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Show The Park Record D Section A Thursday, September 1 7, 1 992 B Page A9 Martinez keeps his feet on the ground, and rubs elbows with the stars by RON GEORG Record staff writer The Marsac Building was a school, the library was a hospital, Park Meadows was a meadow, and the Carl Winters school didn't need refurbishing. That's all just history to most of us. Anyone who's come to Park City within the last decade has seen little but growth-most of the change had already occurred. But Tommy Martinez was born in the Miners' Hospital. He went through the Park City school ' system when it was still uptown. "You didn't have to build treehouses then because there were so many vacant houses around," Martinez recalls. Martinez has quite a few good stories to tell about growing up in Park City, from the time he was born in 1959 right up to present. Over a beer at a local watering hole, he'll revel a listener with the sorts of tales that give Park City its reputation as a colorful place. And to give you an idea of who you're talking to if you decide to sit down with the Block and Tackle drummer in a more social setting, this is the more-or-less authorized biography. As told over a tape recorder instead of a beer, the stories aren't the focus-for all his joviality, Martinez is grounded and stable. Getting down to what means the most, it's family and career, in that underwater). "That's one of the best things about living here still is having the kids' grandparcntson both sides-within sides-within fifteen minutes of each other," Martinez says. And, of course, it would be hard to grow up in a town the size of Park City (especially a few decades ago) without growing close to a Park City Prof ile order. He and his wife Shelly are raising three daughters, Marci, Ettic and Amyand they mean more to him man his musician lifestyle. "If it came down to them or that, I would take the family," Martinez says. And that family is even larger than the five of them. Both Tommy and Shelly are from the area, and their families still live here. Shelly's parents are on a local ranch, and Tommy's parents are about the last people in Keetley (the part that isn't going to be ''If'-' '5 " ' '"& Jw r, V'7 Block and Tackle band members Don Elliot (left), Joe Jeffs (right) and Tommy Martinez (bottom) take a break with musician Roger Martin (center). few other locals. For Martinez, one of the main connections seems to have been through music, i "I started beating on stuff about when I hit kindergarten," Martinez remembers. "And I found a drum up in the attic when I was in first grande. . I beat on that and made my own drum set; by the fourth grade I was taking lessons." By seventh grade, he'd started a band with a couple of cousins and some friends including Marc Jolley. The two can probably claim as many years playing together than any other local musicians. They started as DeBlau (which, Jolley told people, was "some sort of French rose'O, and they played gigs together through twelfth grade, eventually re-uniting in The Norman Block and Tackle Choir-the Choir-the early Block and Tackle. Unfortunately, Jolley's love of rock and roll didn't fit the Block and Tackle plan. The countryrock band dropped the rock from their title (though not necessarily their attitude), and they perform a country act now. That's been a steady formula. The real direction in the band came a few years back, after a failed attempt at a name and image change. The alterations-including the awful name Northstar-came at the hands of a Salt Lake City promotor who promised big things for the Park City band. "We were bored, and we thought something good would come easy. All he did was take IS percent and put us back to square one, an unknown band starting over." Martinez says. "The way I looked at it, I have a phone and a voice, and I can call the bars myself. 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A few years before, Block and Tackle had gotten the headline spot at the Boondock Biker's Bash in Utah after the larger bands realized the event was rather small, but this year's luck was much, much bigger. Mark Groenig, a friend and fan ' of the band, told Martinez Block and Tackle should go to Sturgis. Martinez, who has owned a Harley, liked the idea but he was skeptical. He asked Groenig for the names of a couple of bars in the area, and he sent them tapes. When they got a job, they were excited. It turned into more. "When we got into town there was a big banner that said 'Waylon and Willie, Roger Martin, Johnny Paycheck, and Fried Brothers,' And I said 'Man, wouldn't it be cool to play that gig," Martinez explains. "And the first night, after our second set, Roger Martin came in and listened to us and said, 'My band can't make it into town-you guys want the gig?' He got up and played with us that night, the next night, and for the concert." Sandwiched between Fried Brothers and Johnny Paycheck, Block and Tackle got to play a ten-minute ten-minute set of their own stuff, then twenty minutes with Roger Martin. As they played, Groenig snuck into the touring buses of the big stars, leaving Block and Tackle's demo tape on board. And even though the exposure means a good deal to Martinez, the experience left a bigger impression. "The definitely didn't say 'give it up,' just the same old 'sounds 'LA V.; V' nr. 1 I 5fX 1 " ' . f 1 ' -f ' I " 1 A' I i ' ' ''. Tommy Martinez sips a brew with Johnny Paycheck. good,'" Martinez says of the response from the big acts. "That's the thing I liked best--they just treated us like we were one of them. So it made me feel like maybe we are up to that level. We could play with them and they weren't saying, 'keep it up, guys, one of these days you'll get there.'" Of course, they aren't actually there yet, but they proved they can visit. And they'll return to Sturgis next year, hoping to improve their billing a bit year by year. In between, they are working on new music, and they'll hold down another "house-band" gig this season. Even without Jolley, Martinez has a close relationship with the band; he says they're able to work out the difficulties of being so close so often by "just tucking your tail-as long as everyone does it." If they don't ever hit it big? That's not a problem. Aside from being a potential ticket to another level, drumming is a solid career for Martinez. Even if they don't go too much further, Martinez says he says he loves his lifestyle. Shelly is supportive of Tommy's music, even if it means a little travel. Sometimes she goes on the road to visit, leaving the kids with one set of grandparents. "Shelly's been so good-I couldn't ask for a better partner," Martinez says of his Independence Day bride. Of course, when they were married on July 4, they couldn't anticipate Park City politics. "I told Shelly, 'this way we're guaranteed fireworks on our anniversary. But-well, thanks Frank Bell. Now we just have to generate our own." Martinez isn't fazed by the possibility things could change. As noted, he holds his family higher than his career. Additionally, he has no illusions about the significance of entertaining. "The guy over there shoveling is as important as the stars," he says, pointing across the street to the Carl Winters renovation. "I just happen to like listening to the music more than I like watching him shovel. And I've done both, so I know what I want there." (ICED LID A TRADITIONAL AMERICAN GRILL so Park City 's Newest Restaurant Open Daily from 1 1:00 am to 3:00 pm Friday and Saturday open until 8:00 pm Located in the Park Hotel 605 Main Street 649-4222 tiC We accept American Express, Visa and Master Card CIW2 USWEST Cellular |