"When the Who's Quadrophenia revival tour rolled through the Delaware Valley 12 years ago, there really was only one local band to tap as their opener.
At the time, the Three-4-Tens were making waves in Philadelphia's music scene for their modern take on '60s psychedelia. Their debut "Throwback Move With the Three-4-Tens" was heralded by critics and scenesters alike, making the band among the hottest tickets on the club circuit.
On Saturday, May 15, they swing by Mojo 13 with a new line-up, a new batch of songs and a new fire in the belly that founder Jamie Mahon said is burning brighter than ever.
Influenced heavily by Syd Barrett's Pink Floyd, Sgt. Pepper's Beatles, and Goat Head Soup-era Rolling Stones, Mahon certainly knows his history. But more than any one sound, it's Mahon's affection - and inclination - for loud, sweaty, garage-style barroom blowouts that's most apparent during the band's live performances.
"I'm ready to get back on stage and kick some ass," he says.
Mahon and co-frontman Joe Tagg agreed to go their separate ways after briefly touring behind 2007's "Down the Way." That allowed Mahon to move over from his customary bass to take over guitar duties. Now 37, Mahon brought a group of "young cats" into the fold: Mike Kiker (keys), Dave Reis (bass) and Brendan Gallagher (drums).
"It's our first time playing together so it's going to be a bit of a trial by fire," Mahon said. "But it's a hell of a lot easier to sing and play guitar than it is to sing and play bass."
Mahon, who calls Philly's Northern Liberties home and owns and operates the Green Rock Tavern next door in Port Richmond, said sitting idly for a while without performing has re-energized him.
"I had to pull the trigger on it," he said. "I took a solid two years off and I just couldn't not have it in my life. The songs started flowing out of me. It was just some weird cosmic alliance."
IF YOU GO: Three 4 Tens w/Empty Shapes & Wicked Hemlocks; Mojo 13, 1706 Phila. Pike, 8PM, $5 cover -- Hockessin, DE Community News; 05/07/09
Back in the summer of '97 Philadelphia based psychedelic rock combo The Three 4 Tens released their first EP titled Throwback Move With The Three 4 Tens (Lounge Records). After a few summers touring, releasing singles and contributing tracks to compilations, most notably the Sounds Of Psychedelphia also released on the now defunct Lounge Records imprint, the band then began work on their debut album.
In the spring of 2000, recording was underway on their first long-player Change Is On Its Way with producer Paul Smith behind the board. Originally self released the album eventually found its way to File 13 records and was re-released in April of 2001. Online indie-zine Pitchforkmedia said this of the recording "The Three 4 Tens have somehow managed to procure a working flux capacitor. And in a truly devious move, they've used it to travel to 1967 and steal the master tapes to the newly completed full-length of some poor, unsuspecting garage band. This stuff just sounds way too authentic."
That same album caught the attention of NYC based guitar jangle pop label Rainbow Quartz Records who then decided to license and release the record, with three bonus cuts, around Europe.
NOW
The Three 4 Tens sophomore recording, Taking Northern Liberties, named after the Philly neighborhood where the band resides, is like a dose of The Strokes on blotter acid meets Paul Revere and The Raiders, blending elements of The Doors, Steppenwolf and Iron Butterfly. Their live show is a lava lamp psychedelic rave-up that only rivals the legendary Feelies.
The new album was recorded with the help of long time producer and friend Paul Smith.
Band member Joe Tagg notes: "(Paul) tried to keep it fresh by not having a lot of preproduction done. There's a lot of improv, which kept it entertaining for us."
Taking Northern Liberties is a document in time, a musical outlet for the band's surroundings. Joe Tagg remembers: "First off, we recorded the entire album in the winter. Up until this one, we've mostly recorded in spring and summer. Not to mention, it was one of the worst winters we've ever had. I think that contributed to some of the more darker/somber moments on the album."
Over the years a long list of musicians have been Three 4 Tens members, however the core of the band has remained almost intact. The Three 4 Tens are: Joe Tagg (guitar/vocal), Jamie Mahon (bass/vocal), the final piece of the puzzle was guitarist Brian McNamara (guitar/vocal) who returned to the fold in the fall of 2002. Ex-Burning Brides drummer Mike Ambs recently joined the band.
