HEAR THE MAN BEHIND THE MOBERLYS >>>
"C'mon, everybody, one, two, three, now!!!" is a fitting beginning to Jim Basnight's Do-It-Yourself music career. When you hear the opening to the song "Live In The Sun" from the Moberlys first album, Sexteen (1985), you quickly realize that Basnight's songs embody joy of music - as opposed to other post-punk and new wave acts of the late '70s and early '80s. The song is early-'60s pop sped up in tempo to fit the energy of the post-punk era. The song elicits happiness, which is a stark difference from most of what was happening at the time.
Basnight drops by the Harmon Tap Room tonight for an 8 p.m. show. C'mon, everybody, one, two, three, now!
Basnight's unique sense of humor has intrigued me since our first meeting while he was booking music at the old Mothership in Fife. At first I thought he was plain crazy. I handed him a tape of my band, ironically named The CDs, but he didn't have a tape player. Instead, he jumped into my passenger seat and threw it in the car stereo. I was blown away by his enthusiasm for an unknown band. Booking agents aren't supposed to be pumped about the music; they are supposed to make sure people come to their venue, right?
The seemingly caffeinated personality I met that day struck my curiosity - if not just to be character in one of my songs or books. Researching Basnight's musical career I felt as if given a treasure I wasn't meant to ever hear. Basnight is the deep dark secret of Seattle music pre-grunge and post-everything-else-that-matters.
Basnight is unique, for so many reasons. He is an enigma: Is he pure genius or a complete fool? As our relationship grew, I realized he's closer to pure genius than complete fool.
The beauty is in his music, as well as his "I'm doing it my way" attitude.
Basnight has history. His band Meyce opened for the Ramones' first show in Seattle. REM guitarist Peter Buck joined him on stage many times.
However, I'm most intrigued by Jim Basnight & the Moberlys' music and what the band represent in Northwest music history.
I have both Moberlys discs, which are stacked with great songs. The discs document a great band over nearly a 10-year period.
The first disc, Sexteen, runs the gamut of pop and punk. There is the early Beatles and Buddy Holly influenced "Live In The Sun," "Blow Your Life Away" and "You Know, I Know." There's the Kinks influenced "Country Fair," which I swear is the funniest song ever written by a serious songwriter. Then there's the one-minute punk tune, "She Got Fucked," which proves you can never pin down Basnight as a particular type of songwriter. I can hear Pete Townshend, The Rolling Stones and David Bowie influences on the worth "I'm in Fire. It, along with numerous other songs, have a real Buck guitar feel that preceded REM.
On the second disc, Seattle-NY-LA, we hear the second half of The Moberlys catalog - a great reminder of where the whole alt-country genre developed, especially in songs "What I Wouldn't Do" and "Lose Me" - which could receive airplay with the Wilco touch. Just like Sexteen, the second CD is all over the place - in a good way. "Rest Up" or the Byrds flavored "Summertime Again" could have been hits if backed by a marketing machine.
Basnight loves music, and continues to tour yearly. Drop by the Harmon Tap Room tonight to witness a talent who, after 35-plus years of performing, still believes in his musical vision.
Friday, Jan. 14, 8 p.m.
The Harmon Tap Room, 204 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma
253.212.2725