At first, I was a bit surprised that Moxy was performing again at a venue they had played less than two months ago. Wednesday night concerts usually don't draw big crowds, either. Despite all this, the show was excellent.

I left Rochester at three in the afternoon and got into Albany at about 6:30 (good time, I might add!) I was going to meet Zard at the bar, and of course, I got there way too early, so I sat in the bar and waited. Zard showed up around 7:30, and we grabbed some dinner at a place down the street (called "Quintessence", very good food!). By this point, the guys had already shown up (I saw them parking the van and unloading it). We talked to Jian and Marcus briefly after dinner and found out that Moxy wouldn't hit the stage till 11:30 or so.

After a quick stop at the hotel to drop off our stuff, we got back to Valentine's at 9:30, and doors were already open. Upstairs we met up with Dan Carps, Dan Jablonski, Charlie (whom I'd met at the Syracuse show a couple weeks back) and his friend Colin. We shot some pool, talked to Marcus and told stories about the shows we've seen.

The opening act, which garnered a crowd of about 5 people, went on at about 10:45 and finished around 11:15. I was amazed at how empty the place was; there were probably about 100 people there to see Fruvous. Moxy came on stage roughly near half past eleven, and played for about an hour and a half. All four of them are past their respective illnesses and sounded great. The show was full of impromptu teases, and other treasures (see below for more details).

After the show, we all sat around and talked to the guys (perfect opportunity to do so considering the small turnout). Jian was saying how cool he thinks the newsgroup buttons are, and that they allow people from all over to come see shows and still have a common bond with some of the people there. "It's an invitation to go up to someone and say 'Hi'", he said.

Finally got to meet Susan Tanner of Bottom Line Records. She's really cool. She's originally from Buffalo and will most likely be at the Lafayette Square show, so if you see her, say Hello! Heck, if you see me, say hello! :-)

Dan J., Zard and I said goodbye to everyone and headed back to our hotel at around 2:30 in the morning. We then proceeded to talk for an hour about the show (how can you not?!?) and hit the hay at about four in the morning (uggh) to catch a whopping four hours sleep (we all had to be back to our real lives as early as humanly possible).

I wish I could have continued on to the rest of the shows on this weekend (Boston, etc...), but I will be seeing them on May 22-24 in various Ontario cities, so that's not too long. Can't wait!! :-)

• Jian and the dumbek
• Murray rocks on his bass
• The setlist from the stage

• Life is Fruvous
  • This song starts with all four guys making this weird sound like a didgereedoo (sp?). Mike speaks some lines from a Genesis song, and then they begin singing.
  • "Life is Fruvous for the week...Life is Moxy as we speak...Life...Fruvous"

