The humble band with ambition

Local band Face gears up for a European tour

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When people ask how the six members of the vocal rock band Face met each other, they say Eharmony.com and it always gets a chuckle, says Mark Megibow, the vocal drummer of Face. After 14 years in-theworks, Face has come to be loved by their fellow Colorado natives and continue to impress the music world with their a cappella roots and charismatic personalities.

Face is a nationally recognized vocal rock band and should not be mistaken for a cappella. Each member’s voice brings a unique sound to this even more unique group of guys. With a number of original songs and plenty of cover songs, Face has truly redefined what it means to be a rock star. But the real draw for the band’s fan base is their charisma on and off stage.

Face has a natural way of connecting with fans that keep them coming back show after show, despite the unique niche they fill in the world of music. Megibow says that Colorado fans will attend a majority of the shows they play in Colorado, but attend for reasons beyond just the music. Face will frequently poke fun at each other on stage and give shout outs to fans, who seem more like old friends. Fans tell Megibow that if they miss one of their shows, not only do they fear missing their favorite song but also the band’s hilarious interactions.

“We don’t play roles on stage,” Megibow says. “We interact with each other as ourselves on stage. We are best friends, and we are brothers with all the pluses and minuses that come with that.”

All of Face’s members have day jobs, but recently they have been focusing more on their music as they approach their first European tour. Stephen Ross, one of the high tenors of Face, just resigned from his teaching job of 12 years at Skyline High School in Longmont, and the rest seem to be following this trend. Forest Kelly, the band’s bass, has given up time working as a massage therapist, and Ben Lunstad, the baritone, has devoted less time working as a biochemist. As the band puts more energy into their music, they still strive to maintain their impression.

“Probably the most inspiring thing that we get from people, and we’ve been hearing for years and from many different people, is that we come across as six ordinary guys with a little bit of musical talent,” Megibow says. “The image that we are bringing is that we are normal people.”

Their normalcy resonates well with fans and provides them with a belief that goals are not impossible to achieve, Megibow says. This does not necessarily mean joining an all-vocal band of course, but to stick with a hobby you love and seeing where it can take you.

“2014 was the first time we had over 100 shows in one year. We are also going to have over 100 shows this year. … People find that very inspiring that they see us following our passion and following our dream and being successful at it, and who doesn’t want that?” Megibow says.

Megibow says he recognizes that there are unbelievably talented musicians just in Denver alone, and that Face is extremely lucky to be where they are in the industry. He says that the music world is not always fair to these other musicians, but the lesson being, if you have momentum, then take it as far as you can.

“Right now, the spotlight is on us and we are going to do as much as we can to take that as far as that’s going to take us,” Megibow says. “Or else, why are we doing it?” 

Regardless of some of the newfound attention Face has been receiving globally, the band remains humble and committed to the community. Megibow says that giving back to Colorado is very important to them, especially the youth music programs. And despite whatever future success, they vow to stay loyal to their Colorado fans: the fan base that really got their careers rolling in the first place.

“We don’t want to keep raising prices [for concerts] in Colorado,” he says. “We want to go make millions off the rest of the world, and keep our prices nice and affordable for the fans that helped build us to where we are.”

Face is full of big ideas and sincerely believes they can and will make an impression on fans no matter where they go, and they are thankful for that as well.

Megibow says that although he is not the only one in his family paying the bills, he is still able to say that he is a professional musician and mean it, and that makes him one of the lucky ones in the music world.

“If I had to pick one thing out of all of the things that I have done, one thing that I had to do for the rest of my life, [Face] would be it,” Megibow says. “I’m having the most fun that I’ve ever had, and I know that’s true for the rest of the guys.”