THE MOODY BLUES @ CMAC

Friday July 9, 2010

When you set out to see and hear a band that has been together in one form or another for over forty five years, you may be tempted to wonder if you’ll attend a “paint by numbers” event or a vivid, colorful display. On Friday July 9, 2010, there were splashy images projected on the screen behind the band, a song that offered a lush wash of white satin, billowing clouds of ivory smoke on the stage and more. It all helped create visual and aural images that were ultimately a rainbow of colors created by The Moody Blues.

Key members from their chart topping days remain in the group: Justin Hayward (guitar and vocals), John Lodge (bass and vocals) and Graeme Edge (drums plus one very unique song as lead vocalist.) The addition of two young females (bass, keys, guitar, flute etc.) a keyboard player and an additional drummer (who helped carry much of the weight for most of the evening) all contributed to the type of full sound that is not only alluring but often necessary in an outdoor venue such as this.

The smoke machine was turned on by the third song “Steppin’ In A Slide Zone” but, wisely, was used judiciously throughout the rest of the evening. “Tuesday Afternoon” had the crowd clapping and they seemed so happy together as the music and the vintage photos of the band took everyone back to their younger days. Other well know songs such as “Lean on Me,” “Never Comes The Day,” “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere” were true to the original sound and style and were A+ performances,

After a break, the Moody Blues returned and performed “Your Wildest Dreams,” “Isn’t Life Strange,” “The Other Side Of Life” and more. Hayward and Lodge continued to trade lead vocals from one number to the next. Hayward’s voice stood out this evening and his vocals had an astounding purity that showed no sign that they would ever fade. He also did all his own guitar work, opting not to bring along a hired gun to back him. Lodge was rock solid on bass and took his turn as lead singer on a number of songs as well. Edge seemed to perk up after the break with more intense drumming and even came out from behind the drums to take over the lead vocals on a song that seemed to take it’s inspiration from one of his favorite pubs back in the UK. He then narrated the original intro to “Nights in White Satin” before they ripped things up with a full powered version of “I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock and Roll Band”) as if to remind us that even though they use flutes, keyboards and other sounds that echo symphony orchestras, the Moody Blues are still driven by guitar, bass and drums and still perform tight rock and roll at it’s purist.

As much as it’s fun to see a young, up and coming band fight for it’s place in the world of rock, it’s great when one of the veteran bands delivers a well crafted show…even after all these years on the road. During the encore, both of the drummers treated the audience to a powerful duel drum presentation and contributed to a rousing “Ride My See Saw” that put an exclamation mark on the evening. Great rock and roll from a veteran rock and roll band.