S.D. band aims for reality show glory

By John Hult, for Pigeon605

South Dakota’s musical representatives in the “American Song Contest” had their NBC debut during Monday night’s live broadcast from Los Angeles.

Rapid City rock band Judd Hoos, a popular street dance draw across the state for more than 15 years, performed their song “Bad Girl” during the third episode of the show, which debuted three weeks ago as a stateside version of the venerable “Eurovision Song Contest.”

Hoos was selected last year to represent South Dakota in the reality television competition, which pits original songs from artists in each state and U.S. territory against one another, March Madness elimination style.

Supporters gathered to cheer on their home state at Remedy Brewing Co. in downtown Sioux Falls, which had the band’s signature Hoos Joos IPA on tap for the occasion. The band performed in the latter half of the two-hour broadcast, which included musicians from Texas, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina, Colorado, Delaware, the Northern Marianas and Alaska, the last of which was represented by multiplatinum artist Jewel.

Should Judd Hoos move on to the next round, Remedy will again welcome fans for a viewing. Artists advance based on votes submitted by fans online, from a jury of industry professionals spanning every state and from network representatives.

Sioux Falls songwriter Denham was on hand at Remedy to offer some backstory on Judd Hoos’ journey from street dance draw to performers on a national television stage. Denham and the band’s members are close friends and occasional collaborators, and each act is represented by Rapid City’s HomeSlice Group management agency.

Judd Hoos and Denham co-wrote the song used for the show in around four hours after more than two hours of writer’s block in Nashville. Denham was also a finalist to represent South Dakota as each artist went through “rounds and rounds” of interviews. Hoos ultimately got the nod.

“They asked me if they could use the song, and I was like ‘hell yeah, you can use the song,’” Denham said. 

Denham told the crowd at Remedy that the “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” the show represents for the longtime Black Hills performers “couldn’t have gone to a more deserving act.”

“They’re just the most selfless guys you’ll ever meet,” he said.

Many bands’ immediate family members were in Los Angeles for the show, but Judd Hoos guitarist Andy Young’s older brother Ryan was on hand at Remedy to cheer on the bald, bearded musician who used to sneak into his room to steal his guitar. 

“I got a guitar first. Then, he started playing and got really good really fast. I stayed mediocre,” Ryan Young said with a laugh.

Remedy erupted in applause when Judd Hoos appeared on the screen, introduced by co-host Snoop Dogg as a band from a state “where rock is still king.” Cheers reappeared at mentions of Rapid City and again when singer Tyler Bills said “in South Dakota, we have these things called street dances.”

The mood soured slightly when the Judd Hoos name landed near the bottom of the jury’s live selections during the broadcast, but the votes of the network and viewers have yet to be tallied.

Fans can vote here for “Bad Girl” through Wednesday. For those who may have missed the broadcast, the song is available on all major streaming platforms.

Sioux Falls concert promoter Jered Johnson of Pepper Entertainment wasn’t on hand at Remedy, but he was watching. Johnson was selected as the local industry jury member representing South Dakota.

“The producers contacted me and said ‘hey, there’s a South Dakota band on the show, you’ve been referred a couple of times, the band referred you, are you interested?'” Johnson said. “Obviously, it was an easy yes.”

Johnson joined jurors such as rock radio host and former MTV star Matt Pinfield, the former head of Columbia Records and executives from outlets such as iHeartRadio and Cumulus Media.

“There’s a lot of star power on the jury panel, so it’s cool to be a part of that, and it’s also good for our brand (at Pepper),” he said.

Johnson said he has enjoyed the mix of talent each week and appreciates the way the show levels the playing field for independent, unsigned artists and known stars such as Michael Bolton, Macy Gray and Jewel. 

As far as his own votes Monday night, “I can’t tell you who I voted for, but I can tell you we’re not allowed to vote for our home state.”

Winners from this week’s show will be announced at the start of next week’s show. Even if Judd Hoos is eliminated, there’s another chance for broadcast glory: two fan favorites will be awarded at the end of the competition.