About once a month or so, I check the concert listings at Rotate This to see who’s coming to town. Sure, there are other sites, but if the gig has advanced tickets, I’m buying them at Rotate, so it’s good to get a heads-up. And were it not for said sleuthing, I never would’ve stumbled across this show:
In case you didn’t know, Moxy had a few hits in the mid-to-late 70’s. Their 1975 self-titled album kinda sounds like Rush’s debut, before the latter got more progressive, and featured guitar virtuoso Tommy Bolin on several solos–he just happened to be recording in the studio next door. These guys were so big down in Texas that AC/DC opened for them on a string of dates in 1977, and were reportedly dubbed the Canadian Zeppelin by Sounds critic Geoff Barton.
Their third album, Ridin’ High, shows shades of late 70’s Judas Priest (check out “Sweet Reputation” or the title track), combined with the more laid-back balladry of, say, Black Oak Arkansas. But their next record tanked when they brought in Mike Reno (later of Loverboy) on vocals, and they were relegated to obscurity by the 80’s, particularly after frontman Buzz Shearman died in a bike crash back in ’83. But with a recent resurgence in 70’s rock, Moxy’s played a few festivals down in Texas since 2000, even putting out a comeback album at the turn of the century. But according to the band’s website, the gig next weekend is their first in almost four years. Considering that they were playing a lotta chicken wing bars around ’08-’09–including the Wing Shack in Whitby–one might wonder if they can even fill the ElMo nowadays.
And while I can’t say I’ve seen a lot about this gig online, methinks much of the generation that would go to a Moxy show probably doesn’t frequent Facebook in the first place. Of course, there’s only one original member left in the band (hint: he’s holding a guitar clinic beforehand), but they’ve supposedly got Russ Dwarf on vocals and the rhythm section from late 70’s prog-rockers Zon, so hey, it should be good.
In any case, I haven’t been to the ElMo in a dog’s age. Who knows, maybe the Rolling Stones might show up… (Yeah right.)
Moxy, Raised Emotionally Dead, Simple Damned Device, Slyde @ El Mocambo, Saturday, June 1st. Doors @ 8. $20.
Peace,
Greg
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