IN CONCERT / Telling a cross-country tale, Mannix relishes its pop image
AMY HOTZ
Staff writer
August 17, 2001

WANT TO GO?
WHAT: Mannix.
WHEN: 9 p.m. Tuesday.
WHERE: Bessie’s, 133 N. Front St.
DETAILS: 762-0003.

If you see a sign outside of Bessie's this week advertising a performance by Joe Mannix, don't expect to pay your cover and watch a '70s TV show rerun.

Mannix is a four-piece roots rock and pop band from New York City. It began in 1999 when singer/songwriter Joe Mannix teamed with drummer Chris Peck to record a few original compositions.

When bass player Toby Graham and guitarist John Kasiewicz signed on, the band erupted into an electric quartet.

"Joe is an incredible performer. He's been known to climb up on anything he can get his hands on," Mr. Kasiewicz said. "I've seen him jump off stage and do a somersault with his guitar and not miss a beat."

The energetic band isn't afraid to call themselves a pop group.

"Pop to me is kind of a joyous word," Mr. Kasiewicz said. "We're not a dark band at all."

Their first album, Pretty Strange, was a mostly acoustic set of original songs by Mr. Mannix.

"As he was approaching the second CD, he had the band arrangement more in mind," Mr. Kasiewicz said.

He also had a story line in mind. Come to California is a double disc concept album that tells the story about a musician who gets married to a girl named Geraldine.

They rent an apartment in Manhattan and the musician gets a day job. But soon, the wife leaves for California with a boyfriend.

Her husband follows them across the country, where he stalks the couple and thinks of murdering them.

Through a long set of circumstances, he decides to leave them alone and return to Manhattan.

"It's like an addiction for him, but he finds salvation in himself," Mr. Kasiewicz said. "Each song holds its own and tells its own story."

Mr. Mannix put the songs on two CDs so that the last few songs would get just as much play as the first set of songs.

"I've learned from experience that people (including myself) have very short attention spans and will put another CD in if it's not knocking their socks off," he told Amplifier magazine.