Maryz Eyez plays For All the Haters

June 1, 2005

It is called “punk rock party music” or “good time power punk.” Call it what you like, Kalamazoo-based Maryz Eyez has the style mastered. They plan to prove it to Northern Michigan over the next couple of weekends with shows scheduled June 3 at the Loading Dock in Traverse City, June 4 at McManigal’s in Manistee and June 9 and 10 when they return to the City Park Grill in Petoskey (they punk’d the house the first weekend of February and management received numerous requests to have the band back).
Now don’t let the “punk” in the rock throw you. Maryz Eyez are melodic popsters with a punk edge to them. Fans of Green Day and Blink-182 will feel right at home with these guys.
They released their debut album, “For All the Haters,” a year ago, and it has been a whirlwind for the high school buddies. It started when they learned that their album would be mastered by the legendary Greg Calbi, who has mastered 6,000 albums in his career for the likes of Bob Dylan, The Ramones, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen and U2.
After the album’s release, the group attracted the attention of Rick Smith of Seether and Days of the New fame, who signed them to a major management deal.

SHOWCASE GIGS
As a handful of their songs began climbing several independent music charts, Maryz Eyez have been invited to showcase for RCA, Atlantic and Warner Brothers. They also performed on the Vans Warped Tour and are under consideration for several dates with the tour again this summer.
Maryz Eyez got their start in 1997 while they were juniors in high school. The band started out with Eric Wagler on bass, Mike Nichols on guitar and Mike Burlett on drums. Guitarist Ryan Wagler (Eric’s younger brother) would join the band a few years later when all four were at college in Kalamazoo. Like a lot of bands of their generation, they started out in the basement playing Nirvana tunes.
“I think we all start out by playing Nirvana,” said Eric Wagler, who shares vocal responsibilities with his brother and Mike Nichols. “We certainly have been influenced by others such as Green Day and Soundgarden. In college you expand your musical tastes and influences. Today we listen to a lot of stuff.”
There even seems to be influences of the Beach Boys and Herman’s Hermits in their music, but band members refuse to answer questions as to whether they listened to their parents’ record collection. Take a listen to the closing parts of “Over Now” and one wonders what the Beach Boys would have sounded like if punk music had been discovered 40 years ago.

TWISTED VERSIONS
While they primarily play originals, the group throws in twisted versions of songs from Johnny Cash, John Denver, Hank Williams Jr. and the Steve Miller Band, proving that when they were left home alone they were listening to their parents’ music.
Regardless of where or how they were influenced, these guys bring to the table a refreshing harmonization that doesn’t seem to exist in a lot of today’s music. Not only are there several three-part harmonies, the album is loaded with “feel-good” hooks that quickly get the listener signing along as if the songs were classics.
As for the album title, it seems to imply that it is being dedicated to a certain group of people.
“In a way it is,” said Wagler. “There are a lot of bands out there that hate on other bands, and so what we are telling them is if you want to hate on this, go ahead because we know a lot of people out there are digging on it.”
Okay, that is calling out “Those Haters,” but then Maryz Eyez has proven they have the goods to call anyone out. So go ahead and try and hate this album and this band, both of which are upbeat and fun.
Get with it and catch one of their shows before they are too big to see in intimate clubs.
Their stage show is high energy and definitely danceable. Maryz Eyez performs Friday, June 3 at the Loading Dock, which is a 21+ show, with the music starting at 10 p.m. They plan to play two long sets. On Saturday night they are at McManigal’s with a 9:30 p.m. start, and again this is a 21+ show with three sets.
Maryz Eyez will return next week with two shows at City Park Grill on June 10 and 11. Showtimes start at 9 pm with 18+ welcome until 11 p.m. The group plans on two electric sets and one acoustic set on both nights.