Beam :

Thumpin' Neo Funk into the 21st Century

 If you 're looking for music that will bop your head and shake your booty, Mr. Beam has what you are looking for. Groove lives in the merry band of funksters as it did for Parliament Funkadelic and James Brown.  Like Gumbo, this southern-born band throws in styles of all kinds creating a whole new flavor.  Reggae, jazz and blues all add spice to their music.  The bands premiere CD, Enough to Blow Up ,  explodes with energetic rhythms and fiery beats, defining the next generation of funk.

Mr. Beam burst onto the scene two years ago in Neptune Beach, Florida, breathing new life into the music world. This eight member band, equipped with horns, bass, rhythm and lead guitar, a drummer (who must have been an octopus in his other life) and lead vocalist, delivers innovative sounds and thought provoking lyrics that soothe the soul and rock mind.

 Enough to Blow Up creates a unique blend of tracks that add up to hard core funk. With band members as diverse as the United nations, prepare to hear the best of everything. The horn  section, made up of Van Battle on trombone and Dennis Marion on trumpet, flows in and out with arrangements with piquancy, fashioning sparing tones that tantalize.  

 Lead vocalist Adonis Boyd's hard-hitting soul style is pleasantly reminiscent of the deep-rooted funk of the 70's.

Jimmy Hendrix inspired, lead guitarist Zack Gilbert and rhythm guitarist Paul Miller combine to give birth to sounds steeped deep in blues and the syncopated pulse of Latin/Caribbean rhythms.

Holding it all together, drummer Mark "McNasty" McKnight and bass guitarist Ed Richardson bump and thump with beats without inhibition. Seemingly communicating on a psychis level, the rhythms this pair produce grab and shake even the shyest wallflowers out of their seats.

Boyd, Battle, "McNasty" McKnight and Richardson graduated from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, giving their original arrangements an added edge. Tunes like the title track Enough to Blow Up, Beam Train and Atomic Reality, reflect a polished style usually not yet formed in such a young band. Together, the members of Mr. Beam fit like hand in glove, culminating into worthwhile listening.

With songs as long as eight to ten minutes, don't expect to sit down. Mr. Beam's stage show vibrates with intensity. This band recycles energy and crashes through with groove, leaving you on your feet and wanting more.