2009 Concert Memory #1 - Moby @ Irving Plaza NYC September 21

Before we sign off from 2009, I want to revisit two concerts I went to during the year. I'm not much of a concert-goer these days and was never one for the big festivals, but if the right act at the right venue presents itself -- I'm in. That happened last fall when I heard Moby was at Irving Plaza, the smallish venue right around the corner from my husband's office in downtown NYC. On a Monday night of all things, I found myself leaving work early to happily hop a train into the city.

As I've mentioned in this blog, Moby is a product of my hometown of Darien, CT. When at a tour of the high school years back, the student guide asked if we had any questions. "What is Moby's real name?" I asked as a joke that of course fell flat in the group of overanxious parents. (It's Richard Melville Hall, but he's been called Moby since a baby.) I have heard him talk about growing up in town within a lecture format and even hung out at the dive bar in town afterwards, but over the years I hadn't made it to hear him play live at one of his concerts. Moby was his laidback, self espousing opionated musings and even at one point asked how many in the audience were born outside the U.S. -- more than half was the answer. I suppose he knew where his fan base is strongest these days and was just checking?

I remember exactly when I heard Moby's first hit "Go" in the mid-90s. I was riding in the back of a car getting a ride out of the city after a holiday party. As it played on the more than adequate sound system, I watched the night skyline speed by with lights flashing along to the electrofunkpop mashup whatever you want to call it, back then there wasn't quite so many names for such things . Time was suspended as I entered another world of dance music driven beats. I've followed him since, eagerly purchasing CDs as they appeared -- especially 18, which appeared just after 9/11 (his birthday even) to help me musically get through the senseless agony of the loss of life and distruction in NYC.

Moby's new CD Wait For Me has been called melancholy and introspective but there's a few tracks that offer up a good enough groove for dancing. (Three songs were featured on my LATE FALL 09 PLAYLIST.) He also pulled out the hits for those in the crowd who really wanted to move such as "Porcelain," "We're All Made of Stars" and of course, "Go." Moby launched into one of them after explaining how it's fun to stay up late by himself, alone in his studio making introspective tunes (which is how most of Wait for Me was written,) that he also enjoys making a real "Kick Ass Dance Song" now and then. Thank goodness! He has my vote as best dance music maker ever to tear up the floor but also as the creator of the most moving melodic melodies guaranteed to make me tear up.

So after complaining about the club kids with their cameras and cellphones out so much during the concert (asking why don't they just take in the experience?) I was thrilled to find this nugget of "Porcelain" online. We were just to the left of the pole on the floor stage right about 7 rows back -- I can even see my arms in the air waving all modern movement like during the slow part. Got to sleep around 2 and was kind of sore from standing around before the show and then dancing along during but glad I went!