Pretty heavy

Mother Jefferson are in it for the long haul

by Michael Caito

Mother Jefferson

Outside the tidy third-floor Fox Point apartment of Mother Jefferson guitarists Pete Burr and Jonny Jones sat an array of amusement park rides, stilled at the moment but poised for an imminent religious festival. The Tilt-a-Whirl, the Ferris Wheel -- all the well-oiled faves, idled at the ready, patiently awaiting thrillseekers on the impromptu midway.

After discussing all the havoc we could wreak on the festival with few well-aimed volleys from a wrist-rocket ("You gotta call which ass-cheek you hit or no points," one proposed rule went), the quartet, who also include bassist Eric "The Whip" Fontana and drummer Jack McKenna, settled in with beer 'n' cigs to discuss their latest release Evil Smokes (All the Money) and life as an unabashed heavy guitar-rock band.

"We get the Cheap Trick comparison, which we love," said Jones by way of introducing their vibe to those unfamiliar with the band's past nine years of area performances and releases. "AC / DC and KISS, too."

That's an oversimplification of their sound, which since 1989 (when they featured bassist George Sullivan and were known as Backwash) has been fueled by the twin-Gibson attack of Jones and Burr. Over the ensuing years the band hung together over a series of mostly-unplanned interruptions. Lead singer Burr survived a serious vocal cord ailment, Sullivan's replacement (Mark Pedini, now of Amoebic Ensemble) left, and they lost McKenna to the road for a long while as he toured the world as Belly's drum tech. An entire albumbetween the scorching Approaching Joe's Mangos 1993 debut EP and Evil Smokes -- both on the band's own All the Money Records -- was never released. "We wouldn't be doing it if we didn't enjoy it, but that's not as obvious [a statement] as it may seem," explained McKenna. "We'd all be playing somewhere else if we weren't in this band, so it's not a driving factor -- it's the point. In essence, we're a rock band without the benefit of doing whatever [younger] bands are doing, and the benefit of the inherent, enthusiastic response from the crowd that's looking to feed that kind of thing. It's harder to make a straight rock album, because very few are doing that anymore, looking back at the way, say, Aerosmith [were] making albums.There's not an entrenched group of fans looking for that in a local band. It's a very different scene."

All small cities and their grass-roots movements are plagued by the musical clique bug. Providence is no different except in the fact that the diversity of the players within the expansive rock and roll idiom is always capable of surprising casual listeners and critics alike. So avant-noise loft scenarios like Fort Thunder's will forever exist in studied contrast to the groove-based hip-hop inflection of Grüvis Malt. To keep a sense of humor amid this almost perverse diversity is important, as all four Mother Jefferson members heartily agreed, but sometimes watching promising groups implode does extract a certain amount of mental wear and tear from fellow musicians who watch the merry-go-round. "It's not to say I pity bands," said Burr, who turned 30 the next day, "but it's a real fucking drag when a great band gets caught up in the [music] business bullshit and can't deal with it. Well, not that they can't deal with it but it's not what they want all of a sudden, so it all falls apart because of that."

"It's to our advantage that we're friends with many musicians who that's happened to, and we've been able to absorb from the outside things they've been through," Fontana said. "Another band that might be in our same situation in another city may not know the five or six really important little things that we know just from being pals with so-and-so. It's been a great opportunity to poke our heads unobtrusively in somebody else's scene and say 'OK, I'll look out for this one when we get to it,' because they tripped over it."

"In a certain way, everything's a lesson," Burr concurred.

Gigging in other bands at the same time has also lent insight which the foursome feel will serve Mother Jefferson well in the long haul. Jones plays bass in Motormags with former members of One Ton Shot Gun, McKenna plays in the Followers, and the Berklee-trained Fontana still tours heavily as guitarist for Steve Smith andthe Nakeds. In retrospect, there's very little quibbling, either by the band or in these ears, with how Evil Smokes turned out, and they've already penned enough for the next CD. They're quick to credit producer John Jacobsen (of Sound Station Seven) with ensuring that the few extra studio takes gave Evil Smokes the power and immediacy both demanded, and the record bears that out through repeated spins. They still play to their strengths, and the addition of Fontana's vocals to the mix has moved them up a level without sacrifice. Now, to gear up for an increased winter gig schedule with renewed focus and determination.

Despite the sometimes stifling prevalence of trends-du-jour, Mother Jefferson are confident in their power to tilt people's heads towards the venerable twin-guitar attack. Though it may be as familiar now as the Ferris Wheel or Tilt-a-Whirl are to any kid who ever rode one, it doesn't necessarily mean the rush is less gratifying. "I don't know if this makes us a dysfunctional family," Fontana laughed. "It's a family nonetheless."

A family which refuses to chirp and whine about the failures of the could-have-beens or the successes of some of their musical pals.

"More power to 'em, I'm happy for them, and eventually our turn will come," explained Jones. "Belly made it big because they already had, because Tanya was already on her way and Belly was the next step for her. The Royal Crowns are doing well getting help from the Bosstones. But then you also have Scarce, Von Ryan's Express coming very close then breaking up. No Doubt hit it big with their ska, but people don't realize they'd been around for twelve years. Soundgarden and Soul Asylum, same deal."

"When our time comes we won't be susceptible to some things, and that's not a cynical point," McKenna concluded. "It's just knowing not to shoot for the stars right off the bat. We'll play second out of five bands. To me that's a reminder of why we're playing. The crowd's there to see another band and you're there to kick their ass, then get offstage and hang out. That is the good time."

Mother Jefferson perform with the L.U.V.'s, Love In Reverse and Hammel on Trial on Friday at the Century Lounge.

WHO SHOT J.R.? Jonathan Richman gets capped in the end of There's Something About Mary, (aww, c'mon, you saw it already) but 'til that point you get an apt dose of his wide-eyed pop dexterity. Yes, the Modern Lovers influenced gobs of bands, and Richman can jiggle the handle of staid phrases forever, but it's a whether-you're-in-the-mood thing. If so, you'll be all over his early Met set on Friday. Lately they've been haphazard affairs, with Richman somewhere between an idolatry-worthy, Puck-as-Greek-Chorus troubadour and someone who tries to expose all truculent post-Modernists as tightly-wound phonies, and fails. But every hero / heroine has their hubris. The Queers follow at 10:15 and rock the house. Paindriver hit the Living Room on the 17th, which brings to mind Vince McMahon's Quote of the Week: "It was no accident that that chair collided with your head." Roomful and the Nakeds play the Tent Saturday, Bellevue Cadillac hit Chan's the same night (also highly recommended) and Anson Funderburgh lights up the Ocean Mist Tuesday. Marc Friedman of the Slip joins Dr. Didg at the Century on the 23rd after they open for Marc Ribot in NYC on the 20th. This Wednesday, don't miss the Japonize Elephants and the Eyesores at AS220. Very odd, very good. Finally, see that "Band Listings" advert for the Boston Phoenix? They're free (OK, for a stamp) and stay online year 'round. The deadline is September 1.