The band has toured extensively in the United States sharing the stage with the likes of The Strokes, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Warlocks, Brian Jonestown Massacre and the Burning Brides, among others. - Rainbow Quartz Website
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This numerically minded Philadelphia group has a serious '60s fetish and they're not the least bit ashamed. They admit to being deeply influenced by early Barrett-era Pink Floyd and fellow Philadelphian Todd Rundgren's pre-prog Nazzdays, which they clearly are, but you might also detect hints of 5th Dimension-era Byrds and shades of their British Invasion counterparts (The Animals, The Who). However they derived their rock formula, The Three 4 Tens clearly got it right, because their classic blend of spacey psych and bouncy garage rock rarely fails to satisfy and entertain.
Since starting as a bunch of rebellious Catholic high school students back in 1996, the members of the Three 4 Tens have been working towards a debut record. In 2000 they got a step closer by tapping Steve Earle producer Paul Smith to work with them, a move which, by December of that year, had translated into a rich, entertaining album they dubbed (perhaps a bit ironically?) Change Is On Its Way. The band put it out themselves before the local label File 13 Records got interested and reissued it. - Jesse Ashlock; 11/20/01
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Garage rock throwbacks the Three 4 Tens indulge in full vocal harmonies, disorderly guitar sounds, and raw recordings. Originated at a Catholic high school in Philadelphia, the band included guitarist/vocalist Joe Tagg, bassist/vocalist Jamie Mahon, drummer Jon Kois, and guitarist Brian McNamara. Following the 1997 release of their debut EP, Throwback Move With the Three 4 Tens Scott Rodgers replaced McNamara. During their supporting tour for the EP, the Three 4 Tens opened for the Who. Change Is On Its Way, the first full-length, finally arrived in August 2001. - Kenyon Hopkin, All Music Guide
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You can find The Three 4 Tens' influences all over Jamie Mahon's house. The Northern Liberties home that doubles as the psychedelic pop band's practice space has posters of Jim Morrison in the living room and Simon LeBon in the basement, plastic Sesame Street numbers here and there, and a cat named Buki (short for Bukowski) who likes to drink beer.
Throw Back Move With the Three 4 Tens, the band's debut EP for Lounge Records, is a musical kaleidoscope by four kids weaned on their parents records (bassist Mahon is even named after Jim Morrison) who came of age skateboarding on Frankford playgrounds to '80s synth-pop hits. There are backwards loops borrowed from Jimi Hendrix's Are You Experienced, "Hello, I Love You" vocals and secrets from Pink Floyd's saucerful - lyrics like "When you see the trees in threes then you'll know me and where I'll be."
A single from Norwegian garage rock label Dull City is also in the works. "We're a little bit of everyone's favorite band," says guitarist/keyboardist Brian McNamara, who taught himself to play by listening to Keith Richards, while Mahon's favorites include Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd and Duran Duran predecessors Japan.
"The only thing rooting us in the '60s thing is the obvious: the haircuts and the way we dress," says Mahon, who sports an overgrown Beatle haircut (as does frontman/guitarist Joe Tagg). "I think at certain points, we almost have a new wave flavor."
Drummer Jon Kois is the heavy metal fan in the band. He swears he feels a spiritual bond with Ozzy Osbourne, with whom he shares a given name. The Three 4 Tens - named for the going rate of hits of acid - formed in the spring of '96 after Kois moved here from Pittsburgh looking for a band to play with, and Mahon's old band, prog-rockers Invid, dissolved.
The Three 4 Tens' catchy hooks, agile playing and snazzy fashion sense caught on with Philadelphia scenesters, some of whom thought it was uncool the band got too many accolades too soon.
"There's definitely been a backlash from people in the cool scene who do not like us because of that," admits Mahon. Those same folks falsely liken them to local suit rockers The Interpreters. "They're like this mod revival Buzzcocks kind of thing and we're doing total psychedelic freakout stuff with different influences," he says.
Within the close-knit Philly music scene the band gravitated toward The Asteroid 4, whose bassist Gregg Weiss offered to release Throw Back Move on his Lounge Records label after a friend of his saw the band play a Pink Floyd tribute night.
"Between us and The Asteroid 4, there's a bit of a Pink Floyd link," says Mahon. "We get more of Piper at the Gates of Dawn, a little bit of Saucerful of Secrets, and they're more like Meddle and Obscured By Clouds."
They also scored a second stage slot opening for The Who at the E-Centre in August, and although they didn't get to meet any of their heroes, they actually got to play in front of people who weren't just waiting in line for beer. One person even asked for the set list. Kevin Kinney, lead singer of the far more boring billmates Drivin' and Cryin', gave them a backhanded compliment: "Your band is almost as good as mine." They also got a tape into the hands of Pete Townshend's guitar tech.
"We asked for two limos and some caviar and we got a bucket of ice," jokes Kois.
"At least we got a trashcan to hide our [beer] in," adds McNamara. -Sara Sherr
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