Articles


May 7, 2009 - Boulder Daily Camera, Friday Magazine Cover Story
"It's an uphill battle for any local band seeking headliner status. For Boulder's Face, that hill was just a little bit higher. As an all-vocal band, Face has had to overcome the stigma of being an a cappella group. Mark Megibow, the band's vocal percussionist and business manager, is quick to point out that Face is so much more than that."
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April 30, 2009 - Boulder Weekly, Best of Boulder Reader Survey
"The People's Republic has always been a launching pad for hardworking musicians who don't want to live in L.A. or New York City, and we are proud to welcome Face into that elite club."
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June 14, 2007 - GoColorado.com
"When you see the all-vocal rock band Face, your first job is to lose all preconceptions of a cappella music. Forget old-time gospel-hour tunes. Ix-nay on boat hats, candy-striped shirts and suspenders. In fact, if you check out the singers' website to form an expectation, you won't find the phrase 'a cappella' anywhere. That's because this sizzling group of seven guys just might be the original a cappella iconoclasts, busting the typical image to smithereens as they create a sound and style all their own."
Read the whole article

April 14, 2006 - Longmont Daily Times-Call, Day & Night Magazine
"When performing live, the vocal rock group Face has all the force you would expect from a virtuosic seven-piece lineup. When the drums drop out or the bass kicks in during their winding arrangements, you can feel it in your gut. When all the members are working together, you can practically feel yourself being blown back from the stage."
Read the whole article



Boulder Daily Camera - download - doc (28KB)
Friday Magazine
May 7, 2009
Cover Story

"Face's all-vocal rock is a big hit in Boulder"
by Vince Darcangelo


It's an uphill battle for any local band seeking headliner status. For Boulder's Face, that hill was just a little bit higher.


As an all-vocal band, Face has had to overcome the stigma of being an a cappella group. Mark Megibow, the band's vocal percussionist and business manager, is quick to point out that Face is so much more than that.


"We're a rock group. But it's all vocal," he says.


Even the phrase "vocal band" can be misleading. Sure, it's six guys singing, but Megibow uses his voice like a drum kit, doing everything from re-creating traditional percussion instruments like cymbals and snare drums to beatboxing (see sidebar). Bass vocalist Forest Kelly doesn't just offer a strong baritone voice. He mimics an electric bass.


"When I'm singing the bass line, I'm doing my best to have the groove just really fit in there nice and tightly," Kelly says.


Together, Megibow and Kelly produce a rhythm section worthy of any rock group.


It comes in handy when the band is performing pop and rock tunes like Fall Out Boy's "Sugar, We're Goin' Down" and Cake's "Short Skirt/Long Jacket." The band also performs classics like "Sexual Healing" and "How Deep is Your Love," alongside originals and even a few curve balls, such as the "Pink Panther Theme" and "The Safety Dance."


Face performs at Nissi's in Lafayette on Monday and has a number of big gigs planned for the summer, including performances at the Boulder Creek Fest, Longmont's Rhythm on the River and a headlining spot at the Boulder Theater on June 18.


It's been an uphill climb to get to this level, but after seven years and two CDs, Face has become a top draw. Locally, Face regularly plays at Nissi's, the Boulder Theater, Boulder's Dinner Theatre, the Soiled Dove Underground in Denver and the D-Note in Arvada. Nationally, the band has sold out the Steve Wyrick Theatre in Las Vegas and has performed all over the country, including gigs in San Francisco, Chicago and Minneapolis. Last week, readers of the Boulder Weekly named Face the best band in Boulder.


Not best a cappella band. Best band, period.


It's a big honor, the band members say, but a far cry from their modest beginnings.


Baritone and co-founder Ben Lunstad says Face grew out of his experience with a cappella music in college. While a graduate student at the University of Colorado, he performed in the group Extreme Measures, along with Kelly and Face co-founder Joseph DiMasi, who left the group in 2004.


"I thought that we would have some fun," Lunstad says. "I didn't think that we would be performing a ton, that it would get as big as it did. For me, it's always been about the joy of singing."


Megibow soon joined to make the band a quartet, and after bringing on two more vocalists Face began performing in the summer of 2002, singing for free at the Boulder County Farmers' Market. Megibow, Lunstad and Kelly remain from that original incarnation. The current lineup, in place since 2004, also includes tenors Jayson Throckmorton and Stephen Ross and vocalist/producer Ryan Driver.


