A great poet once wrote, “The Gods put a smile on my face, when they gave me tickets to Otis Mace.” OK, it wasn’t written by a great poet, but the words ring true. This is going to be a show like no other at The Jam Factory.
His path to our town has been a varied, curious, at times-bizarre journey that has seen him perform his unique songs and stories across the globe.
Those of us of a certain vintage will remember Otis Mace appearing in and around the 1980’s Auckland music scene. As the punk embers cooled, post-punk rose, and we were blessed with an exciting and vibrant local music scene.
Otis Mace was part of that scene, but he didn’t hitch his horse to any bandwagon. In the truly punk fashion, he merrily cut his own path and along the way created some well-crafted and darkly comedic music. The music and his performance style mean you will be entertained charmed, educated, teased and tormented like never before.
In the 1990’s he moved to London where he lived, worked and gigged until 2005 when he returned to Aotearoa. As part of a delegation of alternative poets he performed in New York in 2012, and then toured Catalan and UK in 2013. Steadily recording and frantically gigging as a hard to categorise, totally original songsmith.
If Otis Mace sits on your list of ‘Shows I have been meaning to catch’ for more years than you care to remember, do yourself a favour and make sure you do catch him on this very rare journey to our seaside city.
It has been said that his show ‘serenades your funny bone and sparkles with dark humour. ‘He brings lovelorn ballads, ribald and expertly crooned odes and laments. He’s been an inspiration to many musicians and poets and lovers over the years, and his genre juggling songs are intensely satisfying to both the head…. and the heart.
Valentine’s Day at The Jam Factory with Otis Mace, Guitar Ace. It’s a date.
What: Music /Poet Performance
When: Friday Feb 14th February 7.00pm
Where: The Jam Factory, Tauranga Historic Village, 17th Avenue, Tauranga South