• My Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors
  • "spendin' all our money on...brand new bovrels"
• River Valley
• Get in the Car
• Your New Boyfriend
• Chatter
  • Jian, looking at the crowd: This is intimate and interactive. We all have to have sex afterwards.
  • Dave: But don't applaud, wait to see how we perform.
  • Jian complains about Paula Cole, and asks what the deal is with the "tambourine hit on foot" move.
  • Murray: It's a strange tick she has.
  • Mike: It's an old cowboy move called "Spinnin' your spurs".
  • Mike describes a book "Spurs for Virginia" he read in grade school while the band plays some country music. Mike joins in with some impromptu lyrics.
  • Dave: Paula Cole is better than Keanu Reaves' and Lou Diamond Philips' bands, though.
• Horseshoes
• Chatter
  • Murray: Trev, can I have some more of that delicious guitar? Dave is playing so well. I would eat it if it was in a solid form.
  • Mike: You just don't want to hear *my* playing. I will hunt you down!
  • Jian, in an English accent, pretends he's recounting a story of the band breaking up.
  • Dave: We shant be working together again.
  • Dave asks the audience if we've ever had a boss.
  • "Up with people" is mentioned and some discussion follows.
  • Jian: I always thought it should be "Down with people".
• I Love My Boss
  • "My boss asked me to qualify"
  • Jian, realizing he screwed up the line, can't stop from laughing, and misses the next couple lines as well.
  • "Who knows what cowboy will be bringing?"
  • Instead of "examples", Jian does the Paula Cole tamborine move.
  • During the pause before the last line, the band hears the music downstairs and begins to move to it.
• Chatter
  • Jian: What the fuck is that music? Is it a band downstairs?
  • Jian: I just thought it was a stereo turned up too loud.
  • The audience tries to request some songs after the band say that they're a heavy metal band that does Doors and Stones tunes.
  • Murray: You can only request songs that are on our setlist.
• Kick in the Ass
• Chatter
  • Murray: We've discovered the official dance for that last song.
  • Jian does the drum beat from KitA, while the audience member who was doing the dance repeats her performance.
  • Murray: There was more neck last time, but that's the dance.
  • The guys do a quick "You Will Go to the Moon" rap after Jian says that the new album is out.
• The Incredible Medicine Show
• Sahara
  • Mike reads from a book, speaking through a megaphone near the end of the song.
• Chatter
  • Murray: Is that song a deep album cut?
  • Mike: It's River Deep, Mountain High.
  • Jian talks about how the Deep Blue chess machine beat a human.
  • Jian: The machine can't go anywhere. It's not a person. Why are people so worried?
• Fly
• Chatter
  • Jian: There's a really good video to that last song. By us. That video was shown the least, I think.
  • Dave: There are some contenders for that record...
  • Mike: Here's a tale about a fish-boy, a boy with fish appendages.
  • Jian, during the drum intro: The original title to this song was "Johnny Saucep'n".
• B.J. Don't Cry
  • "Buddha and a brush"
  • Mike uses his megaphone for the "Now on the street..." part, and says "In 1744, Mozart composes The Magic Flute".
• Video Bargainville
  • Jian says "No No Raja" instead of "Just ask for Roger" during the last line of the song.
• Chatter
  • Dave asks who in the audience is from University of Albany.
  • Moxy sings Happy Birthday to some guy named Andrew.
  • Quick tease of "Head over heels and toe to toe".
  • Jian: If this next song makes you feel horny, that's not what it's intended to do.
  • Murray: Just relax if it makes you feel that way.
  • Jian: Let yourself go.
  • Dave: I've let myself go since I left my parent's house. I went to pot, to ratshit.
  • Murray: Dave Matheson in a new show, Ratshit. He hasn't done his laundry since he moved out of his parent's.
• No No Raja
• Chatter
  • Mike sings a bit of a Herb Albert song.
  • Murray: Here's a song about a nation sliding in the toilet. No, it's a song about the greatest nation on Earth. No, that's a side project of mine. It's just a song about conflict.
• Michigan Militia
• Johnny Saucep'n
• Chatter
  • Jian asks if we've seen Moxy before.
  • Jian: Isn't it shameful to have been a monarch, and then to find yourself gone to ratshit, unable to do your laundry. Isn't it shameful? Are we gonna win the California primary?
• King of Spain
  • Dave: My wife, Queen Lisa, who left the iron on, and burned the formica.
  • "Now the Habs call me up to drive..."
  • A strange vocal sound effect rap ensues after the international orchestra, and segues into "Matilda".
• Green Eggs & Ham
  • "Not the beatles!" Everyone points at Dave.
  • Dave: This has turned into one of those ABC after-school Nazi programs.
  • Jian: Yes, anyone who hates the Beatles is a Nazi.
  • Jian: Do you know where John Lennon is from? Liverpool. How can you not know that?
  • Murray: John Lennon was the egg man.
  • Jian says "OK" instead of "I don't eat that stuff".

• Chatter
  • Jian thanks Valentine's.
  • Mike: They even gave us beer from Alberta tonight. That was pretty freaky.
• Love Potion #9 Medley
  • Ohio, Stayin' Alive, Jungle Boogie riff, Who Will Save Your Soul?, You Oughtta Know

• Chatter
  • Murray: I'd like to make a dedication. I'd like to dedicate this entire evening to Jian's new sneakers. Never have felt and rubber been married so perfectly on a man's foot.
  • Murray, during the drum intro: This is a funk song, the way funk used to be.
  • Jian: 3 weeks ago.
  • Murray: When funk was at its apex.
  • Jian: A lot has changed in the past 3 weeks.
  • Murray: Funk has fallen. Be we are the masters of funk.
• Billie Jean Medley

• Chatter
  • Jian: It's nice to have the audience yell their requests in your face when you're coming back on stage.
  • Dave: Especially when it's Freebird.
  • A long tease of "8 days a week" follows.
  • Jian: We're gonna do a new one.
  • Mike plugs the Clinton show.
• Grunge of Spain

Some other tidbits from the performance include:

• Feel free to help contribute to this section!