THE NEWSFILE

April 10 , 2005


The 2005 Harmony Sweepstakes Mid-Atlantic Regional Competition turned out to be a great night for Cartoon Johnny! We took home three awards: Best arrangement for "Signed, Sealed, Delivered", the coveted "Audience Favorite" award, and First Place! We'll be heading for the National Finals in San Rafael, California on Saturday, May 7 to represent the Mid-Atlantic Region.

So are we excited? Hell yeah! And we're also VERY grateful. Thanks to all our fans who came out to The Brichmere to root for us and make sure the "Audience Favorite" ballot box was full of votes for CJ! Seriously, seeing those Cartoon Johnny t-shirts out there and hearing those cheers as we took the stage felt really great. Your support means everything to us.

We have to thank all of the other groups who performed as well. It was a fantastic show which included three other DC-area groups: Tonic & Gin, staticflow, and Almost Recess, who took home second runner-up. Baltimore's Regency brought down the house with their amazing energy was named first runner-up. The audience was also treated to great sets from competitors Vocal Obsession of Aberdeen, MD, who took home the award for Best Original Song for their own "My Store," as well as the competitors who traveled the farthest to participate--central Florida's jazzy quartet, Rare Blend.

Turning in another memorable performance as show MCs were The Tone Rangers. No one writes an intro like they do. Special thanks to dcVocals who found time to perform a great set while they worked with super producer Ted Donat to make the show run like clockwork. And hats off to the especially energetic and humorous group Out of the Blue from Oxford University. They're one of the finest collegiate groups we've ever seen, and the show would not have been the same without them. "Fat-Bottomed Girls" was a highlight of the show.

A HUGE thank you to the judges and to Vander and the entire sound and lighting crew who make The Birchmere one of the greatest houses to perform in. Finally, thanks to our friend David Braxton for working with us to polish our set and tweak the details to help us put on the best show we could.

So we're off to CA, but not before one more show here at home. Join us April 22 as we share the stage with Venus d Minor. Be sure to reserve your tickets in advance! Details on our calendar.

March 24 , 2005


It's official! Former member Mike Webb has rejoined the group and is our new permanent bass. We're glad to have him back. Be sure to catch him and the rest of Cartoon Johnny in his second official performance since his return at the Harmony Sweepstakes on April 9.

February 1, 2005


2004 was a great year for Cartoon Johnny, and we thank you for the continued support for our debut EP, Face The Music. Look for new music to come later this year.

You may notice a few new and not-so-new faces the next time you see Cartoon Johnny perform live. After singing with us for about 4 months, bass Evan Edwards has decided to return to Richmond where he will work on an exciting business venture, and he will also be able to spend more time with his new fiancée. We will miss him, but wish him well. While we complete auditions for a permanent replacement, catch former members Mike Webb and Alan Tom singing bass just like in the old days. Many thanks to them for keeping us going as we solidify the permanent line-up.

You'll also notice a new drummer at our next show. In late fall 2004, Cartoon Johnny had to say goodbye to our vocal percussionist Joe Yoon. We'll miss his great contributions to our sound, image and performances and wish him well.

Stepping in to fill his shoes is Ben Feeney, formerly of Almost Recess. Ben brings some fresh beats and a different flavor to the Cartoon Johnny sound. The man is a ball of energy and spit -- remember your umbrella if you insist on sitting in the front row.

See you at the show this Friday in Baltimore. Check out the calendar for details.

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Check out the new archives for 2004, and 2003.

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Photography courtesy of Rodney Bailey.   Copyright 2002-2005, TGM Entertainment.