The French philosopher Jacques Maritain once said, "The only artist who does not deserve respect is the one who works to please the public." Four left turns later Bob Dylan claimed that "Money doesn't talk, it swears." Those are what we call sharp words, the kinds of statements that cut the fat, fray the expectations and leave the art, raw and lucid, on the floor where it thrives.

       What are we talking about here? Music. Art. Pop. Lifeblood. Jazz. Rock n' roll. We're talking about the crude, uncorrupted form of what some consider to be the backbone of culture and communication. We're talking about when you were eight years old and first started noticing emotional reactions to the Beatles or James Brown or Dolly Parton or Miles Davis albums your parents had been filtering through your daily routine for years. We're talking about that first cassette single you picked out and wore thin. We're not talking about competition or money or fame. Like the Mike of Mills and Stipe, we're talking 'bout the passion.

       Spend a few weeks in any city with at least a couple hundred thousand inhabitants and you're bound to find some sort of notable music scene, be it emergent, limping or already established. Just 10 years ago Fort Wayne 's scene was limping along, direly in need of a dependable conduit specifically designed to help the area's scattered musicians come together and build a supportive, collaborative network of artists. The time since has seen Fort Wayne's music-minded folks rise to the surface, moving right past the thriving stage and fast into the established. And whether you like the concept of art-as-competition or not, the annual whatzup Battle of the Bands has played a part in this progression, along the way growing in quality each year since its induction four years ago and offering countless bands a chance to get their art out of the basement. (This year's crowds numbered over 100 every night, reaching well over 300 more than once and around 400 for the finals.)

       After last year's marathon 55-band BotB III, whatzup opted to go the economical route for this year's event, accepting only 35 bands and spreading the duration of the competition out over 15 Thursday nights, rather than the whopping 27 the previous year saw. The result was a more cohesive, better attended BotB season that saw largely unknown bands like Greater Midwest Identity Theft, The B-Sharps and Under the Wake more than doubling their crowds and first-place vote totals by the time it was all said and done.

       Sure, there were the usual conspiracy theories ("the voting is rigged!"), surprises (Left Lane Cruiser once again bowing out early, despite favorable judge scores), breakout bands (Kan-tis) and classic moments (Sankofa tearing up copies of whatzup on stage not being among them), but in the end – on the final night – there were four bands who could not be denied. Four bands with completely different sounds, fan bases and approaches. It was a rowdy, unforgettable night, and, against almost everyone's wildest dreams, audiophile favorites The Orange Opera walked out on top, odds smashed to pieces behind them and dumbfounded smiles on their sweaty faces.

       "We didn't really actually practice once specifically for the Battle of the Bands," said Opera frontman Kevin Hambrick, not so much revealing his secret as he was speaking in his usual candid, honest manner. "We've been playing so many shows that we haven't really been practicing at all," continued Hambrick, who found the time to sit down with whatzup during a Labor Day weekend that saw his band playing four hour sets on both Friday and Saturday nights following their Thursday win, as well as on Labor Day itself.

       A project over five years in the works, The Orange Opera entered BotB IV as a trio (drummer Kevin Hockaday and bassist Brian Brubaker rounding out the lineup) before adding Definitely Gary drummer Jon Ross on guitar only two weeks before their first-round appearance. "We'd been trying out guitar players here and there for awhile," said Hambrick. "Then Jon came in and seemed to know things about our songs that I didn't even know. He could sing the harmonies and pretty much already play all the songs, so it worked out very easily."

       Sounds like a winning bullet point for any band's bio: multi-instrumentalist joins band; doesn't really need to practice because he already knows the songs; starts playing at every show; helps win Battle of the Bands competition. Speaking of bios, The Orange Opera's has undeniably doubled in length in 2007 alone.

       "Everything started to change after I lost my job in January," explained an animated, excited Hambrick. "Between playing at the Embassy, meeting Dr. Dog (more about that later), adding Jon to the band, going on our first mini-tour, bringing The Teeth to Fort Wayne, winning the Battle of the Bands, meeting Jeff Tweedy and now this upcoming Dr. Dog show, this has been the best year yet for me and my music."

       Not to imply that there is a certain kind of band that thrives during BotB competitions, but many were surprised to hear that The Orange Opera had signed up for this year's event. "We just signed up to sign up," said Hambrick. "We decided to just try it for fun, thinking we'd get kicked out every night. We figured we'd end up in 18th place, at best."

       Trying to understand why Hambrick thought his band of long-respected players (Brubaker has played in various bands though the years; Hockaday was a member of the classic Fort Wayne band, Heavy Step; and Ross has been known to be a member of up to seven bands at once, last year's BotB winner, Definitely Gary, among them) wouldn't stand a chance might seem confusing at first. The difference is in scope. While most local bands who enter BotB seem focused on growing their local fan base as much as possible, The Orange Opera consider themselves to be a band who just happen to operate out of Fort Wayne. Yes, they have a lot of fans in Fort Wayne, but not a tight-knit scene of diehard regulars for which the other three finalists (Waking Abbott, Pleasing Melani, Action Jaxson) are known. The Opera prospered regardless of their seemingly apathetic-in-comparison approach to BotB, earning new fans and further cementing their reputation as one of the area's best bands.

