Moondance Jam
Walker, Minnesota
July 16-18, 2009
By Dan Wall and Jeb Wright
Photos by Brad "Phil Collins" Neville
CLICK HERE FOR OUR PHOTO GALLERY
Note from Dan Wall:
If I hadn’t started writing for Classic Rock Revisited, I
would have never had the pleasure of meeting Jeb Wright. And if
I had never met Jeb, I would not have found out about the
glorious treasure known as the Moondance Jam. For the third time
in four years, my buddy Brad (Phil Collins to most of you) and I
traveled to the tiny northern Minnesota outpost of Walker for
the three-day festival, held on a former farm site in the
backwoods near a lake (how surprising for Minnesota). And for
the third time in three years, I had a great time.
Note from Jeb Wright:
Out of the many trips I make for Classic Rock Revisited, none
are a special as the Moondance Jam. After all these years, it is
just as special to see the friends I have made as it is to see
the bands play or to interview the artists for the jumbo-tron
right before they take the stage. Many jaded rock critics claim
that rock n’ roll is dead. They obviously have never been to
Walker, Minnesota for the, as Dan Wall says, “glorious treasure”
called The Moondance Jam.
GETTING TO WALKER AIN'T ALWAYS EASY
By Jeb Wright
I calculated that I would have to leave at 5:00 am in order to
catch my flight from Wichita to Minneapolis, which departed at
7:55. The nice thing about flying out of Wichita is that there
are never any big lines or crowds. Arrive an hour early and you
are good to go. The alarm went off, I got up and threw my bag in
the car and headed out to the highway. I arrived on schedule,
parked in long-term parking and headed to the terminal. Once
inside, I noticed quite a line of people at my airline. There
were two employees behind the counter and I wondered what the
holdup could be. Turns out the main reason for the wait was that
one of the two people, an overweight puffy guy, was new and
really didn’t know what he was doing.
The seasoned vet working
next to him spent most of her time showing him how to weigh the
bags, print the tickets and check people in. The line was still
moving, however slowly. Suddenly, the unthinkable happened…Puff
daddy’s printer ran out of paper. This was the kind with the
holes in it that have to be lined up just right. It took him
twenty minutes to change the damn thing. To make matters worse,
we had Mr. Idiot at the counter talking to the good employee. He
was changing his seat, buying tickets for another flight, trying
to get the weight of his bag down and he didn’t even have
correct money for the bag charge and had to rumble around in his
wallet for a credit card. He was there for a half an hour. Ms.
Good Sense finally announced to us, “Anyone here for Minneapolis
needs to check in using the machine or you may miss your
flight.” Many of us scurried to the machines and swiped away but
found that the machines didn’t work. Just as all of the
passengers with Minneapolis tickets were thinking about
rerouting our trip, Jake-ette and the Fat Man sprung into
action. Mr. Idiot finally left and the computer paper whizzed
through the machine. Two at a time, we checked our bags,
got our tickets and ran to the security check.
I got through security and didn’t even take time to tie my
shoes. I began running through the airport. I got to my gate as
the line was entering the stairway to take us to the tarmac,
where the peashooter of a plane would take us up into the
friendly skies. I made it--by five minutes. I was on my way to
Moondance. For the rest of the flight, I sat back, closed my
eyes and cranked up Judas Priest on my iPod in anticipation of
the event.
I met Classic Rock Revisited rock god Sean Turner in Minneapolis
and we rented a car and began our four-hour drive to Walker. We
cranked up the tunes and told tales of misadventure the entire
way. We were pumped to be going to the Moondance Jam. This is
the best trip of the year as far as I am concerned. This year,
the Jam has been scaled back from four days to three. A day
taken out of the event is a sad occasion, but we were still here
a day early, and there was a great party on the grounds with
Moondance favorites Mountain Ash and Eighties tribute band
Hairball cranking it up all night long. Plus, a three-day lineup
consisting of Kansas, Foghat, Shooting Star, Journey, Sheryl
Crow, The Spin Doctors, Whitesnake, Lita Ford, Judas Priest,
Grand Funk Railroad, Asia and Yes had drool dripping out of the
corner of my mouth. Add to that the fact that five of my
favorite rockers, the all female AC/DC tribute band,
ThundHerStruck, were going to be on site and this long weekend
was already living up to its potential.
