Here's one of my favorite tunes of theirs: "The Bazaar" off of their best record: The Edges Of Twilight.
Rockin, eh?
The one time I was aware they were playing DC was at the old 930 Club (that long ago!) and I wasn't able to go because they were opening for Dogstar and the show was sold out. What a crock! Screw you, Neo!
Another funny story: I was sitting in the backseat of a car driving back from a King's X show at Jaxx in Springfield with my buddies Clay and Doug and I started making up a song, to the tune of another TP song called "Correspondences," about a demon fighting Doug. I don't remember the specificities but there was a line about the cold hands of death around Doug's throat. And something about spitting in Satan's face. What can I say, I had a few to drink.
Anyway, check out The (REAL) Tea Party. They are actually a REALLY cool band.
I thankfully survived my musical brush with Satan but never did know the tune came from somewhere else. Hah! Good times.
ReplyDeleteI am happy to hear they are back at it. Their initial breakup seemed to be a bit acrimonious and out of the blue...and from what I remember of Jeff Martin's solo record, this reunion is a good thing for all concerned. That said, their last two records ("Interzone Mantras" and "Seven Circles") werent as strong as "Edges of Twilight" or "Triptych" so if they do record new material I hope they come loaded for bear.
ReplyDeleteYour comparison of them to Led Zeppelin with Jim Morrison fronting is apt..."Physical Graffiti" era Zep for sure, well really just "Kashmir" specifically but the point remains valid. The Tea Party's use of middle eastern instruments to add coloration set them apart. ("Is it gratuitous coloration?" asks Grant from the hotline)...
You introduced me to them with the "Edges of Twilight" record; all it took was the opening track "Fire in the Head" and I was hooked. Their main problem is that they are stuck in Canada, they deserved to break in the USA and back in the mid 90s they should have but alas...
What I remember from that Jaxx show was that my then band was offered an opening slot for that night but our lead singer hated the owner of the club and wouldnt do it. Would have loved to have been able to open for a band like King's X...oh well.
And Doug spit in Satan's eyes as I recall it...It was an epic struggle, the details of which sadly have been lost to the sands of time (or sobriety). It was a pure peformance art piece limited only by the confines of the backseat of a mid 80's Saab 900S and the lack of a KFC bucket for your head.