Montezuma Fire Machine

Actual Charlie Tonic Podcast. They mention us around the 16:56 mark and again around 60:03.

Quote from Podcast:
"I felt like my soul was getting a massage" - The Charlie Tonic Hour

Back in Episode 54 you might remember hearing me wax rhapsodic about a band I caught opening for Ford Theater Reunion called Montezuma Fire Machine. Since Charlie and I recorded the episode about 12 hours after actually seeing them perform, I didn’t get the email with their biography or information until after the show had already been recorded so I thought I share a little bit more about them now. This six-man group is based out of Nashville, Tennessee and as their name might imply, they seem to be after nothing short of setting the world on fire. I had one of the best live music experiences I’ve ever had while listening to them, as you know if you listened to the way I described them on the show. I sounded like a 8-year-old girl talking about One Direction. But I think they do a better job of describing their music in their biography:

Montezuma Fire Machine is a band that strives to set itself apart from what comes to mind when one thinks of music in Nashville, Tennessee. They take life experiences from places as far away as the Middle East, as nearby as East Nashville, and everywhere in between, and combine it with years of training and knowledge of music. The final product is a high impact instrumental concoction that combines Latin and World rhythms, the improvisatory spirit of jazz fusion, and a precise live show performed with high energy that bridges the gap between musician’s music and music for the masses.

I think that it is that final part that really sums up the experience for me. I am not a musician and music that appeals only to those who can appreciate the high technical virtues of an arrangement tends to leave me cold. And if I had only experienced this band through their EP, which is available to download for free, I probably would have thought it was interesting but not something I would seek out. Seeing them live was practically a life changing experience for me. In large part because of where I was emotionally that night but also because of the shear energy, emotion, and talent these guys brought to the stage I was completely won over. Download the EP and listen for yourself but I warn you, it’s only half the picture. This is a band you must see live to really appreciate. Of course that didn’t stop the friend who I’ve lent the CD from telling me unapologetically “Yeah, sorry, you aren’t getting this back anytime soon.” - The Charlie Tonic Hour

MFM has been around this area for a couple of years now, but I’ve never been able to see them live before this past Thursday. It seemed as though I was one of the only people at the show who could say that too. Both of the other bands were excited to share the stage with these guys, and the room filled up when they hit the stage. I can’t get enough instrumental rock… especially when you add saxophone, some in-your-face violin playing and a F***ing didgeridoo into the mix! - Palaver Records

“I'm always up for a good jam session and it's not often that I get to experience the sensation of jamming outside of a live show. This might explain my complete infatuation with the first EP release from Nashville instrumental-rockers Montezuma Fire Machine (MFM for short), Frown Like a Lord. This is a band defined by its versatility and overall musicianship. The inclusion of so many sounds and genres has the tendency to make a band seemed unfocused and noncommittal to their own sound; not so with MFM. The band is able to leave its imprint with its constant hinting of its members' motley source influences while maintaining a sense of purpose and defining their own sound in the process. MFM is the master of its own exciting, musically diverse domain. The bottom line: Frown Like a Lord is a must-listen for music lovers as MFM takes an insane sounding music formula and runs with it.”

- Seth Christmus - The Deep End