One of the earliest places Face called home was Nissi's.


"People loved them from the very beginning. There was a time when I had them booked once a week on a Tuesday night, and I can't remember them not selling out," says Nissi's co-owner Teresa Taylor. "It used to be we were one of the only places that they played other than private events. And now look, they've spread their wings, and I'm really happy for them. It's quite a phenomenon."


It's been truly grassroots, she says, as the band has grown its fan base almost exclusively by word of mouth. She likens the group's popularity to another local legend.


"When people see them for the first time, I know they'll be back," Taylor says. "This is like the Chief Niwot Curse."


Like Niwot's Curse -- that those who come to the Boulder area will fall in love with the region and keep coming back -- she says there's an intangible magic that happens on the stage when the members of Face come together.


"I think part of it is they are very entertaining to see live," Taylor says. "They always make it funny. They involve the audience. It's not a boring thing.


"It's not your mama's barbershop," she adds.


Megibow agrees.


"What you see onstage are six guys having the time of our lives," he says. "We don't play roles when we're on stage. The six of us get along great, and it comes across. It's not just listening to talented musicians. I think we're talented, but I don't think that's our strong point. I think our strong point is our personalities."


Whatever it is about the band, it has attracted a devoted fan base.


"The most rewarding thing for us is that our audience is quite possibly one of the most loyal ever assembled," Megibow says. "We see the same Face people at show after show after show. And at every show they bring more friends. That has been touching. It's been amazing. It's hard to call them fans, because we see them so much we consider them friends."


These friends come in all ages, says Sarah Coffield, publicist for the Boulder Theater, where the band has performed sold-out holiday shows two consecutive years.


"We see people from high school to middle school, all the way up to their 80s," she says. "They've built up this support system."


Face has released two CDs -- the most recent, Forward, came out in 2006 -- and it is currently recording a third, which the band hopes to release by fall.


"We're all so excited about it," Kelly says. "Our vision on this one is to really buckle down and get it out a lot quicker. Last time it took us a lot longer to get the CD together."


Megibow says there will be a new original tune on the next record, penned by Ross, called "Don't Look Down." It encompasses the band members' emotions as they've gone from playing free shows at the farmers' market to headlining Vegas and selling out the Boulder Theater.


"For a lot of us, this is the most success we've ever been faced with," Megibow says. "As exciting as it is, there are certain risks that come with it. It's the entertainment industry. Let's not fool ourselves. There are certain risks when you go after this kind of success. There's definitely this element of 'don't look down; just leap.' That was the inspiration."


The new disc will be a treat for longtime fans and will certainly boost the band's rising momentum. But for the members of Face, the CD comes second, because a recording can't capture the complete live experience. For this band, seeing is believing.


"We're a live act first and foremost, and it's still our best marketing," Megibow says. "When people see the show, then they understand. Then they get it."


Boulder Weekly - download - doc (28KB)
Best of Boulder 2009
April 30, 2009

Best Local Musician/Group


When you think back on all the Boulder bands that have made their mark on the national level, it's sort of shocking. In the 1960s and '70s, the Front Range gained attention via the infamous recording sessions at Caribou Ranch, which featured David Crosby, Elton John and John Denver, among others. Boulder has produced a steady run of great bands since that time, including Zephyr, Firefall, Leftover Salmon, String Cheese Incident, Big Head Todd and the Monsters and Rose Hill Drive. The People's Republic has always been a launching pad for hardworking musicians who don't want to live in L.A. or New York City, and we are proud to welcome Face into that elite club. Face is a talented group of guys who have taken a cappella music to a whole new level with their performance style and stage presence. The sounds they can make with their mouths - let's just say you won't be quite as proud of your own tongue's talents, whatever they may be, once you hear these guys perform. They have been selling out venues for years. They have performed live in Vegas and have won numerous awards and competitions. Their local holiday show has become the stuff of legends. They are a truly original group of artists, and we are proud to recognize their talents.



