The final applause of the 2016 Homegrown Music Festival is now in the history books. Which band “won” the festival? Each year PDD polls its readership and asks that very question. Because art is useless if it isn’t vain and competitive, right?

How does one “win” a music festival? Is it about musicianship? Is it about showmanship and antics? Is it about pretty hairstyles and flamboyant fashions? Yes.

The poll is now closed. Here are the results:

Medical Underground – 16.8 percent
Red Mountain – 12.3 percent
The Social Disaster – 11.2 percent
Bratwurst – 10 percent
A Band Called Truman – 7.8 percent
Various other bands – 41.9 percent

Medical Underground photo by Walt Dizzo.

Steve Hamlin knows what it’s like to almost win Homegrown. Now he knows what it’s like to win it. His previous band, the Blasphemists, finished second three years in a row in “Who won Homegrown?” polls. This year, Hamlin’s Medical Underground takes top honors.

No one at Perfect Duluth Day was in attendance during Medical Underground’s Friday night show at Sir Benedict’s Tavern on the Lake, but we did hear it was packed with people and the band purportedly wore suits. We’ll do our best to track down more photos and further evidence of the winning performance.