Moxy Fruvous
murray | jian | mike | dave
I swore to myself that I would not put up a page dedicated to Moxy Fruvous...but, sadly, here it is. Why did I make this promise? Most of you know why...I'm in FruHead denial. Why did I break this promise? Because I feel like I'm denying to both the band and my recently new friends the very basis of why we are all here reading this...and how we've come to know each other.
Moxy Fruvous is an Indie band based from Toronto. They've been in existence for a little over half my life, I believe, singing, writing, and touring Canada and the US. Their sound is uique and connot be mistaken for anyone else. For the best description I can give you, read this quote: "As for the sound of the band, it has been described as 'The Roches meet XTC at a party thrown by Camper Van Beethoven for Robyn Hitchcock's marriage to Cole Porter with They Might Be Giants as a wedding band and Tom Lehrer as minister, but as everyone starts singing old Queen songs the party is crashed by the entire cast of the Muppet Show.'" Ok, so I only know of XTC, They Might Be Giants, Queen, and the Muppet Show. But hey, if they've been described as all these groups thrown into one, you know you're up for something...interesting. This band is just that good. For a more basic description, I've settled with calling their style of music as alternative folk. Scared, aren't you? Oh, I should mention that Moxy Fruvous is Murray, Jian, Mike, and Dave..plus their fan base.
People always seem to want to know everyone's Fruvous story, so here's mine:
When I was beginning my junio year at JMU (James Madison University), I became roommates with this chick named Vickie for a week. We were the only seasoned RAs with a brand new staff and without a dorm (it was opened the day before students moved in). Anyways, we became instant friends. From day one we were inseparable and were recognized as 'AmyandVickie.'
Now, Vickie has an interestingly huge collection of CDs...most of the bands I've never heard of. She likes to pride herself on the fact that she knew of Barenaked Ladies before everyone else. I seem to recall her mentioning Fruvous every once in a while, but I didn't pay much attention. I do remember driving around the 'burg with one of Vickie's mix tapes playing... I was talking with a friend of mine, Shawn, and we both paused. We were a little concerned with the lyrics to the song that was playing: "Happy Birthday, Tricia. I'm in the Michigan Militia." We just passed it off as one of Vickie's sketch bands and turned the volume down.
Now we're up to the end of January and Vickie's all excited cause she has tickets to see Moxy Fruvous and a group of her friends from home were going to meet her. The week before the concert, they all backed out on her. Bummed, she told me about her predicament. Partly because I felt bad and partly because Vick practically begged me to go, I agreed to accompany her to DC for the show at the 9:30 Club. Mind you, the extent of what I knew of Fruvous wasn't all that much...and I wasn't too impressed at this point.
The drive to the club was spent listening to Live Noise in an attempt to at least familiarize me with their songs.Oh, I should mention this was Vick's first Fruvous show as well so she was very excited. We got to the club and waited ouside forever cause one of Vickie's friends was supposed to meet her (he never showed up). While we were outside, a taxi pulled up and some really cute guys got out and I hoped to "run into" them while inside.
We got some pretty good spots on the left of the stage (known as stage Dave). After a long while, some srange noise came on and these two guys came out. I figured they were just roadies or something, but no. They turned out to be Murray and Jian...who were shortly joined by Mike and Dave. In that short instant before they began playing "Sahara," I had two thoughts: 1. they're the guys from the taxi! and 2. this band is rockin. My love for Moxy Fruvous was thus born.
After over a year of listening to their music, going to concerts, and traveling to a lot of new places, the love has matured into deeply rooted respect and adoration for the four men that make up the band. They spend practically every day touring and/or singing, sometimes in dingy nightclubs (and, if my parents should just be happening to read this [chances are, they aren't], all the nightclubs I've been to weren't dingy in the slightest) in the worst neighborhoods, to crowds made up of people that have never heard of them and people that have maybe heard just a little too much of them.
Through my own travels to see this band, I have furthered current friendships and met some awesome people. If it wasn't for Moxy Fruvous, I never would have gotten to know Jordan, Amanda, Lisa, Robbie, Anna, Mindy, Deb, and Luella. (Shoe, Anna, Mindy, Deb, and Luella would probably still hate me.) Also, I've gotten to know Jian just a little bit as well. :-)
Thanks, Murray, Jian, Mike, and Dave. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be +8 friends.
Have I scared anyone?
:-)
for more info on fruvous go here:
www.fruvous.com
reviews of the 2.05.99 show