GoColorado.com - download - doc (28KB)
Friday Magazine
June 14, 2007

"Face the Music - Vocal Band Hits the Right Note"
by Elisa Bosley


When you see the all-vocal rock band Face, your first job is to lose all preconceptions of a cappella music. Forget old-time gospel-hour tunes. Ix-nay on boat hats, candy-striped shirts and suspenders. In fact, if you check out the singers' website to form an expectation, you won't find the phrase "a cappella" anywhere. That's because this sizzling group of seven guys just might be the original a cappella iconoclasts, busting the typical image to smithereens as they create a sound and style all their own.


"When people start thinking a cappella, their brain goes in a certain direction: doo-wop, vocal jazz, gospel or college a cappella," says Mark Megibow, a former drummer and now Face's vocal rhythm section (beat-box). "But that's not what we're doing.


"I start by saying we're an all-vocal rock band, with seven guys using the full range of what the voice can do to create sound, not (just) singing. It doesn't sound choral, even though (the music is) all coming from the voice."


Clearly, the guys are hitting the right note, because audiences all along the Front Range are packing Face shows night after night. "We're a live act, first and foremost," says Megibow. "You listen to our CD, and there's even a promo (video) you can watch, and it's a little closer to what we are, but it still doesn't get the point across. Not until you're there at the show do you get this..." He falters.


"We don't know how to describe it," he finally admits. "But we don't question it because there's something really cool going on. How do we appeal to all audiences, all ages? I have no idea. It's not something we would have considered that we could do."


But appeal they do. Teens, young adults, middle-aged, old - every listener becomes a happy vessel for the go-for-it attitude that Face pours into every song.


"Somewhere along the line we realized that we're reaching people in a very real way, and it's humbling," Megibow says. "God, I wish I could explain it in a way that didn't sound righteous. But every demographic comes up after the show and says to us, 'You've inspired me to...' fill in the blank: relearn something I once knew, pick up an instrument, learn (beat) boxing. And it's happened so many times now that we've taken it on as a mission, to share this with as many people as possible."


A consistent partner in Face's mission is Nissi's, an intimate performance venue and small-plate bistro opened last year in Lafayette. Under the leadership of owner and booking agent Teresa Taylor, Nissi's has quickly become a go-to spot for music lovers all over the Denver area - and a favorite venue for top-shelf performers, including Hazel Miller, Pete Wernick, Nelson Rangell, Wendy Woo, Todd Park Mohr and Sonny Landreth. The nearly nightly acts run the musical range from jazz to bluegrass, acoustic to rock, Celtic to soul. Recently voted Boulder County's Best Place to Hear Live Music, Nissi's simultaneously garnered an award for the Best Restaurant in east Boulder County, thanks to its affordable, sophisticated, yet family-friendly menu drawing from the best of Spanish, French and Mediterranean influences. For example, you can share (or keep to yourself) a pizza with fresh pesto and balsamic reduction; seared scallops with truffle oil and greens; Gorgonzola tenderloin with mashed potatoes; or chicken satays with peanut-curry sauce. (Save room for dessert.)


Face performs at Nissi's about once a week - "They're the closest thing we have to a house band," says Taylor - and they're still selling out three or four weeks in advance.


"But there's a reason that we keep going back there, and it's not just because we're selling out; it's because we like the venue," says Megibow. "We're impressed with everything at Nissi's, front to back - the extraordinarily friendly people, the great service, the great food, wine and beer. Plus we know our audience is going to get a great experience because of the intimate setting. There's not a bad seat in the house. The whole thing is just really classy and well done."


And when tenor Jayson Throckmorton cozies up to a blushing woman in the front row and croons Counting Crows' "Accidentally in Love," everyone in Nissi's enjoys the moment, while the other six musicians create an ensemble of sounds - bass line, harmony, snare beats - that amplify and beautify the goofy, upbeat lyrics. The playful interaction is fun, the music is seamless, the whole room is happy.


These guys have it going on, and their horizon is bright.


"Obviously, we're all performers, and we all fantasize about being household-word rock stars," Megibow laughs. "But that would be the gravy. What inspires us is the fact that there's some kind of magic going on. We so enjoy each other, we so enjoy making music, we so enjoy performing, we so enjoy our audiences, and we have so much fun. That's what comes across so clearly to the audience, and they become a part of it."


Boulder-based freelance writer Elisa Bosley covers travel, food, health and other subjects. Her work has appeared in Cooking Light, Sunset, Healing Lifestyles & Spas and other publications.