Sean and I checked in with Backstage Manager, and Mountain Ash
lead guitarist, Mark Kirchoff, and got our credentials for the
weekend. We had a few hours to kill, so it was off to the hotel
to check in and to The Lucky Moose for dinner. During dinner, I
called Roger Earl of Foghat, as they were in town a day early as
well. Roger told me to get over to his hotel where he and the
boys would be meeting for dinner at 7:00 PM. We stopped by
Roger’s room, where he was kind enough to sign some copies of my
book, Stadium Rock. Sean and Roger sampled some fine wine. When
Roger offered me a glass, I reminded him I have been on the
wagon for decades. He said, in his British accent, “That’s
right. You don’t drink. Well, I am sorry for you. Tell me, Jeb,
do you not drink because you don’t like to drink, or did you
drink so much that it is just a good idea for you not to drink
anymore?” When I replied the latter, Roger stated, “Well then, I
am okay with that. I have a lot of friends that are that way. If
you had said you didn’t like drinking then we were going to have
a problem.”
We sat down and ordered a drink, mine non-alcoholic, and were
joined in the dining room by Roger, bass player Craig Macgregor
and guitarist Bryan Basset. Vocalist and rhythm guitarist
Charlie Huhn had missed his flight and was not going to arrive
till the next day. We talked all things Foghat, politics,
Moondance Jam, Walker, Minnesota, Craig’s son’s band, Comic Book
Heroes, and Van Halen being back with David Lee Roth until the
boy’s food arrived. Not wanting to watch them eat, we excused
ourselves and headed back to the campground to watch the bands.
When we arrived, Mountain Ash was already into their set. They
are a great band and were on fire this particular night. The BOC
cover “ETI” sounded as good as the original, as did UFO’s
“Doctor Doctor.” The boys also trotted out a great cover of “Run
Like Hell” by Pink Floyd. At the end of their set, they received
a large ovation. Next up were a true trip of a band. Hairball,
hailing from Minneapolis, is a tribute to the music of the
1980’s big hair movement. They have two singers. While one is
dressed up and performing onstage as Twisted Sister’s Dee
Snider, the other is hidden away putting on his Paul Stanley
makeup and getting ready to take the stage and sing Kiss songs.
This goes on all night with every hair band worth their weight
in hair spray being part of the act. The backing band is tight
and plays their ass off. They involved the crowd in the onstage
shenanigans and I think I even saw a boob or two being flashed.
Hairball needs to be working as the house band for the Hard Rock
Casino in Vegas. If ever the was a Vegas act waiting to happen,
its Hairball.
I left the Saloon to take in all of Moondance’s majesty. After
missing last years concert due to being in Los Angeles to cover
the VH1 Rock Honors, I have to admit, it felt good to be home.
Everything was just as I remembered. I walked around the empty
arena, went up and stood on the empty stage and looked out into
the night. I walked through the darkness of Billy’s Backstage
Bar and gazed over to the barren VIP area. Soon, and soon
indeed, the emptiness would be gone. The masses would ascend
upon the grounds and bring the Moondance Jam back to life.
Stepping onto the grass at the Moondance Jam is like stepping
onto hollowed ground. This truly is where the magic happens. I
looked around knowing that for the next three nights I would be
interviewing bands, watching them perform and hanging out with
people just like me. Who would have thought that four hours from
Minneapolis, in the middle of nowhere, a rock n’ roll heaven
could exist? The odds are staggering that this thing should
never have happened; yet here we are getting ready to celebrate
the Jam’s eighteenth birthday. Long live rock n’ roll.
DAY I
Notes from Day I by Jeb Wright
Being friends with the guys in Shooting Star, Kansas and
Foghat made the first day a real thrill for me. I was able to
interview members from each band for the big screen out front
and each of the bands performed at the top of their game. A real
surprise was finding Country music superstar Jo Dee Messina
hanging out backstage. It seems she was going through the area
and wanted to stop and chat with Sheryl Crow. I even got a hug
and a cuddle from her as it was damn cold and I am a big guy who
was wearing a very warm pull over. I didn’t mind and even told
her that I would keep her warm anytime. When I told her that if
she had come by tomorrow night then I could have introduced her
to Judas Priest, she said, “Isn’t that who Ozzy used to play
with?” I told her, “Close enough” and laughed. She did a classy
thing and got her band and played a short acoustic set in the
backstage bar and grill proving you never know what is going to
happen at the Moondance Jam. On the main stage, Sheryl Crow
jammed away, followed by Journey. Sheryl was much better than I
had anticipated but Journey seemed to be having technical
problems. They
have recently parted ways with long time producer and soundman,
Kevin Elson, and on this night the bass was way too loud. The
band still performed well though the sound was off kilter. It could have
been the cold temperatures, the wind or the rain that muddled
things up on them. Too bad, though as Journey is a
powerhouse of a live band. All in all, however, day one was awesome. The Jam was
underway.
