It appears talent comes in all shapes and sizes. And ages. Five-piece outfit Bet Me I’m Lying consists of two brothers and three neighborhood friends living in Harbor Bluffs (That’s in Largo, a stone’s throw from the Belle air Bridge) and, according to the group, they’ve been together a little over a year. Brothers Jackson and Brendan Marquardt (guitar and drums respectively), Kirk Adikes (guitar), Jamie Craske (bass) and guitarist/vocalist C.J. Harris have an average age of 13. Yes, indeed, they’re quite young but very talented. In September 2008 the boys recorded a crude but interesting 9-song demo with Bob Mast (Jackson’s guitar teacher) at Clearwater’s By the Way Studios. The songs were written by Bet Me I’m Lying, with the exception being Craske, who joined the band shortly after the songs were written.  Two months later, the group has performed at several local events, including “Concert in the Park” in Largo, the Clearwater Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot, the Closing Ceremonies for West Pinellas Little League in Indian Rocks Beach, and various private parties and charity events. Their CD release concert will be

at the Harbor Bluffs Park in Largo on May 23 at 5 p.m.  They are also scheduled to play at the Sheraton Sand Key in early June and, hopefully, throughout the summer.

Bet Me I’m Lying is more or less an alternative a rock band; most of the songs are up-tempo yet display a degree of melody. This is quite monumental considering they’ve yet to reach high school. They’re adamant about not being a clone of, say, Jonas Brothers, or any type of teenage boy rock band usually heard on the Disney Channel or Nickelodeon. The songs have some really catchy guitar riffs and guitar solos.  What’s most impressive is the lyrical content. Songs like “Slowly Fading” discusses global warming; “Hey Nietzsche”  was based on a poem written by Adikes describing 19^th Century German Philosopher Frederic Nietzsche’s deterministic existential view. For a bunch of preteens, these kids definitely have something special in store! For further information go to: http://www.myspace.com/betmeimlyingrockband or call 727/580-3828.

Bet Me I’m Lying