Soulbread and The Marty Manous Band at the Hard Rock Cafe
October 25, 2009 · Print This Article
This past Saturday Irish Rockers, The Answer, played the Hard Rock Café in Atlanta. The opening acts were Saturn 5, Soulbread and The Marty Manous Band.
Unfortunately we didn’t get to catch Saturn 5 so that review will have to wait, but we were there for Soulbread, The Marty Manous Band and The Answer, which will be reviewed separately.
First up was Soulbread. The newly formed Atlanta rockband consists of former Asphalt Valentine Lead Guitarist, Chris Meyer, Bassist John Crumbley and former State of Man Drummer, Chris Love.
There are pros and cons to this band, so let’s start with the cons. Cons: With every new band there’s an adjustment period and Soulbread is no exception. Vocalist Chris Meyers, while having a good voice doesn’t appear to be comfortable in his new role as frontman. And that’s a problem because the frontman is the person that most people are transfixed on. Whether a band succeeds or fails is usually placed squarely on the frontman’s shoulders. And to be a good frontman you have to have more than just a good voice, especially if you plan on holding the audience’s attention during a live show. But to Meyer’s defense, if being a frontman was easy then everyone would do it. The bottome line is, cohesively there is something missing with this band. The music and the songs were good, but the delivery needs some work.
Pros: As stated before Soulbread is a young band, but they have all the potential in the world. Chris Meyer does have a good voice, John Crumbley’s a good bass player, but the biggest thing they have going for them is Drummer Chris Love. Love is easily one of the best drummers in Atlanta and consummate professional. He has the experience and undoubtedly the leadership skills to move this band in the right direction. So keep an eye on Soulbread because I predict that after a few more months of the band meshing as a band, that their live show will be a lot better.
Next up was The Marty Manous Band. For me the Rock/Blues band was the surprise of the night. Before the show started I had never even heard of them, but they are clearly one of the more talented bands coming out of Atlanta.
The band consists of Guitarist Marty Manous, Vocalist Josh Rieff, Drummer Cody King and Bassist Gage Gilmore.
I personally have never been a huge blues fan, but blues fan or not, you can’t help but to be impressed by vocalist Josh Rieff. It’s obvious that Rieff’s intense love for music is the attributing factor to the soulful, passionate delivery of each and every word he sings.
I’ve also never been one for long guitar solos, unless you count “Freebird” and “Hotel California”, but Marty Manous has a gift that deserves to be showcased. His intricate guitar work was a mix of blues, classical and rock music and the crowd loved every minute of it.
The only recommendation I have is that maybe in the future he shortens the solos a bit, because after awhile, the solos, as amazing as they are might make people tune out if they go on for too long. Anything done in excess runs the risk of having that effect.
But I definitely recommend that you check out the The Marty Manous Band, you won’t be disappointed.
Sin Lucas, Senior Contributor
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Thanks for the cool review. I totally know what you’re saying and it’s being discussed and worked on as we speak. Next time you see Soulbread,it will be a brand new presentation.
Thanks again.
Meyer
Thanks for the review of SOULBREAD. I personally appreciate the fine remarks in regards to my drumming. I know this town is full of great talent and I am just proud to be a small part of the amazing musicianship of the Atlanta music scene. Thanks for the kind words Sin and be prepared to bare witness to one of the best bands in Atlanta…SOULBREAD!
The Bassist for “The Marty Manous Band” just might be one of the best out there. While playing within the bands format, as a good bassist should, he is not afraid to step up when called upon. Just a joy to see talent.