Moogfest, Day 1: Miscellany

By Chall Gray

Best of the Night: Two members of Devo joining The Octopus Project for a superb version of “Beautiful World.”

Worst of the Night: (tie)

1: The lackluster job, on the promoter’s part, of informing the audience that Devo would not be playing, evidenced by scores of fans bounding in expecting to see Devo, and nary a sign announcing their cancellation anywhere on the premises.

2: The perplexing decision not to serve alcohol at Stella Blue (which the doorman said was by decision of the owner and the bartender said was by decision of the Moogfest organizers), which was enhanced by the fact that it was the only venue to check id’s at the door, and require patrons to be at least 18 years of age (all other venues are 16+).

-To judge by the featured acts at Moogfest, the de riguer instrument of the 21st Century band is the Macbook Pro.

-The audience for Big Boi was increasingly fascinating as more and more fifty-something caucasion (presumably) Devo fans wandered in, looking perplexed and interested. The solo headliner’s introduction: “If y’all don’t know me by now, goddammit you’ll never know me.” A raucous and feedback-laden version of one of Outkast’s first big hits, “Rosa Parks” from the Aquemeni album, got everyone moving. 

–The Octopus Project; most notably theremin and blacklight. They have the rhythm of what one would imagine the perfect windshield wipers would sound like (that is meant as a compliment). 

–MGMT had smaller, but very receptive crowd.

–The costumes, the drunkenness, the drugs. A girl touched the faux fur collar of my jacket and then made a pistol gesture at me as I walked away.

–Van Dyke Parks is surely the oddest act of the festival (compared to the others). His four piece band played, on most songs, cello, violin, bass guitar and piano, and the songs were a mix of vaudeville, ragtime, classical, showtunes, and several other genres. Perhaps most exciting was a song about Franklin D. Roosevelt visiting Trinidad in search of oil (with a beginning cadged from The Star Spangled Banner).

–Delicate Steve (who curiously didn’t have a bio in the official program, despite being on the official schedule) played to a sparse crowd at Stella Blue. The band did nothing particularly original, but their catchy hooks and melodies made for a palatable sound.

–Mutemath energetically criss-crossed the borders of many somewhat nebulous genres such as noise pop, synth rock, indie electronica, electro pop and countless other more or less indefinable types of music. Regardless of how one might categorize them, the crowd at the Orange Peel was thoroughly engaged.

–Recognizable costumes of the evening: African American Jesus, Waldo (twice), Braveheart, Airline Pilot & Sexy Stewardess, Drunken Obnoxious Person (several times), Wonder Woman, Man with Small Boxes of Cereal Glued to His Clothing.

Tomorrow we press onward.

Chall Gray is a freelance writer and producer. He is currently working on opening a cafe/bar/theatre called The Magnetic Field in the River Arts District.