DAY I PERFORMANCE REVIEW BY DAN WALL
DON'T MISS OUR PHOTO GALLERY
| BEST OF DAY I |
JEB |
DAN |
| BEST PERFORMANCE |
KANSAS |
FOGHAT |
| WORST PERFORMANCE |
NONE |
NONE |
| SURPRISE BAND
|
SHOOTING STAR |
SHOOTING STAR |
| BACKSTAGE MOMENT
OF THE DAY |
APPEARANCE BY JO
DEE MESSINA |
APPEARANCE BY JO
DEE MESSINA |
Journey is back and headlining the Jam with new lead singer
Arnel Pineda. Pineda is quite a
revelation,
singing all of the Journey classics presented in a clear and
strong voice. The great thing about him is he doesn’t try to be
Steve Perry (or Steve Augeri); he has his own style, his own
stage presence and never struggles to hit notes like Augeri did.
The rest of the band is still solid, save for bassist Ross
Valory, who at times sounded like he was playing a different
song than the rest of the guys (could it have been the bass
volume, which for most of the set overpowered the rest of the
mix?) Neal Schon is a true superstar on guitar, his piercing
solos grabbing a prominent spot in virtually every song played.
Jonathan Cain’s versatility and Dean Castronovo’s power help
make Journey one of classic rock’s best live acts. Those 19
songs in the set, which featured no less than 10 melodic rock
masterpieces, don’t hurt the band’s cause any.
Sheryl Crow might not be the first artist who springs to mind
when filing out your classic rock festival wish list, but Ms.
Crow did an admirable job winning over the crowd. Everyone rocks
a little harder live, and so does Sheryl-she adds Ram Jam’s
“Black Betty” and Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll” to the set to
emphasize a tougher side, while not forgetting to play all of
the hits that made her this decade’s prominent female rock star.
The singer’s band is versatile and well drilled, and the
80-minute set goes down quite smoothly.
Kansas is sounding better these days, as keyboardist/vocalist
Steve Walsh looks like he’s having a bit more fun onstage than
during the band’s previous appearance here. His voice sounded
better as well. The rest of the boys can still bring it onstage
like no other progressive rock band from the 70’s-Phil Ehart is
simply one of the greatest live drummers on the planet, bassist
Billy Greer is powerhouse who also sings very well, Rich
Williams does his best to play the guitar parts of two
(remember, Kerry Livgren no longer tours), and David Ragsdale
fills in on guitar and violin all of the parts that Livgren and
Robby Steinhardt used to specialize in. “Point of Know Return,”
“Dust in the Wind” and “Carry On Wayward Son” still figure
prominently in the 65-minute set.
Foghat is a tough band to follow at a festival like this.
Despite the fact that Lonesome Dave and Rod Price are no longer
with us, the band could not have found any better replacements
than they have in Charlie Huhn and Bryan Bassett. Huhn, who has
done time with Ted Nugent, Victory, Humble Pie and Gary Moore,
is a powerhouse singer who can also play lead guitar. Bassett,
who toured for years with Molly Hatchet and and Wild Cherry
(yes, the “Play That Funky Music” band) is a great guitarist who
can actually play all of Price’s famous slide parts. Bassist
Craig Macgregor and drummer Roger Earl are the holdovers from
the band’s classic line-up, and “Fool For the City,” “I Just
Wanna Make Love to You” and “Slow Ride” still sound great, no
matter who’s around to play them.
