ROCK FANS TAKE THE TEA PARTY CHALLENGE
Source: Vue Weekly, May 27-June 2, 1999

...while Chatwood subs for AWOL Martin
By David DiCenzo

Ten o'clock in the morning -- and I was psyched. Jeff Martin, frontman of the Tea Party, was my next interview. While certainly not the biggest name I've ever had the privilege of speaking to, he's definitely no slouch in the music business. I scribbled down some questions: "Tell me about the new CD"... "Just how much do comparisons to the Doors bother you?"... "How is Windsor, Ontario when it comes to fostering musical talent?"... and I waited.
10:30 a.m.: Martin's a half-hour late. No big deal, it's happened before, and God knows it'll happen again. I call the band's publicist and she says, "I'll get on it."
10:40 a.m.: The phone rings, "Hello," I say. "Can I please speak to Dave, please?" says the voice on the other end. "Speaking," I reply. "Hi Dave... it's Stuart Chatwood from the Tea Party."
Stuart? What about the Doors guy? Chatwood, the band's bassist/keyboardist, goes on to politely explain that Martin is temporarily AWOL after a late night out. Ah, to be a rock star.

CANADIAN AMBASSADORS

That was my professional introduction to the Tea Party, the trio (consisting of Martin, Chatwood and drummer Jeff Burrows) that emerged into the national spotlight via Windsor, Ontario, a town famous for, well, being across the river from Detroit. But actually, crossing the Ambassador Bridge over to the Motor City had as much to do with where the band now finds itself as anything else.
"Detroit's probably like a smaller Chicago, a big midwestern town," laughs Chatwood. "Pretty well every band that tours stops there. It's this big rock city with a lot of university radio stations, and it left this indelible mark on us."
In fact, the American music scene had more of an influence on the Tea Party than what was available north of the border -- Chatwood says the band members were more concerned with artists that broke in the U.S. Perhaps, then, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the Tea Party are often compared to one of the most unique American acts of all time: the Doors.
But those comparisons, which have persisted for years now, are somewhat inaccurate. Chatwood doesn't mind the criticisms -- he just wants some explanations from the band's detractors.
"If they can explain why they feel the way they do, that's fine," he says. "The same rule applies to accolades. What I want is some thoughtful insight either way. When it comes to the Doors, the comparison is 90 per cent visual. I pity the reader."

THREE-PEAT, THREESOME, TRIFECTA...

But there are more pressing concerns with the Tea Party -- like hitting the road to promote their upcoming CD, Triptych. The band is in the midst of a 10-stop swing as part of the Pepsi Taste Tour '99. It's not exactly your traditional road trip, seeing as all of the venues on this jaunt are smaller clubs, plus the concertgoers are there by invitation only. Well, they aren't exactly presented invitations; instead, fans have an opportunity to win tickets via local radio station promotions or the tried-and-true Pepsi Taste Challenge method.
Chatwood likes the fact that this tour offers fans a free night out to the club, especially considering the ever-rising cost of concert tickets. It works out for the Tea Party as well, who get the opportunity to sample the new tracks from Triptych in front of a smaller, more intimate crowd.
"It's a good way to start -- you can gauge the audience's reaction," says Chatwood.

STU-STU-STUDIO

But touring has become less of a, well, challenge as the band has begun to place a greater emphasis on what they do in the studio. Chatwood explains that this particular session proved to be genuinely rewarding, as some of the tracks off Triptych were penned right in the studio -- a sign, he believes, that the band is maturing musically.
"The studio is becoming more and more my favourite place," he says. "Touring can sometimes be the same, but the studio is always something new and fresh.
"I would actually like to do fewer shows, but don't let my manager hear that," Chatwood adds with a chuckle.
So enough about music -- let's get down to some serious issues. Stuart, whaddya prefer, Coke or Pepsi?
"I'm more of a Royal Crown man myself," he jokes.
Yup, 10 cent colas... I remember them like it was yesterday. And the smile on my face makes me forget, temporarily, that the band's swash-buckling frontman left me hanging.

The Tea Party
The Rev - Sat, May 29 - 423-7820

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