, the “Left Field Woodie” for the group that refuses genre-classification and “Woodie of the Year” for the artist who has made the biggest impact on the college scene.
The reason the Woodies are called what they are says a lot about the vibe of the show.
“A lot of award shows focus on giving out accolades to artists that may have gone gold or platinum, but the Woodie Awards celebrate artists who have gone wood ““ meaning, you don’t just … have to sell a ton of records to make good music and to get appreciated by your core audience,” said Eric Conte, the executive producer of the 2009 Woodies. “Our approach to this show is that the Woodies are a party, but first and foremost, it is a celebration of great music.”
For a band such as 3OH!3, it is exactly that party scene that shot them to success and earned them a nomination for the “Performing Woodie.”
“(The party) atmosphere seems to be pretty pervasive in a lot of colleges. College shows just have a penchant for having a good time and having fun and going crazy,” said Nat Motte of 3OH!3.
Indie band Matt & Kim believes it is that same craziness and openness found at college campuses that rocketed their video “Lessons Learned” to popularity. The video, nominated for “Best Video Woodie,” features band members Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino stripping down in Times Square and walking around naked in public.
“People in (the college) age group can relate better as opposed to Kim’s grandfather who’s 90 years old who saw the video. He said, “˜None of my friends can see this.’ … So I guess at a college age, you can relate better than a 90-year-old,” Matt Johnson said.
With the party ideal in mind, what college playlist could be complete without Asher Roth’s “I Love College.” Roth, who did a small performance at the Woodies last year, is now up for “Woodie of the Year.”
“It’s really kind of remarkable to step back and watch it all happen,” Roth said. “What we did to gain that following, I don’t really know. I think we just, you know, love college.”
For Death Cab for Cutie guitarist Chris Walla, the mtvU Woodie Awards seem like a natural progression for his band despite their success in more mainstream awards.
“When we play college shows now it’s sort of a part of the … landscape of being in a rock band,” Walla said. “It’s awesome to be nominated for Grammys, but Tony Bennett wins Grammys. It doesn’t seem like it’s our job to win Grammys.”
Death Cab for Cutie will be performing their song “Equinox” from the soundtrack of “New Moon,” while their tragic video “Grapevine Fires” is up for the “Best Video Woodie.” These factors combined show the band’s remarkable ability to remain “indie” despite their mainstream success.
“Bands and records and fans ““ none of those things are really static,” Walla said. “There (could be) a record that can mean everything in the world to you when you’re like 18 or 21 … but by the time you’re 27, it doesn’t make that much sense anymore. But then another few years down the road the band can come back around and surprise you. Maybe it’s because they’ve made a circle and maybe it’s because you’ve made a circle.”
No matter what stage of life the college students voting for the Woodies are at, the trends reflecting on the silver screen are sure to be indicators of their challenges and joys.
“These artists make the music students live their lives to,” Conte said. “There’s something from many different times in somebody’s life that each nominee is offering. There’s a lot of good music out there and I think it’s a key part of the college student’s experience.”