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In 1976 the MPG band played its first real gig. They played every night of a three-day festival and only knew three songs. Twenty-one years later they were still doing those three songs. They did learn more songs but none that were written after 1979.
A few weeks after that first gig they played a lunchtime gig at their high school. It was outdoors and after the set they were put to work picking up the trash. Yes, the road to stardom has been a smooth one for MPG. After graduation they spent the rest of the summer and the following winter practicing. They got real good at picking up garbage.
In 1977 they played an acoustic set at the local college campus and that started a series of college party and festival gigs that never let up. In May of '78 during the week of finals they were working on their first album,
Stone City. In 1979 and '80 they were back at the place were they played their first gig and have been the host band ever since. |
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1979 at Penn State, DuBois, PA
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1998 at a wedding in Abbotstown, PA
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Then Pherd disappeared for a couple of years while Moe and Gene went on with various other musicians. In 1981 they recorded the album Gene & Mike Mike & Gene and in '82 they recorded The Working Stiffs with Pherd returning for a few cuts.
Several live recordings were made at the Annual Mahoning Valley Easter Festival but most of the tapes remain in storage. Their latest album,
Sound Check, was recorded in 1997 the night before the official opening of the festival. The MPG sound check shows have become popular with their die-hard travelling fans. |
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As the story goes, the twin sisters, Polly and Ester Weaver, once flirted their way past MPG's security guys and discovered the band's vices: shotguns, shooters, and hooters. Their much-appreciated attention convinced the band to keep playing instead of just setting up the stage and calling it a night. The boys, being more relaxed at a sound check than an official show would usually oblige with improvised jams and theatrics that wouldn't make it into regular shows. Eventually more people found their way into this click and a whole new way of doing a gig was born.
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Not exactly known for their stellar vocal work, or even hitting all the right chords, the MPG band is known for energetic shows. Once while developing his now-famous "chunk-a chunk-a" bass style Gene actually snapped the neck off of his bass. Being a band of less than wealthy means he had to try to hold the thing together and keep playing. In the middle of a drum solo the bass player from the band to play next brought his bass out and put it on Gene. The audience never knew it was not part of the act. Pherd is known to have torn apart more than a few microphones with his very dynamic voice. And Moe, who now designs and builds his own brand of amplifiers, once helped Gene boost the power of his amp high enough that it actually caught on fire.
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Descriptions of MPG shows would not be complete without mentioning the pyrotechnics of Jerry Lee who developed a great way of launching rockets behind the band during the song Space Truckin' or the late Rob Ret who they wrapped head-to-toe in aluminum foil to come out during Iron Man. Things happen at MPG shows. Such as when they end the show with Jumpin' Jack Flash and the state police come and shut the show down. It's been happening every single time for the past 17 years.
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In 1990 MPG had the good fortune to hook up with Tom Terrific. Tom became the band's sound engineer, which also means he hauls equipment, sets it all up and has to stay more sober than the band and run the equipment. Tom is also an excellent musician, playing guitar, bass and keyboards, and a vocalist. Occassionally he joins the band on stage and it becomes Tom Terrific & The MPG Band.
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Check out the MPG Scrapbook & Photo Album.
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MPG loves to get e-mail. Write us at:
[email protected]
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loyal MPG Band fans have been here today. Cool!
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