| Anyone who has spent
any time in Manhattan’s clubs lately has hopefully figured out that this town has
more to offer the local music fan than power pop or ska. Such is the case with The Fools and Binge who played at Auntie Mae’s Wed.
March 8th. Both bands, somewhat new to the Manhattan scene, have much to add to the
diversity of the musical talent pool that ebbs and flows in Manhattan.
Binge is far removed from the rap inspired pop-metal one
tends to hear on college or so-called alternative airwaives these days. They offer a
combination of hard-edged tunes along with more thoughtful rock balads. Singer Ben
Schardein has the quintessential rock voice, capable of sliding neatly from a coo to a
scream in the same song. Ben is well supported by the vocals and pounding of drummer Matt
“Bonzai” Bonser. I’d like to see Bonzai try a few solo vocals in the
future.
Matt Biltoft gave an expert performance on lead gutair. His
unadorned riffs create a firm rock foundation. He and Ben volley the chords back and
forth, giving Binge a solidly based rock and roll sound that is hard to pigeon-hole.
Bassist, Jay Machiela, faired well for his first time out
with the foursome. Binge acquired Jay after Barry Fair left eariler this year. Fair played
with the group for nearly a year and appears on their 5 song EP “Madeleine and Other
Stories” available from the band. Jay joined Binge in February after working with
Knee Deep. Jay should also add some expertise to any of the band’s future recording
efforts since he operates his own recording studio, Noise, Inc.
Binge tries to tour as much as they can and will be
appearing in Great Bend later this month. You can reach them at falcon@ksu.edu. A website is in the works.
The Fools guitarist Thad Reist likes to say his band plays
psychadelic blues. Whatever it is they play, it makes you think these guys have been
reaching back in the vinyl archives to find their sound - all the way to the the late
1960s and Cream, in fact.
Thad is one of Manhattan’s better guitar players and
gives the listener the impression that he could handle any style of music from jazz to
folk to classical. We’re just lucky he’s chosen rock for the moment.
Drummer, Chris Domenico, gets a lot of sound from his
sparse five piece set. I don't think I have ever seen such a minimalistic drum kit -but it
really works for him. His playing is solid and without pretense.
Tyler Fenney, bassist and lead vocalist, is simply fun to
watch. His bass line creates a sub melody that richly supports Thads riffs. His vocals and
expressive demeanor are never boring.
The Fools played mostly originals, which Thad said are the
result of the bands collaborative efforts. They also did an amusing version of the Troggs
“Wild Thing” and later on, they did Cream’s “Sunshine of Your
Love.” But I had decided they were doing the British blues rock thing way before
that. They may have a recording out this summer.
The Fools play again at Manhattan’s Hibachi Hut on
Fri., March 31st at about 10:30pm. Kudos to the Hut for starting to do shows late after
the dinner crowd has split.
You can contact the Fools at 785-776-5594 or tjr7535@ksu.edu. |
