The Pax Romana

I'd like to write a long extensive review that you'd find in a magazine or something, but I am pressed for time, so sadly, this will be brief.

Besides being a band that is honest, not pretentious, and just plain talented, The Pax Romana manage to craft songs that are comparable to stripped down straight ahead classic rock bands such as T-Rex and the MC5, while still adding a fresh spin to things.

As far as their live set goes, expect a swirl of frenetic energy from all four of the exceptionally talented bandmates. Lead vocalist Mike Roffman and guitarist Jay Ziegler bounce off of each other like a demented pinball machine, going as far as crashing into drummer Bill Hanson's set during their insane final offering, "Make A Scene" (which by the way, was segued into seamlessly from a great cover of The Who's "Baba O'Reilly") The crowd will cringe at the financial risks of damaging the equipment, but will leave satisfied and energized nonetheless.

Unfortunately, there are some rough spots in some of the songs at the expense of the energy, particularly during their last show's rendition of The Doors' "Break on Through." Don't get me wrong. It was still a pumped up, faithful cover, but Ziegler's riffs were a bit off balance with ivory man Matt Sexton's chugging keyboards.

Aside from the few moments that could be tightened just a bit, The Pax Romana (or is it City Heights?) are your safest bet for an energized, astoundingly well-crafted rock show in Tallahassee. Forget the faux gloom delivered from the local onslaught of nu-metal acts and watered down emo groups. The Pax Romana are here to rock and they definitely deliver the goods. If there's any justice in the world of rock, these guys will explode soon enough on the local scene. SPURT!
- Dan Caffrey-Tallahasseeshows.com

In time to fight the inevitable lull of the Tallahassee summer comes a festival made to encourage the growth of the healthy local music scene. MuzzyFest II, the follow-up to a spring festival held at Lake Ella, is an event created by a local band for local bands.

"The idea of MuzzyFest is to promote local potential for a cheap price, at an easy location, with a no-hassle approach," organizer Mike Roffman said. "Each band will have close to an hour of stage time versus a half hour or so at (local) venues."

The motivation for the festival came from an attempt to share music outside of the standard local venues, but over time the idea has evolved and expanded to include other aspects of entertainment and issues in general. Different organizations have become involved this time around, including D.E.M.P. (Diamond Entertainment), Album Hut (a CD manufacturing company), and an alcohol awareness group called Karma. Even speakers on behalf of human rights and injustice will present at MuzzyFest II.

"It's more than just bands despite that being the central appeal. We asked artists, comedians, political speakers, readers, and any local talent that wanted to shine (to participate)," Roffman said. "MuzzyFest strives to bring everything and anything in the community together. In the future we would love to make this an all-day event at Lake Ella, using the entire property and have a sort of Taste of Chicago meets music and art festival, but in Tallahassee style."

This summer's incarnation of the festival will include local bands Ego Tree, The Vinyl, and The Pax Romana. A band from Iowa called The Western Front will also perform, and in between sets, Johnny Fire (the host of the event), will perform with his band to close the gaps in music and offer a steady stream of entertainment.

"The goal (of MuzzyFest) is equality," Roffman said. "Each band has the same time frame and no band is better than the next. We try to cater to each and every band instead of turning our backs on them. We also use MuzzyFest to promote a show that would normally go unnoticed in the usual local scene."

The event is open to all ages, although the American Legion Hall will have a full liquor bar, and the event will run through much of the night, from 8:30 p.m. all the way until 2 a.m. So pitch in for the effort to give many in the local scene an equal chance in the spotlight, and enjoy more than five hours of entertainment for just five dollars. Try finding that deal anywhere else.

By Justin de la Cruz
- FSView