The Stick Martin Show

So we were racking our brains trying to think of some local connection to Michael Jackson, and one of the first images that popped into our minds was the cover of the 2008 album Thrilla by the inimitable Stick Martin Show. Awesome. We just had to share it with you.

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Anyway. With Jackson gone, we wondered: Did the King of Pop ever play Tampa Bay? We searched the dates on all his major stadium tours as a solo artist, and we couldn't find anything. Somehow, Michael only played in Florida a couple of times post-Thriller.

Oh, but we definitely wanted him. In 1984, the Tampa Sports Authority voted to raise the attendance cap at Tampa Stadium from 55,000 to 65,000, entirely to pave the way for a date on the Jacksons' Victory Tour. A fan in Clearwater even started a petition to get Jackson to come to Tampa or Orlando. But ultimately, the Victory Tour came no closer than Jacksonville.

In 1987, a New York promoter booked two spring dates at Tampa Stadium for Jackson's Bad Tour. But again, no luck.

The last good look Central Florida got at Jackson was in 1981, on the Jacksons' Triumph Tour, which stopped at the Lakeland Civic Center on July 28. At that show, according to reviewer Jeannie Ralston of the Evening Independent, Michael clearly stole the show:

During the high-energy, glittering show, all eyes were on Michael as he wooed the audience with almost nonstop gyrations to some of the group's (and his) most popular songs, both old and new.

The rest of the Jacksons -- with the exception of the drum- and piano-playing Randy -- were no more than the Pips, complete with the shoo-be-doos to Michael's jazzed-up Gladys. ...

Throughout the show, Michael seemed like the best of other superstars rolled into one: feet surpassing Fred Astaire's, spins like Peggy Fleming's, the dramatics of Sarah Bernhardt, a magic act like Merlin the Magician's and a clothes change like Superman.

The voice, though, was all Michael's.

If you really want to go old school, though, the Jackson 5 (who later became the Jacksons) did make a few stops in Tampa and St. Pete. Among them:

May 3, 1979, Bayfront Center: "Little Michael Jackson isn't quite so little any more, and the Five is gone from the gruop's name, but the Jacksons still sing and dance with so much talent and enthusiasm that the crowd, like Michael, is soon singing, 'I just can't, I just can't, I just can't control my feet.' Ten years later, Michael's voice is as high-pitched as ever. And he and his four brothers are as harmonious and nimble-footed as they were when they commanded instant hysteria with the teeny-boppers."

(The review notes that the crowd of 5,600 was "all ages, mostly black, mostly well-dressed and entirely enthusiastic." Read the full review here.)

Aug. 10, 1971, Curtis Hixon Hall: "Five dreams came to Tampa last night. The Jackson 5 sang to a full house at Curtis Hixon, but the star of the show was Michael Joe Jackson, 11, who was a motion of spins, whirls and dances as he sang the top hits that have made the Jackson 5 famous."

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How are members of the local music community taking the news of Michael's death? As we have for all matters great and small in 2009, we turned, of course, to Twitter.

After the jump, get a sampling of reactions from the local music Twitterverse, from thoughts on his successor as the new King of Pop (Justin Timberlake?) to fans wondering if his "death" is all a hoax...

-- Compiled by Jay Cridlin and Shirl Kennedy, tbt*.

"I cannot imagine what a normal day was like in the life of MJ, STRESS can truly kill a person and i hope that wasnt the cause of his death. ... I cannot imagine what a normal day was like in the life of MJ, STRESS can truly kill a person and i hope that wasnt the cause of his death." -- DJ Smallz (@djsmallz)

"RIP Michael Jackson. Damn...rough week for American History. First, Ed McMahon, then Farrah Fawcett...now the King of Pop. RIP." -- Wild 98.7 DJ 3rd Leg Greg (@3rdLegGreg)

"is it safe to say the Michael Jackson we knew and loved died a long time ago? RIP" -- The Basiqs (@basiqs)

"mikes gone... The greatest entertainer of all time." -- Funkghost (@funkghost)

"thinking how surreal it will be if both Farrah and Michael Jackson kick it in the same day..both icons from my childhood..~" -- Gen from the Genitorturers ( @genitorturers)

"My money is on michael jackson not being dead - on tuesday we TMZ is gonna reveal a pic of TUPAC & MJ." -- THX MGMT (@thxmgmt)

"I'd say the crown gets passed to Timberlake." -- Autopsy IV ( @autopsy4, who elaborates on Ninebullets.net)

"blows my f---ing mind that people i know would spit on MJ's grave. maybe w/ y'all little kids ...but anyone older needs 2 check themselves!" -- Aestheticized (@aestheticized, more here and here)

"sad news indeed. another legend gone. r.i.p" -- Vinyl Fever (@vinylfevertampa)

"R.I.P. Micheal Jackson" -- DJ Sandman (@djsandman813; Sandman also put together this mini MJ mix)

Feel free to post links to your own Twitter memorials (Twittorials?) in the comments.


- TBT MJ &

Stick Martin is a local performer in the Tri-County area. The information provided below is from interviews, conversations, and e-mails from and with Chris.

How long have you been a professional performer?

I’ve been performing real gigs for about 4 years. Sometimes with bands, but mostly by myself.

What is the style/category in which you would set your music? (various including spoken work, etc.)

…I really try to cover as much territory as possible. Country and Western, Hip-Hop, Rock, Blues…A bit of everything. I just recorded my first Bosa Nova tune the other day. So it’s hard for me to nail down to just one style.

