If you think you've seen commercials on TV lately that featured Detroit's own Muggs ... well, no, you're not hallucinating.
The band was recently picked from thousands of national musical groups to be one of the semifinalists on Fox-TV's new The Next Great American Band show. Created by the same team that gave the world American Idol, for better or for worse, the show will follow the same premise as that show, although, of course, with a more "rock 'n' roll" sensibility, concentrating on groups as opposed to individual performers.
The Muggs applied for the show back in June, mostly as a lark, but were called by the producers back in August, alerting them to the fact that they were one of 12 bands to make the final cut.
The show premieres on Fox next Friday (Oct. 19th) with a two-hour special, running from 8 to 10 p.m. featuring a cross-section of auditions (which is always a hoot), followed by two more two-hour special editions the following two Fridays. After that, on Friday, Nov. 9th, the show will go into its regular one-hour time slot of 8 to 9 p.m.
The bands will all be judged by, um, the Goo Goo Dolls' John Rzenik, Sheila E. and Ian "Dicko" (sometimes the jokes just write themselves!) Dickinson, an Australian TV personality who was one of the judges on New Zealand Idol, on which the new U.S. show is based. Guess that must mean that Dave Navarro was busy.
Audiences will be voting on a weekly basis, so fans of one of Detroit's own are encouraged to tune in. Congratulations to the dudes ... at least we think ...
The Muggs: Tinsel Town players...
