Mars to Mercury / Landing Gear (400 Bar, Minneapolis, MN, Thursday, August 22nd, 2002)

Mars to Mercury

Members:

Lance Stevens - Guitar, Lead Vocals
Jeff Rutland - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Krys Baratto - Bass, Backing Vocals
Sean Sauder - Drums

Official website: http://www.marstomercury.com (Not much to it at time of writing.)

MP3 site: http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/400/mars_to_mercury.html

The predicament is one I'm sure I will be in again: How to review a band I don't like. I must be Frank here. No, wait I can still be David and tell you that I don't like Mars to Mercury. Now, don't get me wrong, this isn't a hatred of any sort, or even a strong dislike, and it's certainly not personal. It's just that Mars to Mercury simply do so little for me that I haven't been able to to sit through an entire set of their music. And I've tried. Twice! You'd think this fact would make it a little difficult to write an informed review.

However, I can tell you that from their first song at the 400 Bar on Thursday night Mars to Mercury reminded me a little of the Gear Daddies......except on crack. Lance Stevens even looks a little like Martin Zellar for cryin' out loud. M2M has the attitude, the riffs, and the accomplished musical abilities, but they sorely lack the down home natural feel that was almost a Gear Daddies trademark. Perhaps the guys were a little tensed up because there were supposedly A&R people in attendance from the record labels, but they seemed too much infused with the spirit of John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band and too little of the spirit of Bruce Springsteen. But to be fair (and believe it or not, I try), these aren't good comparisons anyway because Mars to Mercury aspires to be a hard rock band and still be all of the above. Because of this borderline musical schizophrenia, their heavy metal guitar solos, which pop up suddenly in the middle of songs, seem somehow out of place. And their shiny rock star shirts (don't put a candle near them!), Steven's oddly shaped guitar, and Baratto's semi-glittery bass also seemed a little out of place at the 400 Bar. The contrast is all the more glaring after hearing the pop-laced music of Landing Gear and after returning from hearing a debut spin of the upcoming Coldplay album at Sursumcorda.

The press pack informs us that last October Mars To Mercury were chosen by Maverick Records representatives to open for Maverick recording artists Jude and Michelle Branch at The Fine Line Music Cafe in Minneapolis. Their set was videotaped and sent to Maverick Records in Beverly Hills. After viewing the videos of the opening bands in each city on the tour, Maverick chose Mars To Mercury to receive a demo deal with the label. The band then recorded a 4-song demo for the label. A full-length album is apparently also in the works.

A web search for info on this band turns up numerous examples of self-promotion, but not a lot of hard information. (Lack of web material is all the more unfortunate as this review will most likely start popping up shortly in Yahoo and Google searches and this reviewer is clearly far from a fan.) At the time of writing, even searching the Maverick Records website for information turned up no results.

However, about nine pages deep into a Google search for "mars to mercury"+minneapolis I did stumble across this quotation from a website called [sic] "tony bennet's LiveJournal," dated April 29th, 2002. I quote:

"mars to mercury sucks. supporting your local scene does not mean helping shitty lite-rockers. nu metal sucks. everybody sucks except for me. so eat shit and die, fungus." - (Source: http://www.livejournal.com/users/dametonybennett/ - reference no longer available as of 10/1/02)

I wouldn't have put it quite that harshly, but, hey. Jane! Stop this crazy review!

Landing Gear

Heading over from the Coldplay CD release party at Sursumcorda, I somehow missed Landing Gear's first song "September" even though I arrived at 10:15.

Landing Gear played a good solid set at Thursday night's show at the 400 Bar playing the middle slot after self-proclaimed emo kids Lifelike and opening for Mars to Mercury. (See previous review for further Landing Gear details.) Jay Hurley exhibited the feisty spirit we know and love him for and good-naturedly dealt with broken strings. (His high E string broke on "Surprise Surprise,"--capoed on the 9th fret!--about 2/3 of the way through the set.) Mykl Westbrooks was in good form, hopping up and down from the drum platform and working as one with his effects and amp. In my opinion, Landing Gear does well on the 2-tiered 400 Bar stage. Rob Robelb, in bright orange pants and sucking on a lollipop for most of the show groovily thumped along looking like the handsome rock star that, well, he looks like. And Dave West's drumming was right in the pocket as usual. Unfortunately, turnout for the show was lower than would have been liked, a problem on many Thursdays lately at the 400 Bar it seems. Landing Gear closed with an "oldie" which they dedicated to one of their diehard fans and friend Andrew, a virtual celebrity whom I have seen at every landing Gear show I've attended. Missing from tonight's Landing Gear lineup was Bec Smith on backup vocals. And where were the rest of the Landing Gear fans who often make their shows as enjoyable to be at as to listen to?