Members of of the metal band “n.u.m.b.” blast through their set at Big Mama’s Karaoke Café in Seymour on Saturday, August 18. The band was one of four to compete that night in the contest, which runs through October. Photo by David Grimes
Temperatures climbed toward one hundred degrees during the afternoon,
but the rocking crowd at Big Mama’s Karaoke Café in Seymour on
Saturday, August 18 were chilled out by four cool bands, as the mercury
dropped in the evening, and competitors took the stage in the Battle
of the Bands, sponsored by Big Mama’s, Tennessee Productions,
Inc., and the South Knox · Seymour Times.
The Mirror Image Worship Band took the stage first and the crowd by
storm, marked by the pensive vocals and acoustic guitar of Jared
Webster. With an alternative-Christian approach and a folk sensibility,
the quartet’s mid-tempo rhythms, courtesy of drummer Chris Hickman,
meshed well with the mainstream appeal of twins David Stalans on
electric guitar and his brother Daniel on the bass.
“It’s really cool. We enjoyed the experience,” Webster told the Times
following their performance. But he was quick to point out that they
were looking for no glory.
“We are not out here to show ourselves, but to make sure God’s Word is represented,” Webster said.
The next band up belied the surface interpretation of their name.
Carrying the moniker “n.u.m.b.” one might be led to expect them to have
a laid-back approach, but that was far from the case.
Led by the scintillating vocals of frontman Chris “Bato” Gravelin, the
five-piece locked and loaded a full magazine of metal, then sprayed the
appreciative crowd with sharp-edged shrapnel sound.
Showcasing all-original material often featuring keyboardist/vocalist
Wes Harber’s shimmering samples cast over the iron-wristed skinwork of
drummer Josh Maples, bassist Travis Strunk and guitarist Mick Adkins
blasted out minor key after key in an electrifying, high-energy set.
“We often start the creative process with a riff or a drumbeat,” Strunk
told the Times about how they craft their tunes. “Next thing you know,”
Adkins added, “the magic starts to flow.” They revealed that “n.u.m.b.”
stands for “never underestimate my band”, and no one involved in the
voting process should.
Carrying on the theme of interesting names, Know Shame took the stage
next. With the charming if sometimes-wayward vocal of Jesse Robards
impelling Tim Randolf’s left-handed lead guitar work, the quartet of
rockers made good use of space on their original compositions, often
dropping into airy bridges before returning to a chainsaw grind.
Laying down a solid foundation behind them were Craig Mann, whose
sizzling cymbal and shotgun snare anchored the beat, and bassist Chuck
Martin, whose pick-style tone complemented well the spark and shiver of
his bandmates.
“It was awesome,” Robards said of their opportunity to perform at the Café. “It’s such a killer stage and the sound is great.”
Winding up the night’s entertainment were the competitors from
Facelock. With five members plus a traveling light technician, the
quintet put an emphasis on showmanship that in no way detracted from
their excellent music.
The sepulchral vocals of Chris Wright were a perfect match for the
lightning-fast and thunder-deep fretwork from guitarists Josh Carroll
and Andrew Buchanan. Bassist Cody Tucker’s brilliant bass bottomed-out
their tight tremolo tandem with worthy weight as drummer Matt Gunter
led the cavalry charge-rhythm that fell like a steam hammer on a
screaming audience.
The band takes pride in offering something for everyone. “We want you
to feel welcome at our shows,” Wright said. “Whether you like our music
or not, you’ll walk away with something,” he said of their showmanship.
The band will begin a tour of east Tennessee venues and spread out
through the region starting in October, and plans to release a
full-length album in the next couple of months.
The Battle of the Bands continues next Saturday at Big Mama’s Karaoke
Café with yet another tasty lineup of aspiring hopefuls. You can see
and download video and audio selections to your computer or handheld
from the series’ performances as well as vote for your favorite bands,
at www.karaokeCafé.com, or by linking there from the Times’ website at
www.skstimes.com.
