"If I was going to come back here with a power trio, it better be a damn good
power trio," Jeff Martin told me in an interview that ran in the March edition
of GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine. It was a big statement from the former
Tea Party front man. On March 10th in front of the packed Republik bar,
he proved his words true.
Kicking off with The Ground Cries Out, the lead track from their new
album, drummer Malcolm Clark and bassist Jay Cortez lived up to Martin's hype.
Clark pounded away on the drums like a madman and Cortez, while more subdued,
worked the bass like a pro. It was very clear over the course of the set that they weren't just playing backup for Martin - the trio was very much a
band.
"We aren't going to forget the past," Martin said, in promising some Tea Party
material. And while he didn't ignore it, he didn't exactly embrace it either.
While I didn't expect a greatest hits set, the songs were lesser known Tea
Party tracks like Overload, Shadows on the Mountainside and Requium,
which included a pretty amazing cover of Hurt by Nine Inch Nails. A bit of
Sister Awake was played, though drastically different. To drop staples
such as The Bazaar or Psychopomp was a bit of a letdown,
especially on a show clocking in at an hour and 20 minutes. I was curious to
see how the new band interpreted those classics; judging by the rest of the performance they would nail them, and hopefully we get to see some more familiar songs
on future tours.
So of course, the question on the minds of long-time fans is whether Jeff Martin 777 is
as good as The Tea Party. There will always be those comparisons, which can be a
blessing and a curse. Clark and Cortez are not former bassist Stuart Chatwood
and drummer Jeff Burrows, but they aren't supposed to be. They are certainly as
good as the Tea Party members, but their style and sound is different. The new
band is very young still, but worked together smoothly and excellently to bring the new album
and some past songs to life on stage.
Jeff Martin 777 has the legs in a great album
and live performance, and hopefully when they aren't in a bar, we will see a longer
show. The groundwork is there for success and, I for one, hope they achieve it.
