Martin Roark, better known by his stage name Tomemitsu, first caught my eye when his song “In Dreams” appeared at the end of “Rachel,” a short from HBO’s High Maintenance released in 2014. I’ve been a fan since then — the combination of repetitive melody complete with layered vocals on top of a thick, warm guitar is intoxicating. On the song “In Dreams,” the refrain “when I look around my heart” is catchy and comforting, simultaneously making the song feel familiar through repetition and expansive as you lose yourself in the flow. When I saw Tomemitsu was going to open for Steady Holiday on the west coast leg of their tour, I knew I couldn’t pass up the chance to see him this Saturday, especially at an intimate venue like Cafe Du Nord.
Roark grew up attending all-ages venues in the Bay Area and playing house shows with some punk and ska bands around Santa Cruz. In our emails prior to the show he referenced how important all-ages venues were to him growing up as both a musician and a fan. When we talked after the show he mentioned it again. Being unable to see your favorite band because they’re playing at a bar is always a bummer, and the concept of an age-restricted show inherently limits a band’s opportunity for exposure. It’s hard to say for sure whether Cafe Du Nord had an impact on the show’s overall success, but it was a 21+ venue and many attendees stuck to the back of the room nursing their drinks.
When I asked about High Maintenance, he was quick to praise the music supervisor’s placement of “In Dreams” and “Runaway” in the show. According to Roark, the producers of High Maintenance couldn’t clear a Grizzly Bear song and used his song in its place. Both Roark and Grizzly Bear share a dreamy indie-pop aesthetic, so the replacement makes sense. However, Roark’s music has become such an integral part of those scenes that I can’t help thinking that what Roark describes as his “lucky moment” was really more of a lucky break for the show.
Roark’s live presence is understated and a little rough around the edges, but the imperfections only add to the charm of his personable aesthetic. Compared to the recorded versions of his songs, the live versions are missing a lot of the layers and feature only guitar, vocals and drums. It’s a nice change though, and it’s a lot easier to get a read on his personality during his live show as opposed to listening to his recordings. Roark says he prioritizes having a good attitude and a good time, which comes through in his playful singing and stage banter. When I met him after the show, he was incredibly warm and friendly and confirmed my suspicion that there is no pretense to his onstage persona. He seemed truly happy to be there and to share his music.
There’s a sort of selfish pleasure in seeing a band play to a small crowd. As an audience member it is, of course, amazing for your indie cred to see a band before they blow up. But it betrays the fact that not all of your favorite musicians are living as comfortably as you would hope. Seeing a show that doesn’t feel like the consensus of a team of marketing consultants is undeniably refreshing, affording plenty of opportunities for interaction between the audience and the performer. I would’ve liked to have seen San Francisco show up more for a Bay Area native, but Roark didn’t seemed bothered. I can only hope that his fans do their part and spread his music around— I know I certainly will.
CORRECTION 9/20/18: During a follow up conversation with Martin Roark, he clarified that when he performs in LA he has a full band and is able to more faithfully recreate the recordings. The drummer at the Cafe du Nord show, Andy Mart, was the original bassist for Tomemitsu and was able to travel with him on this tour.
Article by Walker Spence