Tuesday, July 14, 2009

On Music

As a lover of musicians who are always evolving, growing, reinventing themselves and their sound, I find it absurd to think that one song could encapsulate the soul of a band. This is especially true regarding any band who has released 8 studio albums, a greatest hits album, a music video DVD collection, and a live DVD. But, I’m feeling ballsy and emboldened in my soon-to-be-even-older age. I’ve been a fan of The Tea Party since that fateful day in 1997 when I stumbled across a MuchMusic showing of their video for “Temptation” , and after falling instantly in lust with the song, and the incredibly attractive (to me) lead singer, life as I knew it changed forever.


Am I being a littler melodramatic? Sure, but while my tastes in music may have changed over the years, and while my love for the group has ebbed and flowed, their albums have remained the mainstay of my music collection. I could identify major emotional highs and lows over the past 12 years solely by going through the playlist for each of The Tea Party’s albums. The ties between the band and I constitute the most committed relationship I’ve been in, to date! And, it is this that I feel allows me to offer as a prĂ©cis of The Tea Party’s musical personality one song:

Mantra


I can remember seeing The Tea Party perform this song live at the Shaw Conference Center. My brother and I were right at the front, mere feet from the stage. Our arms were bruised from being looped over the metal barricade and gripped tightly as we fought the rest of the people jostling for our prime position.

And then... Mantra came on and everyone else ceased to exist. The video above doesn't do the song justice, but then again, neither does the album version. It's a song that needs to be heard live... which, sadly, is no longer an option.

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