Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Rock stardom aside, up-and-coming local act MUSH is hoping its music can open doors for Northeast Ohio.
“Cleveland is obviously the rock’n’roll capitol of the world, but it doesn’t have a real popular scene,” said MUSH bassist Matthew Mencke. “We’re trying to hopefully embark on that and change that up a little bit. And the more exposure we get, the more exposure we can bring to other bands and spread the word, because there’s a lot of good acts, not just from Elyria, but from Lorain County and Cuyahoga County. Unfortunately, those bands fall through the cracks because they’re not part of a certain genre. We just hope to expose that a little more.”
The increasing of exposure continues this weekend as MUSH – Mencke, Andrew Mencke (guitar), Robert Lankey (singer), Josh Hopkins (guitar), and Josh Messer (drums) – performs Sunday afternoon at one of the last rock shows at The Odeon Concert Club. The famed venue closes its doors for good next week. The Elyria-based outfit, which is opening for national band Seventh Plague, is currently in the process of recording it’s full-length album, which it hopes to have out in late 2006 or early 2007. With 15 tracks in the mix, MUSH is anticipating the groups energetic sound will catch fire with Cleveland rock fans.
“We’re kind of a hard-rock band with some, I wouldn’t say slower tunes but, not as fast songs,” said the 25-year-old Elyria High School graduate. “The best way I can describe it is if you take Nickelback, Godsmack, Disturbed, Korn, Tool and Metallica, and throw it in a blender on high for three minutes, that’s what you’d come up with.”
Mencke said the deciding factor in MUSH’s amalgamative sound is “Energy, Pure energy.”
It’s that energy that audiences get to see firsthand when MUSH performs live. And considering the five-piece believes it’s an honor to be one of the last bands at The Odeon, fans should expect the band’s energy level to be turned up to 11.
“It’s just incredible,” Mencke said. “It’s really sad to see the place close down. So many historical acts have come through there, and we were fortunate enough to play there once before and when the opportunity came around to play one of the final shows, we just couldn’t pass it up. We had to do it. It’s going to be quite an emotional trip.”
- Chronicle Telegram: John Benson
Discography
MUSH demo disc
1. Chamber
2. Confused
3. Rockin' in the free World - Neil Young
4. Unfair
Perfect E.P.
1. Unleashed
2. Perfect
3. Why
4. Intolerance
5. Take a Little More
Perfect E.P.
1. Unleashed
2. Perfect
3. Why
4. Intolerance
5. Take a Little More
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Take The purest form of Hard Rock, throw in some Heavy Metal, add in only the highest levels of Energy, toss it all in a blender and puree on high for five minutes and you have the amalgam that is MUSH. Started by brothers Matt and Drew Mencke as a garage jam project, MUSH was finally conceived in late 2004 with the addition of childhood friends Josh “Tacklebox” Hopkins and Rob Lankey. It wasn’t long before Josh “Cowboy” Messer joined the group and the band was off and running. The MUSHkin Army grew in leaps and bounds as MUSH descended upon Northeast Ohio with high intensity shows that could only be described as ‘Pure Energy’. Playing in Venues such as The House of Blues, Cleveland’s Legendary Odeon, The Agora, and Peabody’s, MUSH started a snowball that would continue rolling as they made it through all three rounds in Emergenza’s International Battle of the Bands contest taking 3rd place overall in the Cleveland area, placing higher than any other Hard Rock/Heavy Metal group, and making it to the finals of the House of Blues’ and Guitar Center’s Project Rockstar. It was, however, after the much anticipated release of MUSH’s E.P. that Rob parted ways from the band to pursue other interests. In stepped Dan “Skribz” Svoboda. With powerful vocals, emotionally soul-felt lyrics, and an awe-inspiring presence, Skribz completes the five-piece that has become known throughout Northeast Ohio as one of the areas hardest working bands. Fueled by Ambition and Integrity, MUSH’s drive is unparalleled. With heavy bass lines and hard hitting drums accompanied by energetically fueled guitar riffs and melodically inspired lyrics, MUSH is at the core of Hard Rock. In a time when the only constant is change, you can count on one thing…..MUSH will continue to rise to an unprecedented level.
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