The Moody Blues

Wednesday, 10 March 2010 16:20

The Moody Blues packed the St. Augustine Amphitheatre Saturday night. The veteran band, with roots in the 60’s, hasn't released much new music in the past decade, but it had plenty of familiar material to draw from.

By John Davisson

The Moody Blues had two lives as a band, the 60s psychedelic hits and the 80s more contemporary hits. Covering its 80s persona, the band played “The Voice,” “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere,” “The Other Side of Life“ and “Your Wildest Dreams.” From the earlier years it played “I'm Just A Singer (in A Rock 'n' Roll Band),” “Tuesday Afternoon,” and “Question.” I thought “Nights in White Satin” would be the encore, but it was late in the set. The encore was “Ride My See Saw.”

The concert featured long-time members Justin Heyward and John Lodge on guitar and bass and most lead vocals, and Graeme Edge on drums (and lead vocals for one of their more psychedelic songs), augmented by two keyboardists, a flautist, and a second drummer who sometimes played flute too. The production featured nice lighting, a video screen (old-school, not LED) behind the band and hyperactive fog machines. There was no opening act, but the Moody Blues played two generous sets with an intermission.