The surprise on Thursday was Shooting Star, the veteran rockers
from the Kansas City area who opened the show. Most of the fans
I talked thought the band sounded better than just about anyone
who played on Thursday, and that’s quite a feat, since the
temperatures fell into the 40’s during the day (this is northern
Minnesota, after all). Leader Van McLain still leads the band,
alongside original drummer Steve Thomas, violinist Janet
Jameson, keyboardist Dennis Laffoon and powerhouse vocalist
Ronnie Platt. The real star of any Shooting Star show is the
songs-I always thought this band had enough to become huge, but
alas, it didn’t happen-as “”Touch Me Tonight,” “Hollywood,”
“Hang On For Your Life” and “Last Chance” all sounded great on a
chilly, misty day.
DAY II
NOTES FROM DAY II BY JEB WRIGHT
Judas Priest and Whitesnake didn’t do interviews with me,
which was a disappointment. They both neglected to do meet and
greets with the fans as well. The backstage area was pretty
barren during the evening but during the day, it was bustling.
The Spin Doctors actually did a good job. They were fun to chat
with and they were a much better live band than I would have
expected. Dan Wall does not agree with me, but I quite enjoyed
their music. It was, however, very out of place for a day filled
with heavy metal.
Whitesnake's Doug Aldrich is a cool dude and a great guitar
player. He was going to do the interview with me but the band’s
tour manager would not allow it. Hats of to Doug for being a
team player and a class act. Doug was awesome to everyone
backstage. He took photos, signed autographs and hung out and
watched the bands. He even showed up the day before to rock out
to the opening nights acts. Lita Ford was awesome as well. We
did a great interview. She has her kids and husband out on the
road and they were a ton of fun to interview. I even got a hug
from the Queen of Metal. Judas Priest were simply amazing. The
Moondance Jam does not book a lot of metal acts but Judas Priest
turned in the best performance of the entire weekend, though
both the Snake and the Priest were too loud for some. What ever
happened to the old adage, “If its too loud then you’re too
old?”
Oh, I almost forgot the funniest moment of the day. I was
backstage eating when I noticed Whitesnake’s Reb Beach in the
woman’s restroom. He was standing in front of the mirror putting
mascara on his face. He saw me and said, “I am just putting a
little on the beard to make it standout…not on my eyes” to which
I replied, “I ain’t judging, man. I ain’t judging.” On the way
to watch Priest, I also noticed Geoff Downes of Asia and his
tour manager backstage. They were walking and appeared to be
trying to figure out where to go in order to watch the band
play. They almost walked out into the general arena when I
stopped them. I introduced myself and asked if they were looking
for stage side. They said ‘yes’ so I escorted them to where they
needed to be. Geoff said, “Haven’t we got an interview for the
jumbo-tron with you tomorrow?” I said, “Yes and that I was
looking forward to it.”
Backstage, the place to be was the toilet. I went in to take
a leak and was met by Glenn Tipton of Judas Priest. Once inside,
a giant of a man entered and walked into the shower, thinking it
was a stall. He said, “I guess I shouldn’t pee in there” to
which I replied, “Go ahead, a lot of people pee in the shower.”
Once done, I gave it a shake and went outside. Moments later,
the big man came outside and I realized it was Chris Squire of
Yes, who like Downes had showed up early to scope out the bands.
There was a musical reunion of sorts when members of Yes, Asia
and Whitesnake all gathered on the cement ramp outside of the
dressing rooms. Sir Coverdale even gave Chris Squire a kiss on
the cheek on his way to his tour bus.
The final triumph of Day II was the arrival of the girls.
ThundHerStruck was in the house and I was hanging with my buds.
Andrea, Stephanie, Carin, Dyna and Tina all smiled and gave me
hugs. Later on, after the main stage acts were done, they blew
the roof off the saloon with their high-energy set. They were
just warming up for their opening slot on the main stage the
next night. We ended up hanging with Stephanie and Carin, taking
them back to their hotel room and staying up until five in the
morning talking rock n’ roll and laughing. Stephanie proved she
can do amazing things with an apple but that is another story. I
also won a bet with Stephanie that Motley Crue played at the US
Festival ’83. She was there and she lost the bet…One that I
still have not collected, I might add.
