NEWS FLASH!!!! THIS JUST IN... Domestic Problems Lands Spot on the H.O.R.D.E. Tour!
St. Andrew's Hall, Detroit, MI, May 11, 1997 -- Grand Rapids sextet Domestic Problems and five other regional bands participated in the H.O.R.D.E. Band to Band Combat show (sponsored by Kool cigarettes) to compete for 3 to 5 dates on the second stage of this summer's H.O.R.D.E. tour. Each band played a 20-minute set, with the winner based on crowd support.
Domestic Problems went on last and played a set that was packed with energy on the part of both the band and the crowd of 100+ who were dancing and singing along from the first note. Fans came from as far away as the Upper Peninsula to show their support. A few minutes into the set, singer Andy Holtgrieve told the cheering throng that the outcome of the contest wasn't as important now because of the response from the fans. "At that point, whether the ballots came out in our favor or not was kind of secondary. That all these people came out to support us, that was enough."
As it turned out, however, the results of the competition were a tribute both to the band, which consistently delivers one of the most fun and charismatic shows around, and to their devoted fans. "We have the best fans in the world," Andy says, "and that is the sole reason we won, because of our fans. The rapport and synergy between the band and the crowd is first and foremost. That's what drives the music and the energy was blowing off the roof [at St. Andrew's]."
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