Better Every Time: The Moon Hooch Effect (Show Review)
–Written by Kevin Madert
I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it until it’s no longer true: There’s nothing like a Moon Hooch show. Wednesday night in Vienna, VA, 200 people bore witness to the trio’s unmatched musical acumen and stage presence within the intimate confines of Jammin’ Java. Wenzl McGowen, Mike Wilbur, and James Muschler steamrolled through an hour and a half with honed precision, interspersing familiar fan favorites with well-received new material and putting on one hell of a show in the process.
Although doors opened an hour before any music began, the small main floor of Jammin’ Java didn’t fill up until just ahead of 7:30. Most of the assembled barely had time to gather themselves before College Park-based quartet Box Era launched into a half-hour set oozing with high-energy, sensual funk. The vein in lead singer Randy Hayek’s neck often looked fit to burst as he unleashed shattering falsettos and vocoder solos that would have Peter Frampton running for cover. The rest of the band were no slouches either; crisp guitar riffs, frenetic drums and subtle but substantial saxophone worked in well-rehearsed tandem from start to finish. Throughout the performance, audience members around me shouted lyrics back at the band, and many of them seemed to know every song – an impressive feat for a group with no recorded material.
Definition of One slowed the pace at first, wending their way through the wavy end of the jamtronica spectrum. As they finished their first song and I began to wonder if they were taking it too slowly, Moon Hooch’s own Wenzl and James appeared onstage, providing impromptu brass accompaniment on the DoO tune “Splatter Pattern.” Perhaps inspired by their guests, the Springfield, VA quintet kept things moving at a speedier clip after this. They concluded the remainder of the set with an extended medley of originals and covers like “Another Brick In The Wall,” and “Brickhouse,” working the crowd into a fever pitch before Moon Hooch’s headlining performance.
After a short changeover, the stage went dark. Cheers swelled as Muschler took his place behind the drums, headphones snug over his ears. McGowen and Wilbur were right on his tail, brass in hand. For more than a minute the two saxmen played drawn-out ambient notes as the crowd buzzed. Then the drums kicked in, and there was no turning back. The crowd transformed from a collection of individuals into a singular swirl of primal humanity. Arms and legs flailed, heads rocked, feet stomped the ground as if trying to drive straight through it. The energy was tangible and untamed, bouncing between stage and dancefloor all night like the rope in a metaphysical tug-of-war match.
Over the course of the set I heard plenty of recognizable tunes – “Bari 3” and “Number 9” both went over gangbusters – as well as a few wholly new compositions that highlighted the band’s continually evolving sound. One new song incorporated socially conscious rap verses, and several tracks featured a fancy looking Moog synthesizer that the band confirmed they’d acquired only three days before. Displaying their ability to control rooms of all sizes the trio moved between songs and styles with supreme confidence, trusting the audience to keep up with every stutter-step and tempo swing.
As the lights came up and I emerged from the front row, my throat was hoarse. My legs were Jello. I was covered in sweat of dubious origin. And yet I couldn’t drop the smile from my face. I decided an addendum to my previous decree was in order: There’s nothing like a Moon Hooch show, and every time I see them they get better.
Connect with Moon Hooch (Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Official Site)
Connect with Definition of One (Facebook | Soundcloud)
Connect with Box Era (Facebook | Soundcloud)