High Tea with The Petticoat Tea Room

In the Woods ( photo by Steve Macloud ) - Steve Fisher, Tomas Pagan-Motta, Steve Demby (Guest drummer), Jason Gudenius

Who knew that the DC/MD area could claim home to not one, but two Petticoat Tea Rooms? Fans of the first—an actual tea room located in Baltimore— are primarily men and women whom enjoy sipping tea and nibbling on finger sandwiches. Fans of the second—a local band that (other than name, origin, and a passion for hot beverages) has little in common with said room—are primarily men and women whom enjoy an invigorating blend of alt-rock, alt-country, Americana, and just a nibble of ambient electronica.  The latter, of course, is much more DoS’s taste.

This October, The Petticoat Tea Room released their self-titled debut album, which features a mind-bending compilation of songs; each with their own individual character and attitude. For example, “I Still Say” is an upbeat, alt-country composition with quick drum beats; classic guitar and banjo riffs; and smooth harmonica accents. This song will no doubt get your feet tapping and knee slapping.

The Petticoat Tea Room's Album Cover

But before you put on your country best, take a breath. The mood of the album completely does a 180 with “Melancholy Julie”, which sets the lead singer’s Neil Young-like voice to dreamy instrumentation and a downbeat tempo. Then “It’s Hard (To Get Down)”—a catchy little diddy; reminiscent of mid-late 60’s pop-rock—starts and you’re on your feet again. Although each song is very different from the next, the album’s common thread is made up of beautiful harmonies, perfectly matched instrument combinations, and poetic, bluesy lyrics* that tell tales of love, heartbreak, and hope.

Part of the success of their sound is that although The Petticoat Tea Room is only a fresh one year old, its members have been playing together for years prior. Tomas Pagan-Motta (lead vocals, guitar, harmonica), Steve “Bogman” Fisher (organ, keys, vocals, mandolin), and Jason “Swedish” Gudenius (bass, guitar, vocals, autoharp, and percussion) all met through fellow musicians in college. As their friendship grew, each member separately developed their musical resumes by playing with bands such as Red Diamond, the Charm City Players, Commotion, and Huckelberry Gin. Two members even pursued solo projects, but many knew that their best project was yet to come. “We would play shows periodically over the years, nothing we would call a ‘band’,” says Gudenius. “We always received a great response and in the end the three of us agreed to get more serious about creating and playing music.” And so The Petticoat Tea Room was established.

“We have a passion for [music], share a respect for each other’s talent and are really good friends. The music really brings a lot of joy to our lives; we want to share that experience with people.” Cheers.

*It’s clear from Pagan-Motta’s lyrics that he has a clear talent for story-telling. For your literary enjoyment, read his explanation for how The Petticoat Tea Room got its name.

“Baltimore at night is an inspiring sight at times, a melancholy sight at times, but always real and abrupt and direct. There are no hidden images in Baltimore, no cryptic gestures or masked intentions, among the lay folk anyway. It was a night of inspiration when traversing through the city at night a year ago, I came upon a sign for the Southern Harmony Accent and Petticoat Tea Room. At that point, I had been looking for a name for a new musical project that I wanted to create. Walking by this tea house, I tripped to the whole scene, and thought about combining the name of a wonderful woman in my past who used to make the best Italian ham sandwiches with the name of this business. It became “Rosemary Sunshine and The Petticoat Tea Room.” After getting my balls busted for having a name that was neither easy to remember nor hard to forget, I clipped it down to “The Petticoat Tea Room.” It was absolute coincidence, or was it, that I very much take pleasure in drinking hot tea. In fact, one of my long-term goals is to grow coffee and tea. I find it a calming and soul-enriching activity, which is the same way I feel about our music. Really, it just sounded good though.”

For more on The Petticoat Tea Room, visit: www.myspace.com/petticoattearoom. Check them out live on November 20th at Joe Squared in Baltimore, or on December 4th at 8 x 10 also in Baltimore.