“I kind of forgot it was a contest. I’m not turning music into competition,” said Joe Ferrara, a lifelong Montclair resident and founder of the band, Father Divine, that recently won an unsigned rock band contest at CBGB’s in New York City.

The contest, held on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2002, was to support the efforts of the Max’s Kansas City project, a nonprofit organization providing emergency funding for the creative arts. Celebrity judges such as model/actress Mia Tyler and musician/record producer Genya Ravan were at the event for show — voting on a scale of 1 to 10 on each band’s performance. But it was the audience who helped select the winner by filling out ballots for the band they liked best.

“It was organized very well,” said Ferrara. “Bands were on and off.” Each band was allowed to perform three songs only, which meant they had to make a big impression in a short time. Out of the six bands who played, it was Father Divine who stole the show, receiving a perfect score of 10 from both Tyler and Ravan and winning hands down according to the audience ballots. The prize was that the winning band would do an in-store performance at Virgin Megastore in Union Square in New York City.

“We’re just trying to generate some hype,” said Ferrara. “Things are pretty apathetic. In New Jersey kids just want to listen to cover bands they hear on the radio.” Father Divine has been bringing its wall of sound method to life all over Manhattan, playing venues such as the Elbow Room, the Mercury Lounge and the CMJ Music Marathon. According to Ferrara, they are also getting airplay in Montreal, Canada.

Father Divine will be playing Sunday, Feb. 16, at 7 p.m. at Just Jake’s, 30 Park St. For more information, call Just Jake’s at (973)_655-8987. For more information about Father Divine, go to: www.fatherdivine.com.

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