Longmont Daily Times - download - doc (28KB)
Day & Night Magazine
April 14, 2006

"Breath taking"
by Mark T.R. Donohue

When performing live, the vocal rock group Face has all the force you would expect from a virtuosic seven-piece lineup. When the drums drop out or the bass kicks in during their winding arrangements, you can feel it in your gut. When all the members are working together, you can practically feel yourself being blown back from the stage.


Few groups with enormous amplifiers and state-of-the-art sound systems can rival Face for intensity. What’s really impressive is that this band draws its power from the use of just seven voices and seven microphones.


“We’re not an a capella group,” Face tenor/vocal percussionist Mark Megibow says. “When people hear ‘a capella,’ they think of barbershop or vocal jazz; no one thinks of what we do. ‘A capella’ literally means ‘all vocals,’ but we prefer ‘all vocal rock.’ People don’t understand right away.”


Indeed, you shouldn’t let a bias against all-vocal music or an irrational fear of men in matching bowler hats keep you away from Face’s live show, which stops in Longmont on Thursday. The band’s self-released EP, “Wake Up,” sounds crisp and professional, nut it’s nothing compared to seeing the band live.


Face creates a “wall of sound that you don’t typically hear from a vocal group. It leaves people wondering ‘How did they do that?’” Megibow says. Megibow, Cody Qualls, Jayson Throckmorton, Ryan Driver, Forest Kelly, Ben Lunstad, and Stephen Ross were all members of on-campus a cappella groups in college but with Face have taken things to another level entirely.


“We all wanted to do something professional, top-notch, extraordinary,” Megibow says. “We had lots of turnover, but the better we got, the better people we could attract.”


The current lineup, about two years old, reflects the high standards and talents of all the singers. The band’s feeling of consistent improvement was vindicated with a second place overall and audience favorite award in the 2005 Harmony Sweepstakes National Finals.


Winning such high honors “grants legitimacy to our marketing,” Megibow says, but also served as a huge “confidence boost” to the men of Face. The band performed only three songs at the national competition, but the work they put into those three pieces made everything else in their repertoire sound better as well.


Face performs sometimes radically altered versions of Top 40 hits, ‘70s and ‘80s oldies, and the odd show tune. Hearing the band tackle a familiar song like Maroon 5’s “Harder to Breathe” or Train’s “Calling All Angels” is anything but predictable. The band breaks its song selections down and reconstructs them from the ground up. “Direct translations don’t work,” Megibow says. “If there is a way to make it work, we haven’t found it.”


What he means is that taking the song as originally recorded – having bass Kelly echo the bassline, Megibow the drumbeat, and the rest the guitars, keyboards and lead vocals – doesn’t add up to a satisfactory arrangement. “Something else has to develop in the music,” Megibow says.


Face uses a wide variety of tools, from gospel harmonies to hip-hop breakdowns, to keep its music fresh and interesting. As such, it’s a tremendous challenge for the band member who chooses to try to adapt a given song.


“Most of our arrangements were done in a few nights of hard work, because the arranger was inspired and loved the song,” Megibow says, adding that members of the band usually work alone on arrangements.


Face is, however, beginning to experiment with writing compositions of their own. One singer might come in with a hook or melody, and the rest will try to complement and expand upon it.


Although the Face repertoire has expanded to some 25 songs, the band is beginning to play lengthy gigs during which they need to perform every single one. Plus, there’s constant pressure to develop new material for “repeat customers.”


One of the most interesting aspects of Face’s sound is Megibow’s remarkable ability to keep a strong beat coming using only his mouth over the course of a five- or six-minute song. He says there’s a trick to it.


“Some sounds are produced on the intake of breath. It takes practice just like anything else,” he says. “Now I could do it forever…Well, eventually my mouth might get dry.”


Boulder Weekly, 12-29-2005 - download - doc (29KB)

"About Face"
by Ari Armstrong

I have no gifts to bring..." Never before had I so strongly felt the beat of the little drummer boy. A poor child, with nothing but his simple, dinged-up instrument, has to compete with the mysterious Magi from the East who lay out their finest gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. He probably doesn't even know what "myrrh" is.


And so there's Mary under the bright stars, with her newborn baby, surrounded by the stately and wealthy Magi and some shepherds, and all eyes turn to the little boy. So, what did you bring?


