As the Class of 2029 circled the light show on Homecoming weekend, I found myself at a different show: a performance by local band “Moondogs” at Sawtooth Kitchen, Bar and Stage. With an experimental music style featuring a slower pace, their versatile performance distinguished them from the more predictable sound of other indie psychedelic rock bands.
Based in Burlington, Vt., “Moondogs” is a psychedelic rock band led by frontman Will Sturcke. In an interview before the show, Sturcke described their musical style as experimental and a “melting pot of the influences” of the members.
This versatility is reflected in Sturcke’s voice that has a strong tenor belt, carrying each high-spirited song into the upper stratospheres of his vocal range. In some songs in the band’s recordings, his voice is reminiscent of artists like Adam Duritz of the rock band "Counting Crows."
Yet while performing a song like “Hideaway” from their most recent album “Trialogues” on Friday, they balanced the performance with the addition of talk-singing and powerful belts. The band also employed funk elements in their performance, including unexpected twists in the music and syncopation in the songs, which Sturcke said was intentional.
From the start of the long instrumental introduction to their set, it was clear that it was going to be an engaging show.
After listening to some of their most popular songs like “Colorado” and “Gemini,” you might expect Moondogs to bring a familiar brand of fast-paced psych rock. However, the pace of their Sawtooth set — dictated particularly by the drummer — was more leisurely, evoking the slower musical interludes and experimentation at the end of “Gemini” and in “Sidewinder” and “Switchback.”
Watching them live made me realize that they are more than just another more predictable entry into the indie psychedelic-rock scene with a style reminiscent of “Black Country,” “New Road” or “The Backseat Lovers.” Forging their own genre that defies a clear label, they are experimenting with different styles of music that appeal to them instead of committing to one.
Indeed, each song brought something different stylistically. One featured an extended musical interlude on the piano by a member and another a solo by the drummer, spotlighting each band member’s strengths.
Audience members rose to their feet to dance to the groovy high-pitched guitar featured in their set; even the most unengaged were moved to some subtle head-bopping. One older couple began to dance in the center of the crowd, encouraging others to join them. One member of the couple, Jennifer Dolce, said the two attended shows at Sawtooth often.
“These local bands are the best there is,” she said.
Sturcke said that Sawtooth was one of his favorite venues to perform in and called it the “best restaurant in the whole world.” “Moondogs” has played at Sawtooth more than six times now, bringing in a large crowd each time, according to Sawtooth founder and general manager Kieran Campion.
On Nov. 8, “Moondogs” will conclude their “Fall Foliage Tour” at the South Burlington venue “Higher Ground.” They’re also working on new music at the recording studio “Tank,” according to Sturcke.
Although the band has turned away from the term “jam band,” that’s how it felt on Friday night — a band creating a space where everyone can jam out with no consequences.
