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Moby Live at the Paradise, Boston, MA. December 11, 2002

Based on appearance, you would be hard pressed to guess the range of talent Moby possesses. Short, thin, shaven head, dressed in a black t-shirt and faded jeans, he looks more like Woody Allen than a rock star. However, after just one song at his December 11, 2002 show at the packed- to- the rafters Paradise in Boston, you would be sold. Range of talents you ask, he played bongo- type drums, electric guitar, keyboard and was DJ for a brief time, all while prowling the stage like a panther and providing lead vocals. His thin appearance is no doubt owed to his aerobic actions popping from instrument to instrument, corner to corner of the stage. He was backed by a sports- bra wearing bass player, powerful- voiced female back- up singer, a DJ and a drummer. In addition to the eclectic music, which was surprisingly powerful at times, Moby displayed a sharp wit with his constant chatter to the crowd. Politically- charged, self- deprecating and biting, he touched on a range of topics, all with humorous results. On politics, "we just returned from Japan, and everywhere we went we had to apologize for our President. Vote Democrat in 2004." On his back- up singer, "She is a single, but she is a man- eater. 5 minutes alone in a hotel room with her and all that will be left are your fillings." On local rockers Aerosmith, "I recently saw this band in Las Vegas, they move around pretty well for 90 year- olds."

The night started with a smattering of tunes from Moby's various albums. Disco, jazz, hip hop and rock influences were hard to miss. After two or three songs he told the crowd that he was happy to play in Boston, and, to their delight, would try to play the longest show he has ever done. This would also give him the chance to play material they normally don't get the chance to. He then moved into the song that some years ago changed his reputation from a DJ into a rocker, 'Thats When I Reach For My Revolver.' During another song, Moby left the stage adorned by security and played guitar among the audience on the club floor, a move I have never seen before at any Paradise show. Also notable was a brief DJ contest with his backing DJ, which left me tired out from bouncing around like a runaway pogo stick.

The show was part of alternative rock radio station WBCN's annual X-MAS Rave. WBCN's music and on- air staff is known to be male oriented, and Moby took a jab at this type of mentality. Talking in a deep, husky voice, he asked the crowd why everyone has to sound like they're from the WWF- whatever happened to just speaking in your own voice. He then blasted into arguably his most popular and hard rock offering, 'Body Rock' from his Play disk. The song sent the crowd into a frenzy, dancing and jumping to the guitar- driven sounds. Prior to another song he poked fun at WBCN again, saying "I will now describe this song differently than any other that you would hear tonight at the other clubs. It is sexy and sweet." On 'Porcelain,' also from Play, the back- up singer shined, her voice sounding positively haunting as she sang along with Moby's spoken word lyrics. It was a rare but wonderful ballad on a night where raucous energy was in the majority. Prior to 'Stars', his latest hit, Moby said "I wrote this a product of growing up as a science fiction geek in Connecticut." When someone cheered for Connecticut, Moby corrected them, saying "the town sucked." The song was done masterfully, but it's recent appearance in a car commercial was a bit ironic given Moby's political rant about American's "having everything" and being in the "richest land in the history of the world" earlier in the show.

After approximately 1 1/2 hours, Moby and mates returned for a 45 minute second set. All came out wearing t- shirts reading 'COVER BAND,' while the drummer wore a 'YOUNG PEOPLE SUCK' t- shirt. He told the crowd the rest of the show would be like a wedding or bar mitzvah, and launched into several tongue- in - cheek classic rock covers, including Bad Company's 'Feel Like Making Love', Aerosmith's 'Walk This Way' and the Jimi Hendrix's 'Purple Haze.' The songs were all played with scorching guitar work, and several in the audience no doubt felt they had stepped back into the 70's. Witness the guy standing in front of me, who enthusiastically played air guitar and raised his fingers with the devil horns. The best cover was a jazzy lounge version of Guns 'N Roses' 'Sweet Child 'O Mine.' Before launching into one of his show- closing songs, Moby showed his self deprecating side, saying "the guy who wrote this next song is a pussy. He's a 36 year old asshole. I don't want to play this song, but the band insisted." He then launched into his own hit 'South Side.' The party ended on a high note, leaving the crowd satisfied, as Moby continually sang '"We Love Massachusetts" with the entire band crafting searing, energetic beats behind Moby's voice. Dolly Parton's '9 To 5' played over the speakers as the crowd exited the club post- show, no doubt reminding all that they were out late on a school night, and he was to blame.

Final Grade: B+
Fun, funny and fervent wrapped up in a small package.