Uh, deep breath. "Sh-shall I play for you?" The kid looks like he may keel over from nervousness, but he's got guts. One of the Magi puts a comforting hand on his shoulder. Mary nods. And he plays his very best. And the little one smiles, at him and his drum.


The funny thing is that the version of the song that got to me (no, really, that was just an eyelash) didn't even involve a drum. It involved an ex-drummer, Mark Megibow. Now he performs percussion vocally with the Boulder a cappella group Face.


But saying that Face is an "a cappella group" is sort of like saying Jimi Hendrix is a "guitar player." It's true, but it doesn't really get the point across. Face rocks. So put out of your head the stereotypes about vocal groups. "Edge and attitude," faceonline.biz claims with understatement, "an all-vocal rock band." They cover everything from Journey to Men Without Hats to the Pink Panther theme. I saw them early this month, so they mellowed their usual lineup with some sweet Christmas songs.


They obviously love doing it, and they're really good at it. So what sparks this creativity? What drives them to spend so much time and energy practicing and arranging music, traveling and performing? Why does the little drummer boy drum?


A lot of people continue to think of creativity as something you're either born with or not, or else something that just mysteriously strikes some people. But, reading the bios at Face's web page, it's obvious these guys have worked very hard for a long time to create such music.


Sure, some people are naturally more talented in some areas than in others. But the key is the development. Some years ago I had the good fortune to meet Michael Newberry, who has painted some extraordinary works. He told Navigator, "In college I discovered that I could paint, draw, and sculpt easily." But something becomes easier if you do it all the time. Newberry said he "needed to master essential attributes of painting, such as human anatomy, composition... color harmony, form, and spatial depth." Newberry, who endured years of poverty, added, "if your passion to create outweighs your obstacles, you've arrived as a 'real' artist."


This creative spirit is not unique among artists. Thomas Edison created a thing or two, and he said, "Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration." Andrew Bernstein, the creator of The Capitalist Manifesto, who visited here some weeks ago, discusses Edison's inventions. In addition to the quadruplex telegraph, Edison invented the "phonograph (1877), the incandescent light (1879), the electric power plant (1882), the motion picture camera (1893), the storage battery (1909) and numerous other devices."


Bernstein writes that creativity is all about the application of the mind: "By what means did George Washington Carver revolutionize agricultural science? How did John Roebling improve the design of suspension bridges and create his masterpiece, the Brooklyn Bridge? What instrument did George Eastman employ to utterly transform the field of photography? In all of these cases and in many others the answer is: the reasoning mind. The great achievements of science, technology, industry, as well as those of philosophy, literature and the arts, that uplift men and carry them from the caves to the skyscrapers, are the products of genius, of superlative thinking, of rationality."


Generally, I'm against resolutions for the new year. Why wait? But it's as good a time as any for reflection. A lot of people seem to be stuck with the idea that values are something we "have to" create at work, and then we go home to have "fun," which means to watch television or find some other diversion. I stick myself in that rut too often; I procrastinate and find ways to waste my time and avoid doing good works. Of course, rest and relaxation are essential to a value-rich life, but rest and relaxation should complement creativity, not stifle it.


So the lesson of all these creative people is that the pursuit of values is hard work, but rewarding work. And it's totally within your control. Whether you mindlessly watch television or passionately pursue your goals is entirely up to you. Of course, creative work requires the development of good character and habits.


By the way, the remaining founder of Face, Ben Lunstad, Ph.D., is also a biochemist with a local firm (apparently his co-workers have adjusted to his vocal experimentations), and his wife just had a baby. Though I've talked with him only briefly, he has all the signs of somebody who knows what's valuable in his life and who pursues those things with vigor. Scientist, musician, proud father: he's playing his best.


Boulder Weekly, 10-06-2005 - download - doc (23KB)

"Sexual healing"
by Ari Armstrong

"When I get that feeling, I want sexual healing." If a cappella leaves you cold, you haven't heard the hot Boulder band Face. Face gave the crowd some oral stimulation at a party I attended last month, when the all-male group sang a sultry rendition of "Sexual Healing." The energy among the audience was palpable. Faces were flushed. Bodies were grooving. Significant glances were exchanged. A couple people laughed, I suppose in anticipation.