A tiny liberal arts college, in the middle of nowhere in a dry county, in Texas, in the late 80s… a radio turns on and Depeche Mode can be heard, as well as some Human League and a bit of The Cure.
Walking into the pub, long hairs start appearing. Shirts are untucked and shoes are optional. New Wave and Pop exit and the eternal dirty rock pushes its way in.
The Moaners, Sherman Texas, Austin College.
A sizeable group of people enjoyed this band, but I am not sure if any did more than me. I don’t know if there could have been a more perfect band there for me, personally. They were good, fun, and dancy.
The dancy part was the best part for me personally because the band’s sound verged a bit on punk so that meant it was fast, which just meant more fun. I don’t know if many others consider Rev. Horton Heat or Iggy Pop or other punk rock bands to be danceable, but for me, those are some of the most perfect dance bands around.
I can’t write about this without mentioning the concept of a ‘Loggia’ which is the group that the members of the Moaners were in, I was in, and quite a few others. For some reason we all listened to a bunch of 60s music, verged on the hippy, some were a bit dirty and quite a few were artists in training. The name came from these people hanging out in the Loggia back in the day, and it just hung around for at least a couple of decades. I don’t know the genesis though.
Through Facebook I know what happened to many of these people. Some are successful visual artists today, quite a few are therapists, some are successful musicians, quite a few are code geeks, but all remain quite interesting. (Let’s not forget the two who are master librarians!)
One can only be remembered by the awesome song he sung with the band the Geeky Cretin Goons (GCG (also an awesome band)) –
My Name is Chad and
Don’t Make Me Mad cause
If You Fuck With Me
You’ll be Sad
I doubt I am doing this group, or the experiences, justice and hope that comments on this post fix my error, but suffice to say, it was an awesome experience to be such a fan and attend as many Moaners concerts as I possibly could, and the music today is still fun and very listenable. I am amazed that we could even get a copy of this digitally and am so glad I have a place where I can post it.
So here’s how you listen to a typical playlist for the band…
Get out your iTunes, or other music program which can listen to podcasts, and click Podcasts, go to Advanced, and Subscribe to Podcast and put this bit of code in the resulting window:
http://nap.podOmatic.com/rss2.xml
Or, listen in the player right now by clicking Play below…
It’s so interesting that my experience with this band came only a couple of years before I met most of the people who post on this blog, but it seems like a different lifetime. It was as interesting a time as it was for all of you in Houston (now in different cities many of you) and why you guys are all together now, and why I find the Houston group just as fascinating. It’s just good music, really good music, and good times, and involves a lot of dancing.
Well, except for that one band.
Whatever band do you mean?
I think that I shall not forget
such a comment that was made
on that fateful night so long ago
when tears were made to shed
because dancing was no longer
an activity enjoyed
by the band who played for them
and who loved themselves more
eh, not sure about that last line, but I’ve never had any kind of poetry come out of me and this one just happened, so I’m leaving it.
The band itself never enjoyed the activity of dancing, nor was it filled with self love.
Is that a riddle?
That wasn’t bad. I’d never heard of the Moaners.
I totally agree, Dancing is fun. Live music is fun.
The Past was fun (some times). I’m not so sure it IS fun. It dangles evidence that your best days are behind you; you cannot fool yourself that the responsibilities of adulthood are what life is all about; your life is on a slow decline. So maybe it speaks the truth, not sure it’s fun.
jesus killian, I thought this was the year of Awesome?? Been talking to Justin lately?
So we have a switcheroo and Justin gets cable and it’s now the year of awesome for him and you’re all doom and gloom?
Dude my best days are AHEAD of me. The past had many awesome moments. Like, I doubt I’ll ever get to ballroom dance again with a knowledgeable partner and that’s pretty sad.
But damn, man, I know how to not get so drunk I puke in the toilet ever again. I know how to drive well now. And I now know the joys of metal music. What is next??!!
Hopefully tomorrow you’ll hear what became of the band the Moaners. You’ll also hear everyone’s songs on the podcast I’m putting together and the awesomeness of this Yogurt song Roberto sent along.
Cramer, can you send some tasty metal, or whatever you’re listening to these days?
And yeah, dancing is not for everybody. Some people have bad backs.
You have to drive yourself around? You don’t get drunk? And you’re listening to metal? Good god girl you’re half dead already. What are you so happy about?
This has nothing to do with YOTA I mean I certainly couldn’t look forward to year of the mediocre. Although we’re half way through the first half of the first quarter of YOTA and I have some catching up to do. It’s kinda been year of the mediocre so far I hate to say.
It’s kinda been year of the mediocre so far I hate to say.
I’m a damn psychic. I should get paid for this shit. Anybody else want their palm read?