with Radio Flyer and the Marvelous 3

June 1998
Matt Thompson
Ink 19

After a nifty set by the young Gainesville outfit Radio Flyer, the Marvelous Three took the stage with a vengeance. Formerly known as the Floyds, the Atlanta trio rocks with the same flair, ability and irreverence as Dash Rip Rock, but with a slightly metallic bent. Lead singer/guitarist Butch ripped through the set with a flair for the dramatic, a wild look in his eyes, and hell-on-wheels guitar playing, eschewing any sort of reserved demeanor that seems to be the standard for modern rock frontmen in favor of a loose-limbed, manic schoolboy with a cheap guitar and bad prescription drugs. Bassman Jayce was the perfect foil to his six-string compadre, egging Butch on while playing solid yet melodic lines. Behind the trap-kit, Slug kept a solid beat and locked in with Jayce for a tight-as-a-drum rhythm section. As a matter of fact, the whole band is one of the tightest live acts in recent memory, a refreshing change from the intentional sloppiness of most pop-punk outfits. Butch is a fabulous guitar player, mixing chunky chords and exciting leads, and the band as a whole seemed extremely comfortable on stage. Besides cutting tasteless jokes, mugging and flipping guitar picks, the band even relived some of the pop-metal theatrics of the '80s with some synchronized strutting. Beyond all that, however, the songs hold their own, from the high school lesbian stalker "Katrina" to the teen drug anthem "Valium." The Marvelous Three took us all back to a time when rock and roll could still rock and still would.