Published in the Islander 06/10/05

BY ADAM LEWIS
Staff Writer

Chris Grenda, known as Mr. G., is the lead singer and guitarist for the band Mr. G.

Chris Grenda, the front man of Ocean County-based trio Mr. G, always has been a nonconformist among Shore musicians.

"Years ago, I was remembered for rebelling against the Asbury music scene," Grenda said. "I started my own shows out of the VFW halls and open fields."

Mr. G has entertained the Garden State for nearly a decade with its melodramatic rock and,with the band's new sophomore album, "Emerge," hopes to build on its success.

The trio, which lives in Brick and Beachwood, balances its music with the members' other careers. Grenda, who sings and plays guitar, is a law student. Bassist Ryan Martin is a computer programmer, while percussionist Chuck Dingerdissen works in the food services industry.

The band, which started as a solo acoustic act, draws on numerous influences, including Queensryche, Rush, Victor Wooten and various bands from the 1980s.

"We're your average hard rock band right until you listen to our bass lines," Grenda said. "When you listen to it together, it's like the Goo Goo Dolls with a slap bassist. It's pretty good for a trio."

Grenda, a former Marine, draws on his own experiences while using other techniques to write songs.

"I try to imagine what things would be like that aren't in my life," he said. "That's primarily how I write."

Simplicity is an underrated aspect of music, Grenda said.

"There are some very simple songs on the album, but they're good songs," he said. "If you go back to some of the greatest musicians who've ever written, like John Lennon and Bob Dylan, their stuff's not hard to play, so I try to do that sometimes."

Grenda, a veteran of the local music scene, used a nickname given to him while in a previous band for Mr. G's name.

Five years have gone by between albums from Mr. G, but Grenda says it takes time to make good music.

Ryan Martin is the bassist for Mr. G.

"The first CD was very underproduced," he said. "We took our time. We didn't care if it was going to take two or three years because this is our album, and we wanted to make it and show people that we are real musicians."

Engineering can make the difference between a good record and a great one, which is why Mr. G sought out the best for the band's follow-up to its 2000 debut, "Salvation." It recorded the album at Shorefire Studios in Long Branch with Joey DaMaio, who has worked with acts including Skid Row, Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen.

Grenda and the members of Mr. G also started the Local Jamz festival, a concert that started as an attempt to circumvent the Asbury Park club scene but has since begun to work with the clubs to promote Asbury Park bands.

This year's festival will be on August 20 at Bar Anticipation in Belmar. The rest of the band's summer schedule, though, remains up in the air.

"I don't believe you have to play 100 gigs to make it," Grenda said. "We started at The Saint on Wednesday and Thursday nights. Now we've matured to the point where we put music down on CD the best we can."

For more information about upcoming shows, visit Mr. G's Web site at www.mrgsmusic.com.

from the Asbury Park Press