It is not uncommon for audience members at a Maria In The Shower concert to feel like they have travelled back in time.
That probably has something to do with the fact the band approaches songwriting less like musicians and more like historians, incorporating some sounds and influences that were popular a hundred years ago.
The result is a performance steeped in the vaudeville tradition, mixing elements of swing, samba, blues and gypsy soul while providing a backdrop for stories, myths and bible tales.
"We are kind of like archeologists digging throughout the history of recordings," said Jack Garton, who sings, plays trumpet and accordion with the group. "We are always searching back for the sources of a lot of different things and influences."
The old-time influence is added into other aspects of the band's performance, and audience members are not likely to see Maria In The Shower take the stage wearing jeans and t-shirts.
Top hats, bow ties and three-piece suits add to the theatrical side of their show, an element Garton said helps draw in the crowd and get their feet moving.
"Whether it is our music or what we are wearing on our bodies, if they are all pointing in the same essential direction than we can more easily give a really powerful show to people," Garton said. "We try and take into consideration all of the things that we have on stage."
The band hopes to influence how their crowds dress, particularly when it comes to footwear. Garton said dancing shoes are a must at Maria In The Shower show, and the band strives to offer its fans a fun performance.
The bouncy rhythm section, let by bassist Brendon Hartley and percussonist Todd Biffard is guaranteed make toes tap while Martin Reisle strums a guitar and plays the cello over top.
"The main idea is we just try and go our and have fun," Garton said. "If we are having fun then other people will have fun."
gmckenna@tricitynews.com
