Produced by concert veterans Charles Carlini of In Touch Entertainment along with Metropoloitan Talent Presents, this year’s Moogfest was a symbiotic symphony of modern electronica. While past Moogfest outings have had a distinctively prog-rock underpinning, the 2008 incarnation offered a more jammy, funkified flair.
Following an introduction by Moog Music’s President Mike Adams, Moogfest 2008 kicked off with an appearance by Pink Floyd tribute band, the Machine. Securing their spot on the bill by winning an online music submission contest, the band channeled the majesty and mystery of the great progressi-dellic rockers during their brief but blistering set. Keyboardist Scott Chasolen held court on an old school rig that featured a vintage Rhodes electric piano, a Moog Minimoog Voyager, and a Hammond XK3c clonewheel organ. A longtime Moog user, Chasolen has settled on the Voyager as his main axe, after relying on Moog Prodigy and Rogue synthesizers previously. “The Voyager is a different beast altogether from the original Minimoog,” he tells me, “but the modern advantages are worth it. It has so many amazing capabilities that digital allows, such as, ‘Oh, I like that sound. Let’s save it.’” Particularly moving was the band’s stirring rendition of the Floyd classic “Shine On You Crazy Diamond.”
Next up on the bill was the jam-based collective known as Prison Shank. Assembled especially for Moogfest 2008, Prison Shank featured keyboardists Aron Magner and Jamie Shields, (of the Disco Biscuits and the New Deal, respectively), guitarist Jake Cinnegar and bassist Ryan Stasik of Umphrey’s McGee, and drummer Joe Russo of the Benevento/Russo Duo. Anchored by both keyboardists playing rigs centered around Moog synths, (one on a Minimoog Voyager, the other on a Little Phatty), Prison Shank fused jam-band explorations with drum-n-bass style beats. Of special note was guitarist Jake Cinnegar’s commanding work on the newly released Moog guitar, which provided a sonic springboard for the band’s undulating undercurrent of metric modulation.
Longtime musical director of The Late Show with David Letterman, keyboardist Paul Shaffer was on hand to present legendary funkmeister Bernie Worrell with the Bob Moog Award for his lifetime of pushing the synthesizer envelope (no pun intended). Playing a Minimoog Voyager for his set with the blistering Eric McFadden Trio (known as EMT, featuring Bay Area drum wunderkind Doug Port), Worrell told me backstage that Moog synthesizers have been the backbone of his stage setup for years. “’Flashlight,’ ‘One Nation,’ ‘Knee Deep’ – they all used the Minimoog for their bass lines, and many of them for more. In fact, there are three Minimoogs on ‘Flashlight.’ That’s the s**t!” Shaffer sat in with Worrell on Rhodes and vocals on the P-Funk classic, “Flashlight,” to the delight of the crowd, who joined in on each groove-infected chorus.
Chicago-based Jammy hipsters Umphrey’s McGee closed out the evening, with guitarist Cinnegar once again playing the Moog guitar alongside keyboardist Joel Cummins, whose rig featured a vintage Hammond B-3 organ and Rhodes Suitcase, as well as a Minimoog Voyager and Yamaha S90 synth.
A fitting tribute to the man who ushered in a brave new musical world, Moogfest 2008 reminded all of us just how far Bob Moog took the synthesizer, and how his groundbreaking achievements have become the template for all that lies ahead.
Moogfest 2008 Performers:
The Machine
Prison Shank (featuring: Aron Magner of The Disco Biscuits, Jamie Shields of The New Deal, guitarist Jake Cinnegar and bassist Ryan Stasik of Umphrey’s McGee, and drummer Joe Russo of The Benevento/Russo Duo)
Bernie Worrell All-Stars with The Eric Mcfadden Trio and special guest Paul Shaffer
Umphrey’s McGee
Umphreys McGee rocks Moogfest, with Joel Cummins wailing on his Minimoog Voyager and guitarist Jake Cinnegar on the new Moog Guitar. Photo by Elliot Kassoff.
Jamie Shields of the the New Deal celebrating Moogfest with the Moog all-star band, Prison Shank. Photo by R. Andrew Lepley.
Paul Shaffer (left, music director of Late Nite with David Letterman) presents Bernie Worrell (Parliamanet/Funkadelic, the Bernie Worrell All-Stars) with the Bob Moog Award for lifetime achievement. Photo by R. Andrew Lepley.
Paul Shaffer joins Bernie Worrell and the Eric McFadden trio for a jam on “Flashlight.” Photo by R. Andrew Lepley.
Umphreys McGee, with Joel Cummins on Minimoog Voyager and Jake Cinnegar on the new Moog Guitar. Photo by R. Andrew Lepley.