Jambands.com - Need We Say More?

Published: 2009/03/24
by Dean Budnick

This is a public service announcementwith guitars!!
No, Im not talking about the Clash this month (Know Your Rights). Come to think of it though, since that band is on the tip of my fingers, if you havent checked out Wes Orshoskis Clash cover story from the November issue of Relix, I urge you to do so. Even if you havent listened to much Clash its still a compelling story, well told (and while Ive listened my fair share of London Calling, Give ‘em Enough Rope and Combat Rock, I havent done so all that recently). The Battle of Shea Stadium raises issues of musical direction and integrity applicable to most any band (but certainly magnified in this case when a Marxist punker like Joe Strummer finds himself with an admittedly exhilarating gig opening for the Who at Shea). So seek that one out and pick it up. While youre at it, why not head over to the Relix site and treat yourself to a subscription (we have a big announcement coming any day now, so hang on)
Okay, thats enough of that because Im not here with a sales pitch for Relix, but rather Im here with a sales pitch for Moogis.
As I type this, Billy Gibbons just walked on stage with the Allman Brothers Band at the Beacon Theatre. He was joined by the entire ABB, all of whom were donning fake beards, ZZ Top-style (Derek Trucks and Gregg Allman included). Now just to clarify, Im not inside the Beacon right now, althoughin many respects, I reckon I am.
Over the years any number of enterprising entities have attempted to serve up live music on the web, from the Digital Club Network (cool idea waaay ahead of its time) on through iClips (which has done a solid job as well- this past Labor Day I shared a remote moe.down moment with my daughter, a beginning violinist, as we watched Allie Kral sit in with moe.). Moogis, however, seems to have elevated the game, in terms of camerawork and production.
Ive been getting into a rhythm most evenings, dependent on which of my two children I am putting to bed. If its my son, Ive been aiming to say goodnight before the first set starts. If its my daughter, I target set break. Ill admit I was stressing a bit this past Thursday anticipating Eric Claptons appearance- it was Carolines turn and our chapter in A Series of Unfortunate Events Book 7, The Vile Village carried me into set two but not as it turned out before EC stepped out for Key to the Highway.
It will be interesting to see how this all shakes out, post-Beacon, after Butch Trucks and the Moogis team crunches the numbers (and for the sake of full disclosure while I enjoyed an informal advisory role at Butchs Flying Frog Records, I am not similarly affiliated with Moogis). Being blissfully ignorant about the revenue-models, price-points and all that jazz, I have no concept of what the companys future may hold. The Beacon event seems tailor-made for Moogis: a three week long special engagement, marking a major anniversary with multiple highly-anticipated guests.
Still as I sit here on a Tuesday night watching the band slide into ‘Statesboro with Gibbons, Ill admit Ive been surprised by the extent to which Moogis visits has become part of my evening routine (in part because the music has been anything but routine).
You still have a chance to join the action as well, especially with the big Anniversary show looming on the 26th. Perhaps Thursday night will find us both hundreds of miles from 74th Street yet nonetheless still peeking at the Beacon.