3MF (Third Man Factor)
Northborough, Massachusetts, United States | SELF
Music
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NOW PLAYING: 3MF (3rd Man Factor)
THE BAND: James Massucco, 16, drums, sophomore, Algonquin Regional High School, Northborough; Riley Feeney, 15, bass guitar and backup vocals, sophomore, ARHS, Northborough; Kyle Champeon, 15, alto, tenor and soprano saxophones, sophomore, ARHS, Northborough; Jake Shea, 16, guitar and vocals, junior, Shrewsbury High School, Shrewsbury; Luke Tobin, 15, guitar and vocals, sophomore, Swampscott High School, Swampscott.
WE PLAY: Massucco and Feeney described 3MF (3rd Man Factor) as "a rock jam band pretty heavily influenced by the Grateful Dead, Dave Matthews Band and Phish."
"We're trying to bring music back to the old days when it was all about the music and good vibes," said Massucco.
OUR SOUND: "We're definitely not mellow. But we're not super hard," said Massucco, while sharing input from Feeney. "We play with lots of energy, trading the leads back and forth," said Massucco. "When Kyle Champeon plays his sax, it can be soulful, intense, crazy loud or he can just bust it out. It gives us a unique sound some fans have compared to Phish," said Massucco.
HISTORY: After playing together in the school jazz band, Massucco, Feeney and Tobin started 3MF in December 2008 aiming to create "a really distinct sound." Tobin invited his cousin, Jake Shea, and then the whole gang recruited Champeon for his virtuoso saxophone skills. In 2009 and 2010, the band won first place awards in separate Battles of the Bands at Algonguin and Bellingham high schools.
The band's name, 3rd Man Factor, refers to events reported in a book by John Geiger in which an unseen presence like a guardian angel provided support or comfort to explorers or 9/11 survivors during a traumatic experience.
WE ROCKED: Last August when some band members were vacationing in Vermont with their families, the band rented the Hancock Town Hall and threw a three-hour concert that attracted an estimated 70 people who, said Massucco, were "dancing all around." Following that show, the band has been invited to perform this July in the town of Rochester's "Big Town, Big Tent 2011" music and poetry festival.
On Jan. 2, the band played at Church, a hip club near Kenmore Square, Boston, where they opened for the jam-funk band Serrana.
LISTEN UP AT: www.facebook.com/3mfthirdmanfactor. Listen to a demo CD with three original songs, "Daisy Bones," "House" and "Strawberry Jam."
HOPE TO SEE YA: We don't have any gigs planned for the immediate future but are in the process of focusing really hard and writing original new songs with an energetic beat that'll make audiences feel like dancing.
FOR BOOKINGS/INFORMATION: E-mail 3rdmanfactor@gmail.com
Copyright 2011 The MetroWest Daily News. Some rights reserved - The Metro West Daily News
To the whoops of the Battle of the Bands audience of about 300 in Algonquin auditorium last night, several dozen talented musicians, including a lone young woman, swayed, strummed, hopped, slapped, beat, sang, and danced their way through the evening. One band, Moose Crossing, literally gave a glowing performance as they, outlined in glow sticks, played in the darkened auditorium. Griffon, the progressive rock band of 2003 Algonquin alumnus and band vocalist, Brian Dollaway, topped off the evening. The air resonated with ska, heavy metal and progressive rock sounds in what was a lively, entertaining show. The winner of the Best Band battle, was the all-freshman group, Third Man Factor (3MF), comprised of two guitarists, a bassist, a drummer, and a saxophonist. The group played and sang two original compositions, “The First Song that We Play” and “The End” in the light-rock style of the Dave Matthews Band. Though young in the field of contenders, they gave a solid performance and returned for a crowd-pleasing encore to finish the show. - Northborough News
Discography
So far, 3MF has one Demo CD in circulation. It was produced at Night Train Studios. It contains the songs "House," "Daisy Bones," and "Strawberry Jam."
3MF is also awaiting the completion of our second demo, which was produced in the home studio of an acquaintance of ours. The CD will include four of our newer songs. A sneak peak of one of the songs, Pandaphosum, is available for listening right here in our EPK.
Photos
Bio
Take the old rock styles of The Grateful Dead and The Allman Brothers and mix it with the newer styles of DMB and moe. Throw in an incredible sax and you have 3MF. The immense energy created by these 16 year olds has led to a band that breaks the age barriers, drawing older and younger crowds together to share the love of the music with each other. Solid drumming by James Massucco keeps fans on the edge of their seats (if they aren't already up dancing in front), allowing for Riley Feeney to make improvisational grooves and switch ups on bass. This rock hard foundation creates perfect opportunities for both guitarists, Luke Tobin and Jake Shea, who switch off lead and rhythm, to capture the crowd's attention with catchy riffs and creative solos. With the addition of sax player Kyle Champeon, who plays with incredibly intense passion, 3MF guarentees that no show will ever be the same. Top this off with soulful lyrics and the band is certain to turn heads. However, no one band member attempts to capture the spotlight. Instead, they share it, switching the center of attention throughout the song. The unity of the five boys creates a sound like no other band. The energy cannot be stopped and the passion of each member keeps the music filled with soul, performance after performance.
3MF was created when guitarist and vocalist Luke Tobin decided he was going to find a band that would play the music he enjoyed. In late 2008, he asked guitarist Dan Kim, drummer James Massucco, and bassist Riley Feeney to form a band with him (all four were in the same jazz group in 8th grade and had played with each other on numerous occasions). The band then decided that adding a saxophonist to the ensemble would create a whole new sound for the band, and thus Kyle Champeon, who was also in the same jazz group, was added to the band. Shortly thereafter, Luke's cousin Jake Shea was added as a guitarist and vocalist. However, with 3 guitarists, the sound was just not right, and so in 2009, Dan left the group.
The name of the band comes from the book "The Third Man Factor" by John Geiger.
-"The Third Man Factor is a biography of an extraordinary idea: That people at the very edge of death, often adventurers or explorers, experience a sense of an incorporeal being beside them who encourages them to make one final effort to survive."
Much like these adventurers or explorers, 3MF believes that there is always that sense of encouragement pushing them to strive to what seems like unreachable feats.
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