Have you ever gone to a show only to find that your one of ten or so people in the audience? This happens to me quite often in the search for new music and underground movements. It can be quite disheartening, especially when the venue will not extend a set, the audience is more interested in after work conversation, and the band give a half-assed performance, saving their time and energy for that “breakthrough” crowd.
As I pulled up in a taxi to newly opened midtown rock club Lizard Lounge, I was disappointed to find that jazz/jam sensation Bathtub Mary did not draw a larger audience. Owing to the fact that it was 7:00pm on a Tuesday, and that the lounge has yet to build an in-house, after work audience, I should have expected nothing more. It was with mild disappointment that I grabbed my signature SoCo from the bar and turned towards the small stage for a night of unpredictable music. From the first note however, I could tell that BM brought their A-game, and although they are not the type of band where stage antics or fist pumping energy is a part of the routine, I quickly settled in for some mind expanding musicality that touched deep at the heart of my growing frustrations with the world around me.

Rooted in the profound classical education of some of the nation’s finer music colleges, Bathtub Mary utilizes precision technical prowess to entice crowds, converting throngs to their Jazz-fusion sound. Combining a through knowledge of theory with folky, politically charged lyrics and traditional instrumentation lends to a uniquely activist resonance lacking in today's cannon of musical offerings. Existing simultaneously on both sides of the sonic battleground, the band freely mingles in the Jam, Jazz, Fusion, Rock and Folk environment. Free of the stylistic limitations encountered in the over classified pop world, Bathtub Mary creates expressive original music with a message that stresses awareness and action.

Stretching beyond the typical "Jam Band" persona, lyrical inspirations seem to be filtered thru dissatisfaction with society's status-quo mentality (Goin' Down, Greedy Seeds, Suicide). Charged with enough angst to front a grunge band, lead singer Phil Darosa spins bardic tales of greed, indifference and empowerment that would have been welcome additions to 60’s era protest rallies, but with a soft and subtle voice that dares you to take a deeper listen. Unlike the amped desperation of early 80’s politico hardcore, this message of self-reflection is delivered with an almost defeatist tone, a woeful consideration of the path chosen by our collective. That’s not to say that Bathtub Mary does not have a softer, more playful side to them as well.

Bathtub Mary enraptures fans with heartfelt serenades that some have said brings them back to the days of Crosby Stills Nash & Young (Candle). Musical nods to bands like Belá Fleck and the Flecktones are incorporated by bouncing intermingling guitar melodies off bass and drum rhythms in odd time signatures (Suicide). Jonathan Wearn's musically impenetrable and stylistically innovative guitar solos create a sound that is beyond the realm of description. Utitlizing their full breadth of scope, acoustic melodies twisted with throwbacks to the glory days of classic rock become an unmistakable signpost that this band has found the link between musicality and originality.

The band continued touring and recorded a few tracks in Sonic Brothers Studio on MV, but was seriously lacking a drummer. Upon Milligan's return to the continent and the band, he virtuosically picked up the sticks and filled that hole with a percussive style that is smooth and poignant - stemming from his guitar expertise. With a complete ensemble, the band's growth was phenomenal, their sound has solidified and their fan base now spans New England.