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MariZen Press

Live at Hard Rock Cafe Thurs, Nov. 1 '01 by Joseph Filipak I found myself at the Hard Rock Café on November 1st to see a live performance by MariZen. I had never heard them before, but the word was that they put on a hell of a live show. After seeing the band, I have to agree. MariZen's mix of radio friendly pop (think Q101, or WXRT) definitely had me and the rest of the crowd boppin' around. Lead vocalist Marizen Calip hit the stage wearing a black cowboy hat, which was fitting, as this vocal outlaw wasn’t taking any prisoners. Marizen has all the energy of a can of Red Bull but never over powering, which is good, because it would have taken away from the sweet melodies that run through their songs. The other members of the band - Glen Gilbert (lead guitar), Justin Francoise (bass), Patrick Caputo (rhythm guitar) and Jim Caiafa (drums) - provide the musical canvas for the watercolor of sound that is MariZen. The band, much like Marizen Calip, have found their sound and it’s because of this that they have an ease of performance, which only comes from confidence. When I did hear the CD, I found myself drawn into it, much like I was when I saw them live. I was immediatley struck by how well they write. Songs like “On My Own” and "Canvas", the title track from the CD, are as good as anything that I've heard in some time and both had me hitting the repeat button. I would recommend this band to anyone and everyone, they performed a tight fun set that had me walking away knowing that I would be back. Check them out and pick up a CD, they might just make you into a fan - either way you can't lose. Now how often can you say that!