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Home  Archive music profiles Numbers by Color: The Maggi, Pierce & E.J. Story
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Numbers by Color: The Maggi, Pierce & E.J. Story |
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Written by Kevin Renick
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Friday, 16 December 2005 |
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“‘Eclectric’ is very eclectic music and also
electric,” Maggi commented in a recent interview. “It incorporates more
ideas. Eventually, it will be a category in the music bins.”
Frederick’s Music Lounge has seen plenty of memorable concerts over the
past year, by both local and rising national acts. But in December and
again in March, some things happened on stage that I’d never seen
before—things that were truly fresh, surprising, and offbeat. They were
the musical offerings of Maggi, Pierce and E.J., dedicated creators of
a brand of carefree, whimsical,
folk-pop-country-funk-jugband-swing-rock that is nearly impossible to
pin down in terms of a description. The trio has jokingly coined the
term “rolk” (rock and folk), or “eclectric.” It’s an entertainingly
unique blend.
“‘Eclectric’ is very eclectic music and also
electric,” Maggi commented in a recent interview. “It incorporates more
ideas. Eventually, it will be a category in the music bins.”
Well, it oughta be—otherwise, no record store divider card could
accurately characterize this band’s original style. In almost every way
possible, Maggi, Pierce and E.J. defy the rules. They disregard all
genre limitations. Their CDs are marketed by colors, not titles, which
they shun (save for the latest work, For, which is a poignant tribute
to Jeff Buckley). They have a white one, a black one, and a red one—the
Buckley tribute is a deep blue color, for symbolism. It’s not a
precious conceit; it’s an endearingly simple creative approach that
can’t help but tickle one’s fancy. Sorta The Beatles’ White Album taken
a few steps further. The band’s logo is a cartoonish line drawing of
the trio which looks the same on each disc, giving the works an
immediately distinctive identity.
Take those concerts at
Fred’s. Ever seen the members of a band trade off on every instrument?
Some call it a “Chinese fire drill.” We’re not just talking the
guitarist occasionally moving to keyboards or something, which is
commonplace. No, we’re talking Maggi, Pierce, and E.J. playing drums,
guitar, and bass. Continuously, throughout the show. It was a delight
to witness this, and the band saw no need for explanation; they just
did it. In fact, on a great song called “Burnin’ the Sun,” E.J. played
bass and drums at the same time. When was the last time you saw that at
a show?
MPE are overflowing with talent. Their three-part
harmonies are clear and tight, with a bit of extra tang that sets them
apart. Maggi possesses one of the most vibrant, endearingly sweet
voices of any modern female singer; it’s a tribute to her style that
points of comparison are few. Their cover of Van Halen’s “Could This Be
Magic” is an old-fashioned, wryly entertaining burst of musical joie de
vivre which can’t help but charm any attentive audience. Originals like
“Linda’s Red Button” (a feel-guilty ode to cable TV overload),
“Caliphornia,” “Space” (a sweetly melodic acoustic number from their
latest), “One More Time” (a humorous anti-heroin ditty, if you can
imagine), and “Stuff” (a remarkably knowing and hypnotic meditation on
physical and emotional clutter in one’s life) are uniquely constructed,
ear-pleasing compositions that can superficially resemble acts like Dan
Hicks, NRBQ, the Roches, and even Abba at times. But all comparisons
are approximate; the unpredictable arrangements and rich harmonies are
unquestionably MPE’s.
Asked about the stark trademark colors
of their discs, E.J. grins. “It came about on the second album, the
black one,” he said. “It was a reversal of our first, the white one. We
just thought it would be fun. Sometimes we’ll notice we have songs that
mention a certain color. So we’ll say, ‘Gotta save it for that one!’”
Discussing his influences, E.J. reveals that his parents had written
music, with his father favoring doo wop music such as the Ink Spots,
and his mother preferring singer-songwriters like Leonard Cohen and
Judy Collins. E.J. himself was into artists as diverse as The Beatles,
Frank Zappa (an influence evident in the some of the group’s
compositions) and Soundgarden. But as unlikely as it seems, E.J. and
Pierce found themselves in a hip-hop group before forming MPE. The two
had been childhood friends in their native Philadelphia, and eventually
became part of the Ruffhouse/Columbia live hip-hop unit The Goats.
