Music
Press
...as soon as the second band started jamming...the police arrived to capture Penguin for stealing the show. (Joke-no cops.) The vibe was upbeat and super funky. Catchy vocal melodies from the Metz Brothers had the crowd singing along and dancing all night. The band's energy and bouncing movement enhanced the smooth sounds. Their instrumental "Tangible Groove" put the party in high gear, only to keep accelerating. The march of the penguin continued with the second instrumental of the night, "Frankenstein" by the Edgar Winter Group. It was a rare song to cover, but they pulled it off with ease, attacking the crowd with possibly the coolest riff ever played by a stringed instrument.
Penguin's style is self-explained as 'natural, folky and vintage.' Their influences are deeply rooted in the 60's and 70's and include Neil Young, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin. - Murfreesboro Pulse, June 14, 2006
March of the Penguin
Bracken Mayo 30.NOV.06
They do it for the song, for the sound, for the love of music.
Penguin delivers truly sophisticated rock ’n’ roll, each song packed with engaging progressions, an interesting journey, without straying too far from traditional structure. “We’re not getting into a movement,” says Andy Metz, vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter for Penguin.
He can be considered the lead Penguin, not only because he supplies the band with most its tunes (and Chef Wang’s customers with Penguin CDs), but also because he is the band’s namesake—“Penguin” is Metz’s longtime nickname.
The band’s music sounds oddly familiar, but certainly fresh, many passages just sound so right you’d swear you heard them before. Rather than trying to fit into mainstream Nashville, the jam scene, or any other “movements,” Penguin seems focused on simply making good music.
“It’s not contrived at all. It’s from the heart,” said Ryan Jerzak, a dance partner of sorts for Metz as Jerzak’s Stratocaster and Metz’s Epiphone match rhythms and lock together perfectly on many instrumental sections. Focusing energy on producing pleasing, catchy music instead of becoming involved trends and cliques could actually earn a band more listeners in the long run.
“I’ve never been in a band (before Penguin) where young kids like it and their parents like it too,” Jerzak said.
Bassist Chris Goebel said the wide variety of music the band listens to—a healthy foundation of classic rock and blues ranging to more progressive groups such as Mars Volta and Feathers (“If the Smurfs played music, it’s what they would sound like,” Jerzak said of Feathers)—adds to Penguin’s wide appeal.
“We all really like each other too,” said Goebel, drawn to Murfreesboro because MTSU offered the only campus NSAI chapter. While he credits Metz as being a great songwriter and able to present ready-to-go songs to the group, Goebel said he is eager to become more involved in the writing process. While Metz first brought his catalogue of songs to the band, writing is now more of a collaboration between Jerzak, Goebel, Metz, his brother and keyboard player, Chris, and drummer Charlie Blevins.
To hear Penguin’s latest material, grab Burton Street Session, a five-song EP available at Cat’s and Hastings or visit penguinrocks.com for more information. - Murfreesboro Pulse, Nov. 30, 2006 issue
Discography
Burton Street Sessions (2006)
WMTS 88.3 Murfreesboro, TN
WWHP 98.3 Farmer City, IL www.wwhp.com
WEFT 90.1 Champaign, IL www.weft.org
Photos
Bio
Penguin's musical style is deeply rooted in 70's classic rock and roll. Their original music has the "rock" of Led Zeppelin, the funk of early Stevie Wonder, and a splash of Pink Floydian psychedelia, all blended together with the soulful blues of well-crafted guitar leads.
Penguin's goal is as natural as it is simple: "To bring back and play honest music that has been lost by today's trend of regurgitated commercialism, hype, and stereotype". They believe that today's best musicians must be students of yesterday's best musicians, and their unique sound is proof of that. Penguin is excited by the overwhelmingly positive response their music is receiving, is looking forward to big things in 2008.
Formed in Champaign, Illinois in 1998 by brothers Andy Metz (guitar/vox), Chris Metz (keys/vox), their cousin John Vaught (Drums/vox), and friend DJ DeMoss (bass); they spent the next several years writing the songs that would come to be the framework of their set of originals: over 40 songs. They teamed up with guitarist Ryan Jerzak in 2002. Ryan brought a new level of dedication and professionalism to the band through his experience with nationally touring bands, as well as worldwide album releases.
The band felt lost and heartbroken when Andy Metz moved to Murfreesboro, Tennessee in the fall of 2003, to attend college at Middle Tennessee State University. Though this separation hurt the band's ability to play live gigs, it didn't phase their songwriting progress, as they continued to collaborate on ideas through the internet and by sending CDs in the mail.
In October of 2004, the band ended its long distance relationship and decided to relocate to Murfreesboro. Bassist DJ stayed behind in Illinois, leaving Penguin to fill a vacancy. Penguin eventually found Chris Goebel, a Recording Industry Management graduate at MTSU from Indianapolis, who fell right into place. The band soon found themselves recording in the studio and gaining local interest, playing gigs at every possible opportunity.
Through exposure in the local scene, Penguin also picked up a new drummer. Late in 2005, Charlie Blevins was added to the roster and John Vaught left back for Illinois to continue his television production career. Charlie offered new energy to the band, helping to lock in the already present connection between vintage and modern groove that fit Penguin so well.
At the end of 2006, D.J. Demoss freed himself of obligations in Illinois which allowed him to rejoin the band. Now, with original core members, Penguin is finishing its first full length album due in Spring 2008
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