Review by Val Tapia
Photo courtesy of Jason Siegel
There’s something that literally stood out to me one minute into my recent phone chat with Todd Park Mohr– lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter for 90s veteran rockers Big Head Todd and The Monsters.
What is that “something”, you may rightly ask?
In a word… gratitude. And also… humble.
Last month, Park Mohr and his fellow “Monsters” (bassist Rob Squires, drummer Brian Nevin, and “newest” addition.. keyboardist/guitarist Jeremy Lawton, who joined in 2004) were inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame during the band’s hometown show at the infamous Red Rocks Amphitheatre, a venue they’ve played countless times over the band’s three-decade-long career.
I asked him what it felt like to receive such an honor… not to mention on home turf!
“It was definitely a great night, however, I try to take “awards” with a grain of salt”, Park Mohr said humbly. “Honestly, the real reward to me is when someone comes up to me and says.. “I like your songs.”
He continued. “There really isn’t a greater feeling than that— people who enjoy your music. That said though, we do appreciate being inducted with all of the greats in our home state.”
Speaking of the music, how can one deny the quality of songs like Bittersweet, Broken Hearted Savior, Resignation Superman, and Please Don’t Tell Her, to name just a few.
It’s safe to say that those four songs will likely find a place in the setlist on the band’s current co-headline tour with Blues Traveler, appropriately titled the Blue Monsters Tour. According to Park Mohr, the Monsters will be going onstage first on all of the dates, one of them being Tuesday Aug 1 at Tempe’s Marquee Theatre.
By the way, in case anyone was wondering, going on first was by choice on the band’s part. Park Mohr explained.
“For several years, we’ve been touring with no opening act. Given that we’re getting older, we’ve become accustomed to going on stage at 8:00 p.m. and playing (roughly) 24-song sets. On this tour (with Blues Traveler), as co-headliners both bands will get around 80-minutes. In that time frame, we’ll try to play as many songs as possible.”
Something I’ve noticed with Big Head Todd and The Monsters is how much the term “jam band” gets thrown around too loosely with them. Yes, they have musical chops and are clearly proficient on their instruments. However, they’ve never lost sight of the importance of the song, something that some of the jam bands miss the mark on completely— even 30+ years later.
Park Mohr responded: “First, thank you for noting that. We certainly make room for some improvisation here and there, but not at the expense of the song. For us, the songs are the true stars on that stage every night— or at least, we hope so.”
In Sept. 2018, I saw the Monsters play for the first time at The Van Buren opening for Tempe’s own Gin Blossoms. It was a complete sellout, and looking back, I can’t help but think if we’ll ever see a full-scale tour with these two in the not-too-distant future. Park Mohr is definitely open to it.
“Yes, I remember that show well. It was a great night, and the guys in the Blossoms are not only great musicians, but incredible people as well. Like we talked about earlier, Gin Blossoms have fantastic songs. They sing and play great, and both bands were definitely on their A-game that night.”.
He continued. “So yes, I would definitely keep that idea in mind. I’d love to do a tour together with them”.
As for future music, will we see any eventually? Remember, the last studio album from the Monsters was 2017’s New World Arisin’.
“The short answer… yes“, Park Mohr said. “I’ve written quite a bit of material over the last couple of years, and I think it’s definitely time to get new music out there. At this time, it’s just difficult to say when it’ll be out.”
In closing, I asked Park Mohr the $64,000 question regarding Big Head Todd and The Monsters. Given the fact that he’s been the primary songwriter in the band, it’s an amazing achievement that he’s been able to maintain the same recording lineup (as a trio) since 1989, and to have continued (as a quartet) after Lawton joined in 2004.
In short order, that’s something that most bands of their generation can’t honestly say they’ve accomplished. What’s the secret to the Monsters’ longevity?
“I wish I knew the answer to that”, Park Mohr said modestly with a laugh. I guess I attribute most of it to us being good friends with one another. We all know the role we each play in the band, and we all hold each other accountable.”
He concluded. “We love what we do, we love playing for our fans every night, which is what motivates us to continue what we do. I think there’s still a few more years in us. We’re definitely looking forward to seeing what the future brings us.”
IF YOU GO:
Big Head Todd and The Monsters and Blues Traveler are scheduled to perform at Marquee Theatre on Tuesday Aug. 1
Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Show starts at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $62.00 plus tax, and are available at the Marquee Theatre Box office and online at Marquee Theatre.com
For our friends in Flagstaff, the Blue Monsters tour is scheduled for Mon. July 31 at Pepsi Amphitheatre.
Doors open at 7:00 p.m. Show starts at 8:00 p.m.
Tickets are $45.00 general admission, $65.00 for reserved seating and available online at pepsiamp.com
