Music
Press
Saw MB for the first time Friday (Nov 14)at the Blue Monkey. To say I was impressed is an understatement. They opened with Cream's White Room. I thought to myself that it was an ambitious choice. 2 bars in I realized they were going to nail it, and they certainly did, and then some. They didn't merely cover the song, they made it their own. Next when I heard the opening bars of Midnight Rider I wondered if I'd miss the D.A. / Betts double lead, but Blake is so skilled on the guitar, combined with Chris's expertise and lightning fingers on the keyboards they brought a fullness to the song that would have made those boys from Jacksonville proud. Add to that the rock solid foundation and energy of the rhythm section (deftly represented by Rodd and Kelly) They had the crowd spellbound. The entire set was equally impressive. Everything from SRV to ZZ Top sounded fantastic. Throughout the evening each member had multiple chances to showcase their talents and musicianship, and not once did they disappoint. In a music town like Memphis where there are a lot of great musicians and solid bands, Mercury Boulevard rises miles above their peers and made a lasting impression on this seasoned, somewhat jaded music lover.
- Blue Monkey
Discography
Mercury Boulevard - Self Titiled EP released Fall of 2007. The songs Hold On, Midnight in California and Testify have received weekly radio play on Rock 103 in Memphis and The Vexar Entertainment Hour, a Mid-South area podcast.
Photos
Bio
Pop, rock, funk, and a drop of the blues, this is the sound of Mercury Boulevard and the road they're on. This four-piece band is quickly becoming as popular as barbeque in their blues city home of Memphis, Tennessee. With rock influences of the Black Crowes and Rolling Stones, along with psychedelic Hendrix, and pop favorite John Mayer, you can hear Mercury Boulevard mix and match their way to a unique sound. Blake Ryan, band frontman, explains, "We wanted each member to be able to exert his own individual style into the sound of the band. That means that we cover a lot of musical ground each time we play. We never want to be pigeon-holed or locked into playing one particular type of music."
This diversity has led to an impressive run of gigs in the Memphis area. In their short time together the band has headlined at local hot spots like the Young Avenue Deli, The Blue Monkey, The New Daisy Theater and Newby's. Mercury Blvd can also be found weekly on world famous Beale Street, having played at several venues that include the Rum Boogie, Club 152, Wet Willie's, and the Black Diamond. These gigs, along with shows at several TJ Mulligan's and Fox and Hound locations, prove the ability of Mercury Blvd to adapt to almost any crowd and win over fans at each performance.
The Mercury Boulevard live show is comprised of catchy originals and crowd favorite cover songs. You can expect to hear anything from Jimi Hendrix to Lenny Kravitz, Stevie Wonder to Stone Temple Pilots, Al Green to Led Zeppelin, often within the same set. The key to the band's sound and success is within the mix of it's four members and their ability to lock together as one solid unit. The band lineup includes:
Blake Ryan - guitar, vocals
Chris Stephenson - keyboards, vocals
Kelly McDonald - bass
Rodd Bland - drums, vocals
Locally, Mercury Boulevard has been featured on Rock 103 in Memphis, with both on-air performances and interviews. The band also just enjoyed their 1st television exposure on the Live @ 9 Memphis Morning News program, which featured 2 song performances and interview. Internationally, Mercury Boulevard has been featured on many European American Music Hour radio shows and has shown potential for international success. Mercury Boulevard is an example of great music with some down home, southern style, who know how to show a crowd a good time. Crowd by crowd, ear by ear, and song by song, Mercury Boulevard is out to change the way you think about music.
Mercury Boulevard will be releasing their first full-length album in early 2009.
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