Brian McDaniel (aka McRock):

Brian McDaniel

Athena Brian McDaniel (aka McRock): (aka McRock): Growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, Brian started playing guitar at 10 after torturing his parents with drums as a small child.  He got his first electric for his 11th birthday and by the time he started high school at 13 he was playing shows in his first band.  By 14, Brian began writing his own songs and gigging regularly, playing many shows and festivals and touring as far away from home as Maryland.  There he began recording in professional studios and has continued doing sessions in many others over the years, mostly in Georgia.  After graduating high school, Brian continued song writing and gigging with his bands while attending Georgia State University as well as continuing in a variety of different studio sessions.
After college in the mid 80’s, Brian joined John, and Athena was born. Playing, writing and recording exclusively original material, Athena played many large festival shows around the southeast for several years until tragedy and a series of unfortunate events put the band into a long, dormant limbo.
Brian then found moderate success in the southeast for a couple of years after forming Black Widow. He continued writing and doing studio sessions while experimenting with various projects culminating in the formation of Mother Ocean, which grew quite a large following for a few years until disbanding late in 1990.
It was at this time Brian chose family life over the rock lifestyle and unplugged to raise his children. He loves being Daddy as much as his music. By the time his kids were teenagers, Brian’s desire for playing in a band was re-ignited by his close friend, Scott. They began jamming together regularly and gigging locally.
Then, the reincarnation of Athena… The band was reunited and reborn in 2010 to record their first full length album, Escape To Athena. They have since recorded and released their second album, Protector Of The Arts, in 2016. Athena is currently focusing on their live shows as well as writing new music for a third upcoming album.