Posted in: Local Talent, News, What's New | No Comments | February 13, 2022
Released on CD February 14, 2022
As posted on Eli Martin’s Facebook page…
Thank you to Gary Webb, aka Gary 17, and Toronto Moon Magazine for reviewing our latest album, “Planning My Exit Strategy.”
Another dose of Marinol unlikely to pacify you | TorontoMoon.ca 200204Tu | Shows for Tuesday, February 04, 2022
February 4, 2022
Tonight’s performance by Marinol Nation songwriter Eli Martin at Linsmore Tavern will probably be his last.
Because the Sarnia-based Hard Rock and Power Pop tunesmith is “Plannnig My Exit Strategy” he tells us on the title track of his fifth new album, officially being released March 7 but now available at the gig tonight.
Fortunately despite a personal history of struggles with serious medical conditions, as we told you four years ago in reviewing his third Field Of Dreams album, it appears that the “exit strategy” being referred to isn’t the one people employ for final planning.
Instead, happily, it turns out the engaging artist who defies categorization as fiercely as he’s defied the Grim Reaper since being diagnosed with a usually terminal illness several years ago, from which he made a full recovery, is relocating soon to Newfoundland. So basically he’s planning “Escape From Sarnia,” which, if they ever made into a horror movie of that idea, Eli has several tracks here and on previous discs that would make a perfect score.
Marinol Nation in duo mode for 2016 Linsmore set -GARY 17
The band’s name, btw, is exactly what you might think —Eli has been an enthusiastic promoter of marijuana since he was a young man, and credits it for his remarkable recovery several years ago now from a disease of the immune system.
I only had the chance to skim through the gigantic new release, which contains 22 tracks all in a similar vein to his previous material, which I also described in some detail two years ago upon release of his fourth “Hell’s Ditch” album.
The new release is a massive collection of tunes, though many are quite short, and spans the usual gamut of Pop through Thrash/Metal sensibilities, so there’s something at least here for everyone. While there’s no tracks from this disc yet posted online, you can listen to several from his previous albums on the band’s Soundcloud page.
Although he had several other musicians featured on the album (Adam Miner, Nic Swales, Brenden E. Fraser, Dave Miner, Greg Wilson, T.J. Armstrong, Dave Grennan, and Tim Tanner) it’s not clear whether he’ll have accompaniment or be solo tonight. For his several previous appearances as part of the club’s Indie Night Tuesday showcases he’s always had at least one or two fellow players on hand and I’d expect that to be the case again.
There’s no cover for tonight’s 3-act show on the impressive stage in the ancient room a few steps from Greenwood Station at 1298 Linsmore Cresc. Eli will be preceded by versatile Popster Brian Gavreau and his 9 p.m. middle set will be followed by songwriter TC Folkpunk.
