Moonfest 2009 – Surfer Blood, Nothing Rhymes with Orange, Kill Miss Pretty, Big Bang Radio, and Everymen

Posted 02 November 2009 Live Music Review, Music News

October 31, 2009

Downtown, West Palm Beach, FL

Written by Kate Dingle

Who would’ve guessed that a Halloween night street party would have produced better than expected live music?

I will be the first to admit that I wasn’t expecting very much out of the live music prospects. Names like Everymen, Big Bang Radio, Kill Miss Pretty, Nothing Rhymes With Orange, and Surfer Blood all sounded a bit underwhelming. I just thought that the organizers of the event were looking for any group of people who could kind of play music and have a singer who could kind of keep time, and other than that, there was no standard requirement for talent. I was wrong.

The night started with a set at Respectable Street from the Delray Beach based Everymen. I will be the first to admit that we were not expecting anything great, and judging from the group of underwear clad guys on stage, I was sure that it wasn’t going to be anything great. But when I say that Everymen was hands down the best act of the night, I mean it. They played with a passion that is not replicated by any act today, and a raw talent that shines through with each note. From the driving bass line to the rockabilly swing of the banjo, harmonica, and guitar this quintet started the night off right. Besides, who doesn’t love a group of guys on stage in their underwear?

The first act to hit the Moonfest main stage was the South Florida based Big Bang Radio. To say that this quintet was surprising would be a huge understatement. Even though it was hard to take them seriously with a couple members dressed as a murderous doctor and Prince look a like, these folks were all business. And when their smokin’ front woman, Angela Peel belted her first few notes, everyone paused to hear what they had to say. Backed by the Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix (obviously) influenced Alex Zapatier, keyboardist (and mood creator) Ron Anthony, and the driving rhythm section made up of bass player Mike B. and drummer Marck Mangel, Big Bang Radio is a force to be reckoned with. They are a delectable mix of funk and rock, with a popiness about them that makes you want to hear more and more. Even though their performance was plagued by a technical difficulty, this bunch of South Floridians played like a group of seasoned pros. From the very first chord of their set, and through their Michael Jackson tribute (including the Halloween favorite “Thriller”), Big Bang Radio certainly created a “big bang”, and hopefully they will for some time to come.

Following Big Bang Radio was the Boynton Beach based trio Kill Miss Pretty. If I had based my opinions on first impressions, Kill Miss Pretty must have been a joke. But the joke was on me. Even though their sexy vocalist was scantily clad in a black and white cat outfit, and there were several other “cats” dancing around on stage, KMP proved to be a hypnotic blend of electro-pop that seemed to take you on an adventure through their own manufactured Wonderland. Their fun and entertaining recipe for rock, electronics, and sex was exactly what this Halloween needed.

Nothing Rhymes With Orange was the perfect follow up to Kill Miss Pretty. This quartet from Miami was a perfect break from the electro-pop we’d heard from the preceding acts. But that in no way means that they were any less talented or entertaining. That just means that they were a breath of fresh air. The talent of this group of guys was front and center throughout their set. Their music was a well orchestrated blend of different textures and perfected vocals. It seemed as though they had taken the best parts of all of the best rock acts and combined them to create a unique sound that was all their own. Their energy was contagious and undeniable and they certainly captured the hearts and minds of the several hundred people who had gathered to watch.

Rounding out the night was crowd favorite Surfer Blood. Fresh off their stint at CMJ, the guys from West Palm Beach were the main attraction of the night. It seemed as though a thousand people came out of the wood works to witness their performance, and the five-some did not disappoint. They even got a little help from a centaur who accompanied them onstage for the first portion of their set. It was obvious that each member possessed a talent that had been perfected to create a sound that was comprised of catchy tunes and wholesome goodness. What we were all witnessing was a group of guys who truly loved what they were doing and who they were doing it with.

Moonfest 2009 will go down as one of the best showcases of local talent this year. This street party featured bands that no one has heard of and bands that have toured the country with some of the biggest acts in music today. The eclectic lineup was heaven for music junkies alike. Hopefully we’ll be hearing more from each of these acts in the near future because each of them certainly deserves their time in the spotlight.

To learn more about these bands, please visit:
Everymen- http://www.myspace.com/everymensounds
Big Bang Radio- http://www.myspace.com/bbrmusic
Kill Miss Pretty- http://www.myspace.com/killmisspretty
Nothing Rhymes With Orange- http://www.myspace.com/nrwo
Surfer Blood- http://www.myspace.com/surferblood

**Everymen will be featured by themselves in an upcoming article. Stay tuned**

Photos by Christina Mendenhall & Kate Dingle