DAY II PERFORMANCE REVIEW BY DAN WALL
DON'T MISS OUR PHOTO GALLERY
| BEST OF DAY II |
JEB |
DAN |
| BEST PERFORMANCE |
JUDAS PRIEST |
JUDAS PRIEST |
| WORST PERFORMANCE |
SPIN DOCTORS |
SPIN DOCTORS |
| SURPRISE BAND
|
LITA FORD |
WHITESNAKE |
| BACKSTAGE MOMENT
OF THE DAY |
LITA FORD
INTERVIEW |
DAVID COVERDALE
KISSING CHRIS SQUIRE ON THE CHEEK |
It’s something everyone needs to experience once in their
life-watching Judas Priest from the
photo pit in front of the stage. The sound, the fury, the
blinding reflection from all of the rivets on Rob Halford’s
leather jacket-well, I’m sure you get the picture. And if don’t,
then you probably never wanted to. The band is playing British
Steel top to bottom on this tour, and it sounded great.
Amazingly, Halford can still hit most of the notes that very few
humans can hit. Guitarists Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing haven’t
aged since the bands hey day, and the rhythm section of bassist
Ian Hill and drummer Scott Travis is rock solid. Not exactly
everyone’s cup of tea at a festival, but if you love heavy
metal, then you would have loved this show. (Note-I saw the
Priest again on July 31 in Concord, California. A better show
for two reasons-the band had its own lighting rig, which was
more extravagant than the one used at MJ, and the crowd was
totally into the set from the first note of “Rapid Fire.” Same
songs, just a bit louder).
Whitesnake is back on the road, and David Coverdale’s bunch can
still knock out the melodic rock with aplomb. If there is
problem with his set, it’s that he still wastes 20 minutes or so
allowing guitarist Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach and drummer Chris
Frazier time to solo-why bands (or singers-maybe there’s a clue)
waste 20 minutes of a 70-minute set on solos and not the four
songs the band could be playing is beyond me. When knocking out
the biggies from the 1987 album or staples such as “Love Ain’t
No Stranger” of “Slow and Easy,” everything is fine.
There have
been reports on this tour that Coverdale’s voice is faltering,
but on this night it was strong and clear.
Ever since Lita Ford came back on scene last year, rock fans
everywhere have been rooting for
her to reclaim her spot as the queen of rock. Not sure she’s
quite there yet, but I will admit she is making progress. I last
saw her at Rocklahoma in 2008, right after the downpour. Nothing
was particularly wrong, but nothing was mind-blowing, either. At
MJ, with a new band in tow and a couple of songs from a new
album, she certainly put on a better show than last year’s. I
liked her band better; some people didn’t. I liked the set
better; others didn’t agree. She played guitar a bit more this
time, and with guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal adding a bit more
of a sleaze factor and rock riffing to the band’s sound, it
seemed more like a rock show than a greatest hits review. The
huge hits, “Close My Eyes Forever” and “Kiss Me Deadly” ended
the set with a bang, and the blonde guitarist ended up winning
over the crowd in the end.
It’s hard for me to comment on the Spin Doctors because I don’t
like them. You know the old saying about not saying anything
about someone unless it’s nice; I’ll evoke that here today.
Local cover band Zed Leppelin opened the show with a fun set of
classic; these guys do Zeppelin as well as anyone.
DAY III
NOTES FROM DAY III BY JEB WRIGHT
Sean and I made friends with a couple of beautiful ladies who
were at the show with Asia’s Geoff Downes. We ran into them
again and even got our picture taken with them. What was most
impressive is that they remembered our names. I must admit, I do
not remember theirs! The interviews were fun on this day. Every
band participated, with Geoff Downs of Asia and Don Brewer of
Grand Funk Railroad being the most talkative. Odd news came down
to the backstage area concerning the Meet & Greets with Asia and
Yes. Everyone was informed that both bands would not sign
autographs and did not want to be touched. They would take
pictures and chat with the VIPs, momentarily, though. I shook
Downes hand three times during the day and wondered if I was
breaking the rules each time! Kidding aside, I really liked
Asia. Dan says they “laid an egg” and I even list them as the
worst performance on the main stage but that is only because
Grand Funk and Yes were both on top of their game. Asia did
great and played a good set list. I can only admit that a
festival crowd may not have been the place they were most
comfortable. Asia are a very cerebral band and, unlike Yes, do
not have nearly as large a catalog to tailor a set list to a
specific event. John Wetton sounded amazing but he needs to get
a PR person to help him dress. The baby blue pullover with the
dark blue slacks just wasn’t sexy at all.
