Moo Moo MOON HOOCH

The Bedford Avenue stop on the L Train ALWAYS has something happening. No matter at what time of the day, there's always some kind of funky, (particularly, hipster...) music going on. I think my funniest experience with this was one night when I was coming home at 4am, the train station was bustling with party-goers and leavers, and of course! The band playing was just too good to be true. They were so funky! For 4am, I was rather impressed, because to entertain a crowd at that hour of the morning, must be something else.

But my post this week is not going to be about my 4am experience with a random band, because quite frankly, they didn't resonate with me as much as this band I encountered last week did. They are known as Moon Hooch, a band that consists of two saxophonists and a drummer. There are no vocalists involved in this band, and there are no string instruments. I think that's what caught my attention. These guys not only played, but entertained an audience. I mean it: they had a solid group of at least 30 people surrounding them when I walked down the stairs to encounter them. People were dancing, being all kinds of crazy, but mostly just enjoying the really groovy jam sesh these guys were having. And I didn't think they were legitimate to be perfectly honest, I thought they were just jamming in the subway. But I saw a sign in front of them written on a piece of cardboard, that said who they were, and that they were trying to raise some money for an album they wanted to record.

Maybe I'm putting too much emphasis on the crowd that was around these guys, but I feel like that really drives my point home...there was a serious crowd. It was insane! Right in the subway. Usually people acknowledge the music down there, I know I always do, (it's kind of my job though...so I can write about it,) but when a band is able to actually get people excited and dancing, without even SPEAKING or talking, it's just entirely something else. That's pure musical energy running through everyone, and it's an incredible thing to be a part of.

I was so pleasantly surprised! Mostly because I wasn't expecting to find such groovy music on my way home from Williamsburg. I was kind of curious to talk to the guys, but unfortunately I never got the chance. However, I did make sure to write down their band's name, so that I could do some research when I got home.

After my research, and some talking to friends, I found that one of the guys in the band, Mike Wilbur, (a tenor saxophonist) actually attends The New School for Jazz and just happened to be one of my good friends' roommates last year. Crazy small world, no? The other two band members, I unfortunately knew nothing about, but their names are: Wenzl McGowen (tenor saxophonist), and James Muschler (drummer).

All I can say, is that these guys made for a really pleasant L train experience, especially since all of my L train experiences lately have been rather odd or just ... not pleasant with poor trafficking, and untimeliness. This band really made it worthwhile, and is definitely a band I will remember and hopefully see again.

They have a facebook, they have a website, and they have my approval, so what else do you need? Go ahead, visit their site and download some of their tracks.