Where did you learn to play? Are you self-taught?
I’m basically self-taught. I had one lesson when I was about 15. The guy instructed me on how to tune my guitar and that was about it. Most of my friends play though, and I’ve picked up a lot from them.

What other artists have influenced your style?

I’ve always loved bands who play a plethora of music styles. Artists like Beck have always been an inspiration, because they have the courage to out on a limb and constantly be trying new and different things.

What is your favorite style of music?

…House music seems to get my fiancée turned on. So right now that’s probably my favorite.

Who is your favorite artist (music)?

Ween (and Beck, Frank Zappa, Les Claypool, Weezer, The Beatles, De La Soul, Eminem, Charlie Parker, Herbie Hancock, and who ever did the background music on the old Batman TV show.

Do you plan on staying in the area? If so, for how long?

I’m just getting a band started (we’re called The Stick Martin Show) so I’ll most likely be around for at least the next 2 or 3 years. If I’m not a rock star, by then I’ll move and try a different area.

How old are you?

I am 22.

At what age did you become interested in performing?

I’m a middle child and have always needed a lot of attention. So I guess when I was like…5!

At what age did you start to perform?

I started when I was about 15, playing banjo in the back of my 10th grade health class.

If you would like to see Stick Martin perform, check out his web-site at www.thestickmartinshow.com Buy a CD and/or go to “view calendar” for a list of his upcoming performances.



- Hernando Newsletter

The Stick Martin Show

Raunchy, raw and radical, the Stick Martin Show defies categorization – they mix party –rocking hip-hop and dance tracks with alternateive, pop and Ween likes sense of parnkishness. “Lots of hip-hop, a bit of punk, bar rock and some country stomp.” Said Martin, the namesake of the group (which also includes bassist Harlow and drummer Matt Picard). “We don’t vary our sets that much. It’s weird guys I their 50’s (who) say they hate all rap music, but they love our hip-hop stuff. People like anything that gets caught in their head.” Check ‘em out for yourself – Stick DJ’s at an open-mic night Tuesday and Wednesday at Big Shots Bar in Clearwater. Thestickmartinshow.com


- tbt

Stick Martin and his cohorts are not too cool to play that place down the street that usually does cover bands. As a result, their mash-up of hip-hop, country twang and catchy bar rock - usually served with large side of ironic humor - has reached more general-public ears than most "scene bands" ever will.

REAX: What was it like growing up in rural Frogballs, Mississippi?
Stick Martin: No, no. You're mistaken. I grew up in Bumfuck, Pennsyltucky. There wasn't much to do aside from smoke pot and play guitar. It really wasn't too bad, except we always had to drive like two or three hours to NYC or Philly to see a concert.

REAX: What made you decide to relocate to the Bay area from NYC?
SM: I came down here twice when I was a kid on vacation with my family, and we went to a zoo in Tarpon Springs where they only had monkeys and apes. So I wanted to see the monkey zoo again. Also, I heard there was a lot of work for a musician down here. And now I'm with an awesome girl, so I can never leave.

REAX: What are the Show's top five non-musical influences?
SM: Simpsons for humor, Goodwill for fashion, Carnies for their business sense, Playboy for the articles, and Satan.

REAX: Describe the Show's sound using a food analogy.
SM: Our music is like spicy brown mustard; tasty, but it can also make your eyes water.

REAX: Given all the different elements that make up the Show's style, I imagine your crowd is pretty diverse. Is there such a thing as a typical Stick Martin Show fan?
SM: We seem to go over pretty well with the hippie-type crowd, but we also get a lot of blue-collar guys in their 40s and 50s. Also, because of the hip-hop stuff we've been doing lately, we get a lot of w*gg*rs. So, I guess, no, there isn't like a typical fan. It's pretty mixed.

REAX: A lot of folks who do original music assume that the people who go to the usual non-scene bars aren't interested in their stuff. Do you pick up new fans of your originals and sell CDs and all that good shit when you do shows at places like The Green Iguana or Two Buks?
SM: Sure, we pick up fans and sell discs at those bars. (Some more than others, of course). We still play places like The Garage in St. Pete and The Pegasus Lounge in Tampa once in a while, but at those places we usually only get an hour set, and we like to play for at least three or four hours. Plus, the the non-scene bars usually pay us a lot more.

REAX: Has a club owner ever bitched you guys out for doing your own tunes during a cover gig?
SM: Not really. Club owners usually only give a shit about selling drinks and making money. As long as we bring in some heads that are drinking, they don't usually give a shit what we play. We play Frenchy's on Clearwater Beach, like, six times a month, and they kind of have a "no originals" policy there, but we go in and do like 90 originals and they keep on having us back. Thank God for that place, Frenchy's basically pays my rent.

REAX: What's the weirdest gig the Show has ever played?
SM: We played a biker bar in New Port Richey once. No one gave a shit about us no matter what we played. Just one of those gigs where you couldn't get anyone's attention even if you set yourself on fire. Anyway, this old biker chick comes up and starts dancing in front of the band. She was missing a lot of teeth and looked pretty wore out. She's giving the guys in the band, like, this come-get-with-me look, and out of nowhere just starts pissing her pants. But she never stopped dancing. That weird old lady didn't miss a beat. The worst part was we were hired back for the next night, so we knew it was gonna be another rough evening. After that, though, we never played there again.

The Stick Martin Show's latest disc is the largely hip-hop flavored Thrilla. You can check 'em out somewhere just about every weekend.

myspace.com/thestickmartinshow
Press 2008-12-05 REAX TSMS Interview


- Relax Music Magazine