I did a wonderful interview for www.classicrockrevisited.com
with former Kiss, and current GFR, guitar player Bruce Kulick.
Bruce is not just a killer guitarist; he is also a big fan of
rock n’ roll. He was hoping to get his picture taken with Steve
Howe but the reclusive guitarist was able to stay hidden until
show time. Kulick also attempted to speak to former ELP and
current Asia drummer Carl Palmer. When he introduced himself
Palmer said, rather abruptly, “Please do not bother me. I am
trying to get into a zone.” Palmer also provided a good
backstage moment when he arrived with the band. Now remember,
everyone had been told not to touch or ask for autographs from
the band. As soon as he got out of the van, the vultures
descended. When a pair of drumsticks was thrust in his face he
said, “I’m not going to sign those.” The über fan asked, “Why
not?” Palmer sternly shot back, “Because I said so” and walked
away. I am not damning Carl because backstage should be a sacred
place where an artist can prepare for a show and not be asked to
sign photo after photo, album after album and stick after stick
from the same guy. It is not very classy. One piece maybe, if
they are cool with it, but not a ton of stuff that is just going
to end up on eBay. Note to those who will find themselves
backstage: Don’t be a goober and ruin it for everyone. Remember
you are in their pre-show area. Respect them and they will
respect you.
ThundHerStruck brought a huge crowd for their set. Honestly,
there were more people watching them than there were watching
some of the national bands. I have seen them several times but
never before had I seen them put on such a powerful set. If you
love AC/DC then you will love ThundHerStruck. Dyna is a dynamite
vocalist with a dynamic personality. Tina is Angus Young’s
younger sister. Andrea is way hotter than Cliff Williams. Carin,
while the same size as Malcolm Young, is much easier on the eyes
and Stephanie bashes the skins like she is filling in for Phil
Rudd on AC/DC’s current tour. From Bon Scott era album cuts to
the Brian Johnson era classics, ThundHerStruck rock.
The worst thing about Day III was that it had to end. We left
our friends in the saloon, as we had to get up in only a few
hours to drive to the airport and return home. Leaving Walker,
Minnesota is always tough but this year seemed even tougher.
Each year that goes by I feel more like a member of the
Moondance Family and I leave a bigger part of myself behind.
Despite cold weather for two of the three days, # 18 came off
without a hitch. The music and people merged together and the
magic happened.
DAY III PERFORMANCE REVIEW BY DAN WALL
DON'T MISS OUR PHOTO GALLERY
|
BEST OF DAY II |
JEB |
DAN |
| BEST
PERFORMANCE |
THUNDHERSTRUCK |
GRAND
FUNK |
| WORST
PERFORMANCE |
ASIA |
ASIA |
|
SURPRISE BAND |
GRAND
FUNK |
YES |
BACKSTAGE MOMENT
OF THE DAY |
NOT
BEING
ALLOWED TO TOUCH
YES OR ASIA |
TRYING TO GET THUNDHERSTRUCK INTO THE VAN FOR A RIDE
TO THEIR HOTEL |
Despite that fact that no one thought Yes would fit in as the
headliner here, the band did a
decent job of finishing things up on the main stage. I still
don’t know if you want to book Yes and Asia to close your
festival, but at least this set wasn’t a complete wash out (see
Asia for that). With vocalist Jon Anderson at home with a
medical problem, Benoit David has been brought in to tour with
the band. David was singing in a Yes tribute band in Montreal
(how many times have we heard that before), but his voice is
dead ringer for Anderson’s, and he did a great job in a
difficult spot. Steve Howe still looks 100 years old but plays
like a man that looks at least half his age. Bassist Chris
Squire is the muscle, drummer Alan White the backbone, and
keyboardist Oliver Wakeman the son who can play all of his dad’s
part (he is Rick Wakeman’s son). The set featured most of the
band’s classics (“All Good People/Your Move,” “Roundabout,” “And
You and I”); thankfully, there were no long solos, boring parts
or 45-minute songs during this performance.
Asia really laid an egg. The band just didn’t do anything to
light a fire under this crowd, despite the overall brilliance of
its songs. No matter what the band tried-playing King Crimson
and ELP songs, acoustic arrangements-nothing really worked.
