Win-win for Seattle's Fall From Grace

Seattle rockers Fall From Grace are inching closer to a record deal, thanks to a reality TV show called "Bodog Music Battle of the Bands."

The show, which airs on Fuse TV, a Comcast digital music channel, is "American Idol" meets Billy Idol. It mimics the talent show's three-judge panel but replaces pop singers with rockers who have a harder sound and write their own music. The winners, to be selected on an episode that airs Sept. 5, will win a $1 million recording contract with Bodog Music.

Last Wednesday, the band hosted a viewing party with beer and burgers at Hooters, perched on Lake Union. About 40 people crammed into the main dining hall to watch the third-to-last installment of "Battle" on a half-dozen TVs lining the walls, near neon beer lights and framed photos of Hooters girls.

The crowd was composed mostly of young punk/metal aficionados, judging by their all-black ensembles of skinny jeans, T-shirts, metal studded belts, dyed hair and polished fingernails.

The four-piece Fall From Grace could easily be mistaken for a pop punk group. Drummer Kenny Bates, 23, looks and plays like Blink-182's drummer, Travis Barker — mohawk and all. And frontman Tryg Littlefield, 30, has lots of tattoos and heavy eyeliner. The group is completed by bassist Ken Olson, 29, and his brother, lead guitarist Brian Olson, 30.

Although their music has obvious punk influences, such as rapid-fire guitar riffs and drum beats, the sound is harder, with more electronic distortion and screaming vocals.

Littlefield's dad, Bob Littlefield, said, "Tryg's musical career started when he was five and sang 'I'm a Soul Man' at his grandparent's house."

The competition got under way last winter when Bodog Entertainment Group, founded in 1994 by online gambling mogul Calvin Ayre, announced a grand prize of a $1 million recoupable recording contract with Bodog Music. ("Recoupable" means the label fronts the band $1 million to create and promote a CD, which the band has to pay back with whatever profit it makes.) Ten eager, independent bands were selected from a field of thousands from all over the country.

Each week, the judges — Johnny Rotten (Sex Pistols), Billy Duffy (Cult) and punk rocker Bif Naked — routinely dismiss bands as they tour across country. Like "Survivor," the show offers immunity challenges to safeguard the winning band from elimination.

Last week's task was for the bands to take photos that captured their image, and this week the bands had to make music videos.

Only three bands remain, including Fall From Grace. The other two bands are Blaxmyth — ghetto-metal rockers from Los Angeles — and Big Bang Radio, alternative-rock musicians from Miami who have a sound akin to Lenny Kravitz.

Local fans remain optimistic that their band will win.

"What stands them apart is they are in a different genre altogether [from the other bands]," said 27-year-old Darla Tempel. "Their sound is appealing to our generation right now."

But Tempel concedes that the group has already won a harder competition in the music industry — getting exposure.

"They are going to have more of a fan base than the other bands because their music is popular right now," said Tempel. "Even if they don't win, they'll win."

Taya Flores: 206-464-2220 or tflores@seattletimes.com