Well, it had been about a month since I've seen the guys, so this show came with much anticipation. I was really looking forward to hearing the "newer" set, and to meet up again with some old friends.

I arrived at Ogden Street Music Hall around 7pm, slightly before doors opened. Since I wasn't planning on drinking that evening, I jumped in the under 21 line (it was significantly shorter). Marcus was there, along with Jude, whom I'd never met before, but have talked to on numerous occasions via e-mail.

The Nields came up a little bit after 8 (oh my god, a show actually started on time?!?) and played for about an hour. Good stuff. I didn't stick around to hear them when I saw Moxy in Albany last month, so this was really my first time seeing (or hearing) them ever. I was impressed enough that I'll probably buy their CD when it comes out.

Johny Vegas hit the stage at about 9 and also played for a little under an hour. These guys remind me a lot of the Goo Goo Dolls. They mentioned that one of their songs will be on Pacific Pallisades next Wednesday. I think the thing that most impressed me about these guys was the lead guitarist. Very solid.

Laurie Addenbrooke was at the show, and said she ran into my old roommate from college. Turns out he recognized my signature on Laurie's shirt, and asked her if the "Chris O." she knew was the same person he knew. I haven't seen Jim in about a year, and actually, he's the one who introduced me to Moxy.

Well, the moment we were all waiting for, Moxy. They got on stage at 10pm and played till about 11:30. The set was comprised of mostly new stuff, which was fine by me. I got to hear Sahara, Kick in the Ass, and the new Billie Jean medley for the first time live. Dave has been sick, so I was surprised that they played so many songs that feature him as lead singer.

After the show, I talked to some of the people my friend Jim works with (mostly Mike and his wife, Kelly). It turns out A LOT of people are going to the Syracuse and Rochester shows. And from what I could gather, quite a few people that were at this Buffalo show will be at the Clinton (5/31) show. Hi's also to Tara (full of bourbon) and her sister.

Laurie and I talked to Murray, Mike, and Jian (Dave was resting). Jian thanked me for doing the web pages for the guys; it was very cool to hear thanks right from the band themselves. At about 1 in the morning, Laurie and I decided it was time to say our goodbyes, and have to wait a wopping 24 hours to see the guys again!! :-)

Syracuse, here I come...

• Mike and his guitar
• Bytor on the Dumbek (by Jian's right leg)
• Mike reads (from "Sahara")

• Peace of Mind - Brand New Disc

• Lazlo's Career
• B.J. Don't Cry
  • "banished him for life he did"
  • "Budha and a brush"
  • Mike uses his megaphone for the "Now on the street..." section
  • Mike mentions Johny Vegas and The Nields in the last verse
• Video Bargainville
• Chatter
  • Murray, talking to the cheering crowd: "You people are ready to go!"
  • Jian asks the crowd to keep making noise, and intros the next song.
• Horseshoes
• Chatter
  • Dave thanks the crowd for being so excited.
  • An audience member gives Jian a toy to put up on stage, and Mike names him Bytor.
  • Jian puts Bytor on the dumbek.
  • Jian: "What a beautiful crowd! Nice looking women and men."
  • Mike jumps into "Women and men..." by They Might Be Giants
  • Jian: Ya know, in Artvoice today, they said we're a bunch of nice guys. Well, fuck that!
  • Murray (jokingly): Yeah, fuck that!
• I Love My Boss
  • "Who knows what Irv Weinstein will be bringing?"
• Kick in the Ass
  • Dave intros this one
• Chatter
  • Jian welcomes the crowd, and talks about the release of YWGTTM
  • Jian: "You can get our record in Buffalo. But, you kind of always could get our stuff here, 'cause Buffalo is part of Canada."
• The Incredible Medicine Show
• Sahara
  • Mike reads from a book, speaking through his megaphone, at the end of the song.
• Chatter
  • Jian and Dave have a discussion about being up on stage (talking in English accents)
• Fly
• Chatter
  • Jian talks about Spirit of the West, and how when you release a record you think it's the best one you've ever done.
  • Jian: We heard this next song on The Planet during the drive here.
  • Dave: We're going with the guitar amp on the banjo.
  • Jian: "Nobody has ever played punk banjo until Dave Matheson."
  • The band jumps into a quick little country/punk song.
• Michigan Militia
• Johnny Saucep'n
  • Mike intros: "Who's hungry?"
• Chatter
  • Jian, talking to Murray: Don't you wish we played the same instruments during the whole show, so we wouldn't have all these embarrassing pauses? Bryan Adams doesn't have to deal with this at his shows.
  • Dave: But Bryan Adams has plenty of those embarrassing moments on his last album.
  • Mike plugs the upcoming Port Dover show.
  • Jian comments on Murray's chest hair, "You're a hairy guy!"
  • Dave does a quick "Murray is furry" poem.
  • Murray: During the silences, the audience stares at you.
  • Dave starts playing "Roll out the barrel", saying he can play and drink beer at the same time. He then pours the whole beer on top of himself.
  • Dave: There's no egg in beer, so it's not even good for your hair. But beer is good for microphones.
• No No Raja
• Chatter
  • Jian asks the crowd who has seen Moxy before.
  • Jian mentions various schools and asks if any of the audience are from there.
  • Jian: "Is this 1970's sitcom star who's coming on stage...Ponch from Chips? George Jefferson? ..."
  • Mike: It's the star of One Day at a Time, Schneider!
• King of Spain
  • "There's a hat on your head...Peter Frampton!"
  • A lot of impromptu teases before The King tells his story.
  • "Do the people on the left want to know the epilogue? Do the people on the right..."
• Green Eggs & Ham
  • "Not the beatles!"
  • Murray: You have a serious mental problem!
  • The audience boos at Dave.
  • Dave tries to apologize, and Mike returns with "You can't get out of this, you mother fucker!"
• My Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors
  • Jian thanks the crowd, Buffalo, Johny Vegas, The Nields, Ogden Street, and Artvoice.
  • "Pulp Fiction"

• River Valley

• Chatter
  • Jian plugs the May 19th Toronto show.
• Get in the Car
• Your New Boyfriend

• Chatter
  • Jian: We'll keep playing. We know lots of songs! Here's a song we just wrote.
  • Dave sings the opening riff to Darlington Darling.
  • Mike: This one goes out to a Buffalo native, Lazlo.
  • Dave tunes his banjo.
  • Murray: Tuning is futile.
  • Jian: That's the new plot of the new Star Trek movie. Worf is playing the banjo and the borg come, and say "Tuning is futile".
  • Jian rips on Diana Troi, "What's her function?"
  • An audience member yells "She looks good!"
  • Jian: But you're not supposed to care about looks in the 24th century.
  • Mike: "Tell that to Dax."
• Billie Jean Medley
• The Drinking Song
  • Jian asks the audience to sing along.

Some other tidbits from the performance include:

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