Man The Mighty at Penny Road Pub

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By: Coren E. McLeod

I ever realized until recently how fortunate I am to be living in the Chicagoland area. I have always loved to go out and see local music. I sound like such a broken record. Yet, seriously, being a young 36 years old and getting to travel all over the great state of Illinois exposes me to great local music.
And on Friday April 28th, 2016, my path led me to one of the premier venues in the Chicago suburbs, Penny Road Pub in Barrington, Illinois. I have a slight history with this place. Back in the 2010, I was managing a band called EarthQuake, Handshake. (Please do not ask me about the name.) I was able to book the band one night in the lower room. To me, the Penny Road Pub is such a great place for any new band to start off their musical adventure at. It has this raw and gritty feel to it that any rock/metal band can appreciate.

And Man The Mighty is no expectation. Growing up in Chicago, Man The Mighty is a heavy combination of (according to the band) “If Tool and Jeff Buckley had a dark moody baby… you would have us.” Man The Mighty gives credit to Penny Road Pub helping them pave the way for their career. This unique band consist of super talented guys next door that love to get down and dirty while still maintaining a level of professionalism.

Man The Mighty was formed by a great bromance between lead guitarist Tim Tournier and vocalist Derek Smith. With both Tim and Derek having their eye on the prize to create a new formula of music for the Chicago scene, the two began a journey. Rounding out Man The Mighty is bassist Tyler Nelson and the ever humble drummer Matt Harmening.

Man The Mighty has made a name for themselves since 2010 touring with such acts like Theory of a Deadman, 3 Doors Down, Chevelle and Staind. Currently, Man The Mighty is on tour in Europe promoting their upcoming EP release “Paper Crown.” Their first full length album, “I am Icarus” came out in 2013 and featured such amazing songs like “Sick” and “Over You.”
So, since I was super excited to see what Man The Mighty has to bring when they play a live show. I was actually lucky enough to get to interview these guys. (I would have to say a friendship started here. Super chill guys that I got along with wonderfully.) During the interview, I truly got to learn about how the band approaches music differently, how long they have been playing together and what they think about the current situation in the metal scene.

That interview is one of my Top 5 thus far. Make sure you support Man The Mighty as they embark on their tour to support their upcoming EP, “Paper Crown.” I want to thank Man The Mighty for sitting down with one of the biggest dorks out there. That happens to be me… LOL. But, seriously, to all the bands out there that take a chance on me, I truly do appreciate the fact I am able to meet such wonderful people and write about it. Man The Mighty may be hard core metal with their music. However, I was swearing more than they were during the interview.