Five40

Posted: Thursday, February 5, 2015 10:56 am
By Tonia Davis
Calhoun-rooted reggae-rock band Five40 is set to perform in its hometown again on Feb. 6 at Score’s Sports Bar & Grill. The band looks to celebrate the 70th birthday of one of its biggest musical influences, Bob Marley, a Jamaican reggae musician and songwriter, as well as the first show local to its hometown in nearly a year.
The band, consisting of Matt Johnson, Stewart Davis, Dustin Massingill, Joe Harley and Wyman Balcom, has been playing venues throughout the Southeast. They won the State Mutual Battle of the Bands in Rome, Ga., two years ago and Atlanta’s Best Bands, All Original Battle of the Bands, in January. It has continued to play large events, such as Beerfest and Riverjam in Rome, Ga., and is now on the list of performing bands for Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga, Tenn., in June.
Five40 was formed in 2012 of a group of young men who had attended high school together in the early 2000s and were joined by their love for and style of music. After a few adjustments and member changes, the group has continued to create and perform its unique style of music for a diverse fan base. On the band’s Reverbnation.com site, it describes its music as “a smooth, powerful and sometimes hypnotic sound that has already started waking up not only a sleeping genre, but also an audience of music lovers craving a new take on an old style.”
Band members are excited to see people, who supported it from the very beginning as well as welcoming people who are experiencing its music for a first time. Matt “MJ” Johnson, vocalist and rhythm guitar player for Five40, says it will be bringing something new to their fans but will be sticking to its same influences.
“We like to do things locally and we want to try to get as many people engaged in the culture of the music as we can. Music influences people and we want to influence them in a positive way,” Johnson said.
Johnson credits bands such as Sublime, 311 and Bob Marley as his biggest influences, as well as his family who helped sculpt him musically. He never would have thought this would be where he would be in his life as he approaches his 10-year high school reunion, but would not choose to have it any other way. His band mates are now his biggest influences.
“Our goal is to make this our career because this is what we love doing,” said Johnson. “We feel like we are already ‘making it big’ because we get to play this music and watch it grow and progress; honestly, that’s ‘making it’ to us.”
Five40 is set to perform at Scores, 235 W. Line St., Suite 3, on Feb. 6, at 9 p.m. It invites those interested to visit its website, www.Five40music.com, to listen to the music and for links to its social media sites. - Calhoun Times