Plato said, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle.”International rock artist Manafest knows the saying well. His uphill climb began at age five when his father committed suicide. Years of childhood insecurity and fear gave way to a promising skateboarding career, but then an injury took that away too. Music soon filled the void, and it would prove to be a perfect fit. Putting words to driving rhythms gave him a way to be a visible light for other people wrestling with their own junk: strained relationships, betrayals, loss, broken dreams. He knew plenty about getting through the past and working toward the future. “I’m always there to give you the don’t-give-up message,” he says in a quiet offstage voice that balances out his amped up live presence.