For the last six years, Columbus area band, Bobaflex, has endured break-ups, line-up changes and an endless stream of high energy shows to rise to the top of the local music scene. On March 8th the hard work and sacrifices finally paid off when the group was rewarded with a national recording contract.
Originally from Huntington, W.Va., Bobaflex has taken Columbus by storm since it was introduced to the scene by popular Columbus acts Victim, Cringe and Liquid 6teen.
Bobaflex are no strangers to repeatedly drawing large, enthusiastic crowds; they were the cream of the crop of the heavy bands in West Virgina. With its unlikely blend of rap, metal, funk, pop and pounding, rock n’ roll.
The band has crafted a unique sound all its own, making it the exception to any musical tag applied to them.
“I would hate to stay in one certain genre, it seems too confining. I’d like to be able to be out and be able to change from one thing to another,” guitarist and vocalist Marty McCoy said.
The diversity of the band and the blend of its influences are what have given Bobaflex a reputation as one of the outstanding bands on the scene.
They’ve shared the stage with some of the biggest names in heavy music, such as Staind, Disturbed, Machine Head, Kid Rock and the Union Underground. As a result, Bobaflex had been getting serious consideration from major players in the music industry. When the members met Chris Poland, president of Eclipse Records, they had found their place.
“The demo their manager, Tim, sent to me actually sat in a pile for about three weeks, like most demos do, until we can get to them,” Poland said. “When we finally checked it out, it was just that the music was really, really, well- produced.
“They had good hooks, good songs and they really had their own style. Anyone who listens to the music can kind of give it their own interpretation, and it relates to so many different people in so many ways. That was a big selling point, being taken by their songs,” Poland said.
Bobaflex’s manager, Tim Buchenroth, always saw great potential in the band, and was the driving force behind the two months of contract negotiations.
Buchenroth first encountered the band when they played his yearly Woodshock festival in Bellefontaine, Ohio.
“I would back these guys 110 percent. I believe in them and I believe in the music. I’ve been getting demos and stuff from bands for seven years at Woodshock, and it’s the first time I’ve ever felt that strong about anybody,” Buchenroth said.
Bobaflex’s potential is limitless, the appeal of the band comes from its songwriting and its wildly popular live sets, Buchenroth said.
“They’re just flat-out hot; it’s the whole aura that the band gives. Along with the music, the CD (the self-released Primitive Epic) captures it, along with their live performances. One of the reasons I picked them up and knew I could get them a deal was that it’s trendsetting, it’s new. There is no weakness in that band at all. They are a fine-tuned machine,” Buchenroth said.
To the band members, it is the connection with fans that fuels what they do, making them all the more excited that with a national recording deal, they’ll be able to reach a broader audience.
“We just try to bring more fun back into rock. When the songs please us, we feel good about it. We seem to be on the same page as the fans,” McCoy said.
It’s easy to visualize Bobaflex in large venues in the future; even in small concerts, the members look and carry themselves like they are playing to the biggest packed house.
McCoy is quick to point out that the band appreciates everyone who has made its first steps towards success possible – that it’s very much a team effort by everyone involved, including fans.
“We love where we’re from, love our roots, but Columbus has treated us so well. Any time people refer to us as a Columbus band, we’re proud to say that we are,” McCoy said.
“This is the band I always dreamed of being in, and I’ve never gotten along with a group of guys so well. They’re really, really hard-workers, every one of them. We’ve all played together since we were kids, and dreamed about getting signed,” he said.
Eclipse Records, located in Butler, NJ, was instrumental in launching Cleveland’s Mushroomhead to stardom and released the well-received Pantera tribute album Panther. Eclipse and Bobaflex look forward to a tentative mid-to-late summer release.
“When I went out to see them, I totally expected them to blow me away and put on an awesome show; I was definitely impressed,” Poland said. “Music wise, what the band has done, and with the music scene the way it is right now, it’s music that I’m completely confident we can all do well with.”
