Seven nights, 10 stages, four seminars, four parties, too many fashion shows, hundreds of musical acts, one tired reporter. An offshoot of the venerable New York International Independent Film and Video Festival and attended by hordes of producers, agents, managers and record labels, the New York International Music Festival was held April 2-10 at venues and clubs across Manhattan.

The opening-night gala at Madison Square Garden was a circus. Literally. With the Barnum & Baileys big top spectacle spilling out of the main arena the same evening, Festival performers and attendees had to navigate one maze of balloons and cotton candy before reaching their own maze of hallways, stages and promotional tables, all accented with enough flyers for a ticker-tape parade and camera lights galore.

While the solo, mostly eponymous performers had pre-submitted accompaniment CDs to sing along with for their five-minute/one song timeslots, the live bands were free to play brief sets. Although that might not seem like enough time for the desperate-to-stand-outers to convey raw talent and personality, most rose to the occasion in their respective genres, which ranged from Latin to R&B to Bluegrass to Adult Christian Contemporary. As host/MTV Australia personality Shorty Brown said, "We've got lots of stages and lots of music; every kind of music imaginable. There's a little bit of everything at this festival."

As the nights went by, the rowdy, supportive crowds thinned out and toned down, but the trends of sound system difficulties, tight leather pants and performances dedicated to overseas soldiers remained. Le Bar Bat, Discoteque, China Club, Acme Underground, B.B. King Blues Club & Grill and CBGBs also witnessed some crushed 'Star Search' wishes and 'American Idol' dreams from singers who laid out one too many "Strawberry Wine"s, "Arms of the Angel"s, "I Will Survive"s or "I Will Always Love You"s. Spectators also had to shake their heads in dismay at hopeless cases who dejectedly hung around venues after their performances waiting for a single congratulation or promising business card.

But despite its shortcomings, the Festival's ultimate purposes, networking and showcasing, never ceased. Deserving artists were fittingly recognized, and above all, sincerity won out over schmaltz. If the Festival was any indication of current trends, the future of music might not be as bleak as it appears.

Rock/alternative highlights:

The Space Pimps
Their goals are simple: to get girls and MTV play. The Pennsylvanian heirs-apparent to Green Day and Blink-182 have made a demo CD and even a video for the damnably catchy "Girl I Know." If Rivers Cuomo chucked rock geekdom to became a skate goon, well, the world as we know it would end, but the transformation would also give a taste of how the Pimps successfully bridge the two genres. www.thespacepimps.com

Shawn Pander
The beach-blond funky folkster from Houston forewent playing along to a pre-recorded CD to instead perform an acoustic song about love and eggs he had written that afternoon. Jack Johnson beware, this 25 year-old has already released a full-length album, Soundtrack to Life, and won a slew of regional awards. www.shawnpander.com

Bret Rodysill
Although Rodysill was not quite as blond, surfalicious or free-spirited as Pander, his fast fingers were downright mesmerizing. How his acoustic guitar did not burst into flames was a mystery to all.

Audio Fiction
Although actress-cum-rock grrrl Mimi Ferraro had never played live with her three backing boys before her last-minute Festival performance, Audio Fiction handled themselves like old pros. With influences ranging from "the Beatles, Radiohead, U2, Van Morrison, Blondie, Motown R&B, Thin Lizzy, even Coldplay and 70's classic rock," with just a dash of No Doubt thrown in for good measure, their energetic set was easily the highlight of the second evening. Imagine what'll happen after they've actually been together awhile, and the mind begins to reel. www.audiofiction.org

Dibs
The three Jersey boys looked like Urban Outfitters models and delivered alt-powerpop tunes so memorable, it seemed a given that their contributions to Film and Video Festival entry "Wasteland" resulted in a nomination for Best Soundtrack. Their debut CD Makeout Songs features alternating lead vocals, a dizzying array of influences and an inspired ode to Kirsten Dunst. www.dibsmusic.com

The very best of the rest:

Kenny Camacho
The New York 'Idol' winner has a good thing going with his Latin-pop cover of "Lady in Red," but merely comparing his sound to Enrique Iglesias and Mark Anthony doesn't do justice to the energy and stage presence the Vin Diesel ringer exudes. www.kennycamacho.com

Psyche of Sound
Whether performing solo freestyle or rocking the room with his heavy metal-funk-reggae band, the man known as Psyche of Sound oozed of professionalism. Not surprisingly, his performance scored him some camera time on Mothership Connection Television with host Bea Montgomery. www.psyche2soul.com

Elvy Rose
She's tiny, but she's got an amazing set of pipes (a fact once noted by Jerry Lewis). Jazz, Latin, rock, Broadway...her specialties are many. Rose's sultry knockout of a song about student-teacher attraction easily received the loudest praise of the night; the audience member she incorporated into the performance never knew what hit him. www.elvyrose.com

Trey Hernandez
The next prince of Latin dance, Trey seemed to take the stage every single evening, and although he never once smiled, his showmanship was always memorable. In the course of three songs, he employed four costume changes, eight dancers and his very own headset microphone. Ricky Martin, watch your back. www.treyhernandez.com

Denis Harting
One of the most intriguing acts of the entire Festival, Denis is blind, a bit hyperactive, possesses an androgynous voice and perhaps worst of all, is white. But his R&B performance was fiercely intense, completely sensual, and downright stunning. He dropped every jaw in the joint, received a standing ovation, then got out in the middle of the floor and danced to other people's music. Performing professionally since 1993, the Montreal-based singer/songwriter/producer has released multiple solo and group demos and appeared on several television programs. www.starpolish.com/denisharting

The oh-so-bad:

Angels Among Us
The matching-outfitted, too-homely-for-MTV vocal quartets "I'm American as Apple Pie" sang the praises of Walt Disney and Lady Liberty in the same breath. The sparkles, the wholesomeness and the frozen smiles were far too synthetic even for Branson, Missouri.

Earl Jones
Picture Meat Loaf with long blonde greasy hair. He's wearing a denim work shirt, and he's rapping. Don't call us, Earl, we'll call you.

The Steve Marshall Band and the Deputies
The "band" included 11 people, including three singing cowgirls, plus a handful of "deputies" that drug audience members ("inmates") out on the dance floor to compete for Tony & Tina makeup. Marshall seems to be the love child of Huey Lewis and Jack Nicholson, and his band does have some famous-by-association members, but between the bubbles, the cameraman and the middle-aged mentality, there is no room to rock. If you should happen to venture to www.stevemarshallband.com to check out some incredibly lame celebrity photos, you should feel privileged. Congratulations, you've now seen the ugliest Web site in existence.

The creepy black agent guy working
the young blonde singer and her elderly mom
Theres a slight chance that he was actually interested in her music, but that doesn't excuse his arm wrapped around her and his whispering in her ear the entire night.