 | | | | | |
| |||||
| |  | | | |
 | |||||
| |||||
|  | ||||
|  | ||||
| |||||
| TOR is an eloquent, rich-with-harmony chamber pop group from Portland, Oregon embodied by Becky Brosnan, electric guitar; Lauren Carter, electric piano; Kirsty Hall, electric organ & percussion; Mike Larson, electric bass; Nick Lawrence, drums; and Jack Saturn, acoustic guitar. All members contribute vocals in some capacity. TOR's music will appeal to fans of musicians like Belle & Sebastian, the Beach Boys, Mirah, the Shangri-Las, the Left Banke, the Supremes, Ted Leo + Pharmacists, Cat Stevens, the Beatles, the Dixie Cups, Burt Bacharach, Saturday Looks Good To Me, Nick Drake, Elvis Costello & the Attractions, Camera Obscura, the Zombies, the Shins, the Toys, P:ano, and any other group who revels in tight harmony and baroque arrangements. TOR has thus far released material on the Recursive Delete imprint and is currently searching for some Daddy Warbucks to take them all the way to the top of the pops.
History The 9-song demo tape that tip-toed out into the world just days before the close of 2002 was but a humble portend of things to come. Jack first performed the songs alone in public, visibly nervous, three months later. Over the following two and a half years—thanks in part to a lot of karaoke—he relaxed and refined his delivery, both in front of attentive listening ears and at home, sequestered with his 8-track cassette recorder. Over that time Jack performed over 60 shows under the TOR moniker, mostly alone with his acoustic guitar but also occasionally accompanied by friends for a few songs here and there, solo on stage not by choice but by virtue of an intense humility about enlisting other musicians. May 2005 saw the first "official" (read: non-demo) release from the TOR camp, the "hey Abraham" 45, and the following fall saw a band finally come together to flesh out the songs in a live setting as they sound on record and in their crafter's head. The band cohered over a period of months. Meredith Butner was an old friend who had helped record the debut 45, and she joined up as bassist in July 2005. Jack's then-housemate and Alabama buddy Niles Armstrong came on board around the same time with the intention of playing keyboard at a few scheduled August shows; his fingers lacked the dexterity, however, and he ended up beating on notepads with pencils and becoming the makeshift percussionist from late August onward. (To give credit where credit is due, he did play keyboard on "twitch.") The three played their first shows as a unit in early October, joined by Jenstar on keyboards and vocals, but were back to a trio format until the end of the year. In late December, Jack began rehearsing with Steve Gevurtz, teaching him melodies on the melodica and pondering what awaited TOR in 2006. Due to commitments elsewhere, Niles and Meredith stepped away from active service and assumed auxillary roles with the coming of the new year. In early January 2006, Mike Larson and Lauren Carter joined the band on bass guitar and piano/organ, respectively. The sound changed greatly as a result of their virtuosity being added to the mix, and Jack began to arrange specifically for their voices and competencies. It had always been a bit of a dream that other mouths would sing some of these songs, that hands more nimble would dance upon the keys and so forth. Where before the group had still appeared as a vehicle for a particular frontperson, TOR's second life as a true unit was just beginning. Its "group sound," with multiple singing voices and better-realized rock combo arrangements, made its debut when the trio played their first show together in May 2006, with Meredith, Niles and Steve providing backing on a few numbers. The trio continued performing throughout the following summer, occasionally with Steve sitting in on a song or two, tightening the sound but still longing for the drummer who would seal the deal in the audience's ears. After nine months of on-and-off auditions with players who just didn't fit, full of more close calls and wasted time than should have been neccessary, Eric Bennes showed his face and the day was saved. The quartet began rehearsals in late August 2006 and played their first show together in early October. Though there were yet more musical ideas, harmonies and melodies (that exist on tape and in Jack's head) than the four-piece could express, this lineup was the first to be able to present adequately realized, rhythmically compelling interpretations of the songs. Eric left the band in early January 2007 to pursue other avenues, and Nick Lawrence stepped in to take his place. At the same time, Becky Brosnan joined the group to play guitar, organ and other instruments as needed. This new five-piece got down to business playing shows and beginning work on an album in May 2007. Meanwhile they searched for a sixth member to take over duties on the organ full-time so that Becky could concentrate on guitar. This quest was as frought with problems as the drummer search had been, with prospective new members sticking around for what seemed like five minutes before having to bow out for one reason or another. (If Rodney Dangerfield had been there, he would have said, "No respect, I tell ya.") Finally, in October of that year, Kirsty Hall appeared, pedalling toward their basement rehearsal space on her bicycle with keyboard charts in hand, and the TOR sextet as we know it today was finalized. The band is currently expanding its catalogue of show-ready tunes, performing with some of the brightest touring talent, continuing to work on its debut LP, and looking forward to what 2009 will bring.
We have compiled a list of (in)frequently asked questions regarding The Online Romance, as well as explanations of the information contained on this website. To peruse these questions, click on one of the following category titles or just start from the top. About the Band | All Ages Shows | Ethics | Radio & Press | Recordings | Website If you have a question about any aspect of TOR's history which hasn't been detailed on this page, send it to . This page was last updated 11/10/08. [ news ] [ shows ] [ records ] [ lyrics ]
| ||||
