The Mental Expanders

The best way to understand a band is to observe them in their most natural habitat; their studio. This is where they are comfortable, stripped-down—raw. A practice studio is the sacred place where ideas are birthed and nurtured before they are developed into finished pieces of music. This is where passion can turn to frustration or anger, and then in an instant be transformed into inspiration and excitement.
For Catullus, a ‘one-way’ road sign hangs on the wall of their studio. It emulates the route of a tragedy that was transcended by passion, one direction that five zealous musicians are traveling in, one-way to innovation—the path of passion and striving for perfection of an art.  A chalkboard filled with time changes, set lists, and chord progressions covers the adjacent wall; proof of an eagerness. The encouraging eyes of musical legends rest within iconic pictures on the other walls, fueling their aspirations.

After a brief lockdown in the studio, the former Tragics, Andrew Meehan, Chris Bailey, Mike Hoffman, and Mike “Spawn” Fazekus decided to take advice from their lyrics, “be you, be you, be you… don’t be me.” They dropped their melodramatic name, emerging back onto the local scene as Catullus, with the addition of effervescent percussionist Anthony Zinno.
Passion is the elixir of Catullus—it’s not the money, fame or getting tail. While getting paid and getting laid are definite bonuses, and the possibility for hitting the big time is any musicians dream, these band-mates truly get off to music. The energy they put into their jams emanates not just through their instruments, but they exude it out of every pore of their bodies. It is exuberance… an elated exchange; like an all-encompassing deep breath.

• Wednesday April 11th at the Grape Room in Manayunk, PA
• Saturday April 27th at the Digable Arts Fest @ the Monroe Performing Center for the Arts in Hoboken, NJ
• Saturday April 28th with Dirk Quinn Band @ the Pickering Creek in Phoenixville, PA
• Friday May 4th with Fikus and Novelectro at the Note in West Chester, PA
• Saturday May 19th at the Dogwood Festival in Phoenixville, PA
• Thursday June 7th at Justin’s in Skippack. PA
• Saturday June 30th at Opple Topple Music Festival in Springtown, PA