       "We're all really committed to being a serious band," said Hambrick. "As far as winning goes, I don't know. Bru told me that he thinks it's the songs. 'We just have really good songs' is what he said to me, and I think he's right; we won because of our songs."

       "What's amazing is that The Orange Opera won without playing the Battle of the Bands game," explained one avid onlooker who asked to remain anonymous. "They didn't enter because they wanted to be on the cover of whatzup or win prize money; they entered because they like playing their music. They left the rest up to the crowd and judges, and hey, look, it worked somehow! A band with really awesome songs won simply because their songs are that good."

       While researching similar BotB competitions from around the country, it became clear that there is in fact a certain kind of band who usually dominate these sorts of competitions: "party bands," bands that go out, put on a good show, play songs people can dance or mosh or riot to and, of course, look really cool on stage. The Orange Opera are different.

       "We joke that we're the most unattractive band in town," quipped Hambrick. "But we have 40-45 Orange Opera originals that we can play pretty well, songs people haven't even heard yet in some cases."

       It's not that The Orange Opera aren't know for their live shows. Clearly, they are; but more so, they come off as artists who favor the process of writing, recording and releasing good, strong records with a warm, timeless feel. They love to play live, but it's their valuing of the creation process that makes them different, whether people at Columbia Street West ever hear their records – which resemble the Nuggets box set more than anything else – or not. Simply, it was their desire to go out and have fun playing their songs – not ever trying to win anything – that did the trick. That, and the fact that their songs really are as good as everyone says they are.

       And then there's also that whole thing about 2007 being the year of The Orange Opera.

       "How come everybody never wants to take a chance on me," sings a clever Hambrick on "Crying In My Sleep," a track from his guitar-based 2001 Blueberry Hurricane album. That line resonates today, as Hambrick continues working to find new ways to take his band and his music to the next level. Despite years of trying, always cracking shells along the way, Hambrick remains optimistic that he will someday get his break. "My wife says that most people seem luckier when they're younger, and that she thinks I'm getting lucky as I get older. I hope she's right."

       The way things have been looking lately, it seems she just might be.

       "[Wilco singer/songwriter] Jeff Tweedy has a copy of my CD, and Doug Gillard [of Guided by Voices fame] wrote me and told me he likes my music. Dr. Dog told me that 'Life Wasn't Fair' (from Hambrick's recent solo album, Football Weather) is the song of the year," said Hambrick in an excited but still modest way. "I just can't figure out what it takes to get signed; I think I just need someone smarter than me to help make it happen."

       This statement led Hambrick and whatzup to the smartest cat on the block: the Internet. After discussing various possible avenues of national exposure – Daytrotter, Aquarium Drunkard, Luna Music, etc. – we found ourselves exploring Dr. Dog's website and watching Sonic Youth videos on YouTube. "We used to play that song [Sonic Youth's grunge classic, "100%"] when it first came out," said Hambrick, much to this writer's excitement.

       "You're going to end up talking about how you tried to interview me and all I talked about was Dr. Dog," laughed Hambrick after taking whatzup on a full tour of the Philadelphia band's amazing website. "I can't shut up about Dr. Dog lately."

       And rightfully so. Hambrick, Hockaday and Brubaker caught the band responsible for one of the year's very best albums, We All Belong, earlier in the year. It was a moment, one would have to presume, where The Orange Opera saw their future. Dr. Dog – a modest band from a modest music city who record brilliant songs that bring to mind the smoky barroom sound of the 70s – have also had their biggest year yet, appearing regularly in national music publications, playing the whole of the late-night talk-show circuit and touring with a little band named Wilco. Kindered spirits.

       "I just love their music so much," said Hambrick, who along with Wooden Nickel booked the band for a low-dough, all-ages show at Sunset Music Hall on Sunday, October 7 to celebrate the Nickel's 25th anniversary. The Opera (as well as Apollo Sunshine) are set to open the show, which promises to be one of the biggest nights for Fort Wayne music fans all year long.

       So what's next for Hambrick and The Orange Opera?

       "I already have my next solo album, Sugarcoated Scribbles, finished, I just need the money to put it out," said Hambrick, who went on to explain how The Opera have been talking here and there about whether or not they should record in a studio or DIY-style at the Hambrick household. As far as the prize money ($1,500), gift certificate ($1,500 at Sweetwater Sound) and recording time won (36 hours at Monastic Chambers) go, Hambrick seemed a bit indifferent, admitting that the band isn't quite sure yet what they'll do with their winnings. "We might get a smaller PA, or Kevin might get some new drums, or Brian might get a new amp, or I might get a new pack of guitar picks every day for the next few years," laughed Hambrick, who later implied that he thinks getting a new Opera album out before the end of the year might be a good idea. "We have a lot of songs; we just have to figure out what to do with them."

       One thing's for sure: this was the best BotB season yet, and, as it should be, the band who won just happen to be having (by far) their best year to date. With the Dr. Dog show on the horizon and the possibility of a new Opera studio album in the air, don't expect Hambrick, Hockaday, Brubaker and Ross to slow down any time soon.

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