~ Magazyne ~

When Words Fail…..

…Music speaks. And it did just that at Cooper’s Ale House last Saturday night in Greensboro.

Magazyne, a long standing local cover band, rocked that place’s face off! With seasoned members from other bands such as Big Daddy Diesel, Still 3, Motorfinger, Down N Dirty, Saving Graces, Gods Green, Fleshgear, 3 Day Funk and Jones for Juliet how could you go wrong!

Kenny Kallam’s dynamic vocals rang through Cooper’s, calling patrons from all areas of the establishment to see what was going on as he opened their first set with Stone Temple Pilot’s “Wicked Garden”. The energy generated by this one song, set the feel for the rest of the evening. Kenny uses music to motivate people, and I personally think he does a very good job of it. The crowd was ready to rock and they let the band know it right off the bat.

Growing up around music with his dad and uncle in a local Gospel group helped steer him towards music. Kenny says his uncle’s powerful singing is what influenced him at an early age. I can see where he got his singing style if this is the case. He laughs when he tells about how his mom would be frustrated that he didn’t get his homework done, but somehow he was able to study music enough to know all the lyrics to all the songs on the radio. Some things just come naturally….and I think that’s music to Kenny.

Troy Jordan, bassist, took over the mic on Drivin’ N Cryin’s “Fly Me Courageous”. I MUST make an observation here. After hearing this the first time, I went home and pulled out my cd and listened to the original. I really must say that Magazyne’s version was more ‘reach out and grab you’ energetic. It might be partially due to the talent of the band, but also the sheer energy that Troy exudes while on stage. I have never witnessed a bassist who gets so involved in his playing as I have while watching him. Its almost exhausting, but definitely spirit lifting. You know they say, if you smile at someone, they will smile back. Well I guess if you bounce around and have fun in front of someone….they are undoubtedly going to bounce around and have fun in response.

He credits his brother for getting him started on the bass. Troy played violin in 5th and 6th grades, but soon felt that his friends thought he was a nerd, so he dropped it. A few years passed then he picked up the bass after watching his brother, Dwayne play and has been going strong ever since. With the sounds of bassists like Stanley Clarke, Troy formed a love for ‘Slap’ style bass. You see this between songs as he will throw a few ‘slap’ riffs out. Troy says the sounds of other bassists like Sting, Getty Lee and Marcus Miller round out his true influences.

Newest member of Magazyne, Tim Craddock, was a sight to observe himself. Its one thing to watch someone play their instrument, but its another to watch them “feel” it as they do. That is what I got when I watched him caress the neck of his red Suhr guitar. From the Cult’s “Firewoman” to Guns N Roses “Sweet Child of Mine”, his fingers may have danced all over the frets, but his face echoed what the music was doing to him. Tim showed his vocal ability when Kenny handed the mic over to him on STP’s “Plush”. Again, it was touching to watch him feel the song as he sang it. I can not wait to see what other songs Tim ends up singing with the band.

A lot of musicians play but not everyone can experience ~ that is what I took away from watching Tim, and it made sense when I asked him what it was about music that he loved. Without missing a beat he said, “Everything. “Music is what I am”. He started playing on a Peavey T60 at 12 years old and for the last 4 to 5 years, he has been playing every weekend. I was impressed to learn that he owns 15 guitars that include his Taylor acoustic, a Paul Reed Smith, a couple of Les Paul Gibsons, and even his favorite red Suhr. He said that his new Suhr should be in his hands soon. I for one cant wait to watch and hear him break it in.

Danny Chatfield is smooth on rhythm guitar. Standing beside Troy must be a challenge, but Danny seems to feed off of his energy and it comes out in his playing. On Daughtry’s “Home” he gets the chance to shine in his own light, and that he does. Pulling out Tim’s Taylor acoustic on this homegrown ballad is pleasing to the ear. It is refreshing to hear the strumming of a good ol acoustic now and then, almost like a cleansing of sorts. Don’t get me wrong, Danny is fantastic with his regular Gibson Explorer, but it really was a treat to see the band do this song.

Danny cracked me up when he said if it hadn’t been for his guitar, he probably would have ended up in jail. He got his first guitar by ‘default’ when he traded a car stereo for a bright red BC Rich guitar and Peavey amp. When I asked him what it was about this guitar that made him want it in particular, he said “I could sell it a lot faster than the car radio”. He quickly confessed that after he picked it up to see what it was like to strum the strings, he fell in love. He said that when it comes to music, you can always count on it, it is always there, and it will never leave you.

Rounding out the band is Anthony Foltz on drums. Very talented in his own right, this man can really beat a skin. As with everyone else in the band, Anthony got the chance to solo it as well as he sang Tommy Tutone’s “Jenny”. This is one of my favorite all time songs, and it seemed, by the number of people standing and singing it with him, that it might be a couple of others faves as well.

Anthony said he got his start on drums by chance when he sat down at a drum kit a friend of his had and started playing. When his friends asked him how long he had been playing he responded, “just now”. Admittedly a long time Peter Chris fan, he says he loves to sit down, create, and get lost in the music. He admits he is drawn to it because it can literally change your day and outlook on things. When I asked him who his favorite band was, he said Faith No More for their ability to mix it up and keep in interesting, not sticking to one set style.

Magazyne has the ability to play to the audience and is a true crowd pleaser when it comes to how they do their shows. While talking to Anthony about the bands line up and how they play, he said “The music a band plays should reflect the personality of a band, and Magazyne is very upbeat.”. Well I for one am not going to argue that one bit! You really feel this ‘upbeat’ energy on songs like Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name of” or “Bulls on Parade”, and even Lit’s “My Own Worst Enemy”. Three songs I for one love to get up, dance and jump around to.

Troy got a chance to slap his bass a little when a patron asked if she could sing a song in the second set. After Kenny brought her up on stage, she proceeded to dance and sing sporadically as Troy slapping out “Play that Funky Music” for her. You could tell the guys were winging it and enjoying it. They pulled it off fantastically!

I have noticed a group of men who I have dubbed the “Fan Boys”. These four men follow the band around at least once a month. When I asked Aaron why this band, he told me the first time he heard them he was having dinner at Ham’s in Greensboro, not even thinking about music. Then when the band came on his first thought was “holy shit!”. When he learned they were going to be playing at Plum Krazy’s, also in Greensboro, and took a few of his friends out to see them, and a following was born. They all agree that the best place to catch Magazyne is at Skagnetti’s in Kernersville. An observation I most definitely agree with.

Anthony made a very good observation when he said “you shouldn’t look at music as a musician, you should look at is as a fan.”. This might be the secret to the band, as they seem to always play to the crowd, drawing them in to experience what it is they have to say……through music of course :)


You can catch Magazyne this Sunday at the Clubhouse as part of the Hope for Haiti benefit and then again on March 13th at After Hours Tavern in High Point ~ I will be there…..will you?


http://www.myspace.com/magazyne
And they are on facebook as well!