welcome to the machine

by Paul Grimshaw - for Weekly Surge

Like all good college towns, Columbia has spawned its share of good college bands. With a thriving scene of coffee houses and bars near the University of South Carolina campus, to nurture these new talents, who knows when the next Hootie may emerge? A five-piece band made up in part by USC students, This Machine Is Me, will take its brand of alternative electro-pop/rock to Myrtle Beach’s Fresh Brewed Coffee House at 9 p.m. Friday, in an all-ages show ($5 cover). Local acts Atalaya and the Artichokes, along with Dirty White, will share the bill.

Fronted by a female lead vocalist, Jayna Doyle, This Machine Is Me has been compared to The Killers, but with a girl singer. Doyle, a Myrtle Beach native, moved to Columbia in 2004 to attend USC, followed by Blake Arambula, also from Myrtle Beach, who is one the band’s guitarists and keyboardist. “We didn’t know each other until we moved to Columbia,” said Doyle, who graduated last week along with guitarist Scott Long. Arambula will graduate this summer. “We’ve been playing for a couple of years now,” said Arambula. “In fact I’m the only original member left out of the first lineup.” The band is out gigging in support of its debut EP/CD, “Make Your Move,” recorded a year ago in Clearwater, Fla. Other players in the lineup include Jamie Beavers (bass guitar) and William Elliott (drums).

Favorable reviews from Columbia press didn’t come easily. “They’ve been really good to us, but we had to earn their respect,” said Arambula. “At first it was like they didn’t care for us but gradually we kept getting better and better and they like us now.”

Friday’s gig will not be the band’s first performance in Myrtle Beach. “We’ve been to Fresh Brewed about four times. It’s the only place we can play that allows all-ages crowds,” said Arambula. The band will take its original show to a new music venue in Loris called Mike’s Place starting at 6 p.m. Saturday. Mike’s Place is a restaurant that also caters to all-ages crowds. This Machine Is Me will share the Mike’s Place bill with Atalya and Gentry Dodd. “We’ve never played there before,” said Arambula, “but I hear the crowds there are very excited to hear live music – it’s like there’s nothing else around.” Doyle recalls the sometimes-subdued crowds in Myrtle Beach. “Our first time at Fresh Brewed everyone was just sitting down and we didn’t start until we got everybody on their feet,” she said. “You can’t enjoy our music sitting down,” added Arambula.

The first band takes the Fresh Brewed stage around 8 p.m. Friday; a $5 cover will be charged at the door. Fresh Brewed Coffee House is located at 933-A Broadway Street, Myrtle Beach. Mike’s Place is located at 4434 Broad Street, Loris. A $5 cover will be charged at the door.

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