Although E.J. recalls it as a fun time, he and Pierce kept fatefully
encountering Maggi, in separate circumstances.
“I was in a
band called Trickle,” said Maggi. “And they just started sitting in
with me from time to time. We had a much better time together than in
our other bands. More ideas started to open up. And before long, we’d
written a ton of songs.”
Knowing they had something special,
the trio began driving a Dodge Ram around the country, playing in small
clubs, and building regional followings with their style (or, more
accurately, styles), coalescing as they went. Their distinctive live
shows and early CDs (White in ’96, Black in ’97, Red in ’98, all
self-released) saw both critics and fans becoming enthusiasts—and
searching for descriptions.
“Maniacally eccentric, retro and
fresh…trippy, twisted and tuneful,” said the Philadelphia Daily News.
The Maine Morning Sentinel characterized their sound as “genre-bending
blending, jumping from funk to country to rock to folk and back again
effortlessly, with an acoustic bend and gorgeous harmonies.” Relix
simply called them “zany, psychedelic, and eccentric…”
Their career path took an unexpected turn with the drowning death of Jeff Buckley.
“Jeff’s music was incredibly inspiring to the three of us,” Maggi said.
“It’s very deep and emotional…We were all great fans of his, and we
wanted to do a tribute.”
“We were starting our red CD, we’d
done this song called ‘Bare’,” said E.J. “We were just getting our home
studio together. And after Jeff died, we said, let’s put some of these
songs together for him. “Burning the Sun” was one of the first. It was
really a heartfelt effort.
“We played the disc (For) for his mom. And she loved it. She said it’s one of her travel CDs.”
For, although containing a few whimsical tunes, was a more
contemplative effort by MPE, and it revealed the depth and sensitivity
they were capable of. “Ferdinand,” “Space,” “Jbird,” and “All Things”
were all exquisitely arranged and performed, with Maggi’s voice
dominating (nodding a bit to Joni Mitchell and Lambert, Hendricks, and
Ross) and acoustic instrumentation such as mandolin, harp, and banjo
coming more to the fore. MPE promoted the album heavily, hiring a
publicist and touring nonstop. Although crowds ranged from sparse to
fanatical, the buzz continued to build. And no group as talented and
hard-working as Maggi, Pierce and E.J. will linger on the sidelines for
too long.
“We want to get to Europe sometime. People are more open-minded and receptive there. I think we’d catch on.”
For a small contingent at Frederick’s Lounge, and later, Club
Three-One-Three in Belleville, they have already. The applause and
cheers grow stronger through MPE’s set.
“Here’s a song about a
bus!” Maggi shouts as the band launches into a rockabilly tune called
“21 Days.” Pierce plays some stinging lead guitar…or was it E.J.? It’s
amusing the way this group keeps a listener guessing. In their second
show at Fred’s they add Tuba Dan to their lineup, and the fat horn
sound definitely increases the NRBQ-ish vibes, as well as adding more
silly fun. Dan even “conducts” the band sometimes, climbing on the
small counter to do so. Pierce gets to take lead vocals on the Red
album’s “Stuff,” which is smooth, rousing, and melancholy all at the
same time. E.J. looks a tad like Sgt. Pepper-era George Harrison
injected with a bit of Zappa DNA. He jumps around, takes to the counter
himself, and plays everything very, very well. Maggi seems quiet and
shy until she’s behind the drum kit, tossing out wry asides to the
crowd. When she launches into her next vocal, whether it’s the
finger-picked, harmony-laced “Space” or the ribtickling “Linda’s Red
Button,” the audience is both comforted and entertained. It’s the norm
for these Philly folks.
Meanwhile, fans are already beginning to suggest colors for the next collection of MPE tunes. I helpfully suggest green to E.J.
“Some people think green,” he acknowledges. “You could call it green,
you could call it purple. It’s a big decision. We get into aqua, so
maybe it’ll be aqua. Wouldn’t that be cool?”
Whatever color
their fifth album becomes, Maggi, Pierce, and E.J. will always be one
color as entertainers: solid gold. And the answer to the question their
favorite cover tune asks, “Could This Be Magic?” is a declarative yes,
regarding these musical tricksters. Catch ’em soon; the experience will
stick with you. More info: www.mpeband.com
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