Married By Elvis made its second appearance in two months in Manhattan on Friday night at The Kathouse Lounge in Aggieville.
The band, which is a breakthrough Southern California country-rock group, has its roots in Nashville, Tenn. The band members said when they performed in June at Country Stampede, they fell in love with the good-natured people of Manhattan and decided to stop here on their tour of the Midwest.
“Manhattan is a really nice, cute area, and the people are more than welcoming,” said Julia Garlington, lead singer and front woman for MBE.
Local band Liars of Local Interest opened for MBE and the crowd immediately warmed up to the group. Liars of Local Interest is an alternative band with a slight twang; the group also often incorporates violin into their music.
The band has an impressive local following, which was evident Friday night at the Kathouse as friends chimed in and shared jokes with the band between songs. One Manhattan resident said he never misses a show.
“Liars of Local Interest are about the only band left in the local scene,” said James Marstall, friend and fan of Liars of Local Interest.
Marstall runs the Manhattan music blog, “the Manhattan Rant,” which he said is under construction but will be up for viewing soon.
“Everyone in the local scene comes to local shows for support since the scene is slowly dying,” he said. “I also write the music blog to keep this scene alive — the music needs to be brought to people’s attention.”
After Liars of Local Interest got the crowd pumped up, MBE put on an eclectic and energetic show. The crowd danced to the band’s poppy guitar rifts and hard shredding.
Garlington said the band enjoyed performing at The Kathouse Lounge and would love to play Manhattan again in the near future.
“The Kathouse is a really swanky bar with a great setup, and we really have enjoyed it,” Garlington said. “If people like us — and it seems like they do — then, if we can fit it in the budget, we will definitely be back through Manhattan.”
MBE bass player Dan Herzberg said Manhattan has the room for bands to play and will be a hot spot for many bands in the future.
“I love this downtown, and it is definitely a place to come and relax and put on a good show,” he said.