The Way You Wish You Could Watch Moonface at Great Scott

Moonface’s album Organ Music Not Vibraphone Like I’d Hoped is extremely hit or miss. An album comprised of vocals, drum machines, and synth isn’t exactly most peoples’ thing. I am a fan of the weird, the strange, the peculiar and thus had no probably being immersed in the rich organ-centric sound. I also never miss a chance to see a Spencer Krug project (Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown) when it comes to town. On July 19, 2011, I had my first Moonface experience at Great Scott in Boston, MA and it was quite a memorable one.

The opening act, Flow Child, had a sound that was shamelessly similar to Panda Bear. It is the project of Kyle Jukka from the much too short-lived band, Pop Winds. Jukka took center stage surrounded by various electronic samplers and began twisting knobs while bouncing around barefoot. He did an excellent job of weaving together arpeggiators, big beats, and vocal manipulations to come up with some interesting concoctions. The music ranged from danceable to entrancing and had great transitions from track to track. You can download the Body Go! EP from Flow Child here and listen to some tracks below. Fans of the more upbeat Panda Bear material will undoubtedly dig it.

Body Go! by Flow Child

Moonface is a simple two-piece outfit with Spencer Krug playing various synths and samplers and Mike Bigelow (Wintersleep) playing an electronic drum kit. The two played next to an illuminated globe with a DVD of their friend dancing projected behind them. It was strange since it wasn’t synchronized to anything so there would often be a video of someone awkwardly dancing to nothing in the background. It was strangely complimentary to the music. The sounds created by the group were bigger in the live setting and Krug’s vocals have an inflection that you simply can’t capture in a studio environment. He is clearly exercising some demons with this project and the passion comes through on stage. The standout was “Fast Peter” which draws you in with its rising tension and culminates with cries of “She’s the one, the one that he thinks of when he thinks of love.” Good lyrics and a lot of heart go a long way. They ended the set with a reinterpretation of “All Fires” by Swan Lake, one of Krug’s numerous other projects. It was the ideal way to end the show and left everyone extremely satisfied, especially the big Krug fans. Videos below courtesy of C. Van Slyke.






Moonface – “Fast Peter”

Moonface – “The Way You Wish You Could Live in the Storm”