Except for the set closing “Heat of the Moment,” this was about
as bad a show as you can get at a big festival on a Saturday
night. Was it Howe doing double duty? Is that too much to ask a
man his age? The set list? Whatever it was, Asia didn’t win over
any new fans on this day.
Grand Funk Railroad did, though. This was one of the best
performances of the weekend, and the best I’ve seen GFR since
the band reconvened with Max Carl and Bruce Kulick brought in to
replace Mark Farner. The band’s does its best to mix it up the
party songs (“Rock and Roll
Soul,” “Footstompin’ Music”) the
epics (“Closer to Home”) and the biggies, such as “We’re an
American Band.” Original members Mel Schacher (thumping bass)
and Don Brewer (solid drums) are still around to add a bit of
authenticity to the proceedings, but it’s the mix of
professionalism, showmanship and those great songs that make the
package so special.
Ah, Thunderstruck. The mascots of Moondance. The wild women from
Los Angeles have
become a must-see act here in Walker, and the crowd loves them.
The all-female AC/DC tribute act plays both Bon Scott and Brian
Johnson-era songs, and the crowd here laps it up like a cold
beer (which they do very well here also). If you ever have 20
minutes, I’ll tell you the story about trying to get the tour
manager and drummer back to their hotel. And Ozzmosis, an Ozzy
tribute band that does both Black Sabbath and solo material, was
a fine opener; brought in at the last minute to replace Thin
Lizzy, the guys made a 21-hour, overnight drive to Walker to
play for a small yet appreciative crowd.
FINAL THOUGHTS BY JEB WRIGHT
As I write these words, Moodance Jam # 18 already seems like an
ancient memory. It went by way too fast. I enjoyed being
involved in the event. I loved seeing my old friends and making
new friends. I laugh when I think back to being in the crowd
preparing to watch Kansas and having a conversation with a drunk
Canadian and his wife. Seeing his reaction when he looked up to
the jumbo-tron and saw me was priceless. He looked at me and
then to the screen and then from the screen back to me. He
pointed and leaned in and asked, “Is that you?” I told him it
was my twin brother and he believed it. His wife laughed and hit
him and said, “Of course it is him. Do you think twins his age
dress the same way?” The Moondance Jam, for the most part,
consists of like-minded people, coming together to celebrate
music and life. This is much, much more than a rock concert. It
is a yearly retreat that allows us to relive the glory of youth,
no matter what our age in the present day. The physically young
get a glimpse into why our generation loved rock concerts so
much, while the young at heart get three days to shed the
pressures of adulthood and be themselves for a change.
If I found a magic lamp, rubbed it and a genie came out,
granting me three wishes, I would tell him that I needed only
one: To make everyday The Moondance Jam. There are several music
festivals around the country, and there are concerts every night
across the United States; there is no shortage of live music.
There is, however, a shortage of places like the Moondance Jam.
I remember being sixteen years old and drinking beer in the
parking lot outside of an arena at least five hours before the
concert started. I remember talking with anyone who happened to
wander by. I remember everyone cranking up their car stereos to
eleven and jamming out on cassette tapes of the bands we were
waiting to see. We got wasted, laughed a lot and felt free. We
are now older, wiser and in many cases have responsibilities in
our day-to-day lives that require us to forget how we once felt.
The Moondance Jam, however, remembers what the magic of the
melody feels like. They remember the feeling of freedom that
came from drinking a beer in that parking lot. They remember the
feeling of awe that came from purchasing a ticket to that show
six months in advance and looking at that ticket every day, which
was stuck in that little space between the wood frame and the
glass of your dresser mirror. Isn’t that what rock n’ roll is
really about? Sure, there are the parties, the whole ‘sex, drugs
& rock n’ roll’ attitude. But when you get down to brass tacks,
isn’t it about much more than that? In fact, isn’t it really
about celebrating and enjoying being alive on this spinning ball
of dirt? The music is the excuse to bring us together and the
catalyst to making the magic happen. Yet it is the togetherness
that makes it special. We are a year away from Jam # 19, yet I
am already looking forward to getting up at 5:00 AM and running
through an airport to catch an early morning flight to
Minneapolis. That is the magic of Moondance.
The next time you hear someone say, “Rock n’ roll is dead,” look
them square in the eye and tell them with confidence, “Rock n’
roll is not dead. Its alive and well in Walker, Minnesota for
three glorious days each July.”
