2012 Most Overrated Artist: Merykid

Merykid

Nick Mery, "Merykid," "the one guy from the Great '85," whatever name you know him by, has been voted the most overrated musician in San Antonio. Laugh all you want, but this is exactly what Mery wanted. And the joke is, apparently, on us.

Campaigning for the category since the Current's poll was made available last month, his intention was twofold. "If you think I'm overrated and you're tired of hearing about me, here's your opportunity, say it," he says. "The other people that support me saw it, and I was able to say, 'Hey I want to win this, so if you support me, vote for it.' And so it's sort of a controlling of all the different attitudes or opinions people would have about anything that I do in the city."

As if on cue, speakers at the bar where Mery and I are talking start piping out Carly Simon's "You're So Vain," and it's all too appropriate. Mery seems to notice. "I can't say that I'm not vain in the sense that the entire campaign was to prove a point about myself and my own self-worth."

It was also an avenue to offer broader commentary on the music scene, he says, suggesting that San Antonio musicians should work more as a team utilizing local resources. "People should be trying to add onto what's already being done, and not trying to create their own thing alongside it, or in competition with, for their own benefit."

Of course, how many votes were riding in league with Mery's campaign and how many were genuine, we can't know. But the irony of the whole thing is how a campaign to spark discourse about the greater good first focused on Mery the individual.

"Winning Most Overrated was a lot deeper than I think a lot of people really expected it to be."

No shit. It's likely because this category is underrated.

2. Girl in a Coma
3. Drive