(Caption under photo: Hailing from Toronto, Ontario, Moxy Fruvous will be taking shape in the Multipurpose room for the second time to entertain audiences.)
Look out Fredonia! After a successful show in our fair village about two years ago, Moxy Fruvous will be returning for a follow up performance.
Current scheduled for Sunday, April 19 at 8 p.m. in the Williams Center Multipurpose room, Mike Ford, the guitarist and vocalist, described the show as being "a rollercoaster ride through tragedy, hilarity, political stick-poking, improv fusioned jam, and four part harmony."
Moxy Fruvous, who got their name from Anton Fruvous, a Swiss inventor, commenced their musical careers at the beginning of the decade. They started out as buskers on the streets of Toronto, or as we say in America, street singers. "We looked at it as a challenge. We learned to harmonize and then we added conga and a guitar," said Ford in a recent telephone interview. They mostly sang political songs about what was going on in Canada, taking their inspiration from the popular Canadian songwriters, Loudon Wainwright, Tom Leher, and Randy Newman.
They then made a tape to preserve their musical undertakings and it went on to sell between 50,000 and 60,000 copies in Canada alone. This led to a record deal and a lot of success. They have spent the last two years playing mostly in the northeast and midwest where they have developed quite the fan base. "Our fans are interested in all our songs, not just the two played on the radio. It's really gratifying to have the support and the following," said Ford.
Ford describes the music of Moxy Fruvous as being hard to categorize. "All four of us sing and write. We're a diverse package and we're proud of it," he said.
They have been called "the alternative folk heroes from Canada" by other published media due to the presence of a lot of acoustic material. "Our music has to be seen and heard in order to describe it. Moxy Fruvous is the new Vaudeville of the soul," said Ford.
Moxy Fruvous actually has a purpose regarding their music. "Our mission is get different things on the radio. We want to provide a real alternative to the mainstram," said Ford.
The influences of Moxy Fruvous range from Bob Dillon, the French Canadian singer Jacques Brel, and Frank Sinatra to Radiohead, David Bowie, and Stevie Wonder. Ever single genre of music imaginable is also incorporated.
Moxy Fruvous currently has four albums on the shelves in music stores. Their firsy, entitles Bargainville, was released in 1993 and went Platinum. Their second and third, entitled Wood and The B Album, were released in 1995 and 1996 respectively. Their latest, You Will Go To The Moon, was released about a year ago.
They are now working on a live album of their greatest hits which will be released in two months and they are writing for their next studio album. "We're anxious about this live album. It's the next step in Fruvous creation and performance," said Ford. For the past six months, Moxy Fruvous has also been quietly working on a musical theatre project from which we will soon be able to hear songs that will be released.
As for what to expect from their upcoming show in Fredonia, Ford briefly said, "Murray's hot bass prowess." Murray being Muray Foster, the bassist and one of the vocalists. He then said, "The live show is the Fruvous experience." Something great can also be expected from the other talented members: vocalist, drummer, and percussionist, Jian Ghomeshi and Dave Matheson who is also a vocalist and plays the accordion, banjo, and guitar.
With that in mind, buy your tickets now. Advance ticket sales are available through the Central Box Office at $6 for students and $10 for non-students. They will also be available at the door.
If you're a real Moxy Fruvous fan, you might want to visit their web site at www.fruvous.com.
Back to the News Page...