The overwhelming pandemic we are currently experiencing has been devastating for us, not only in our area, but nationwide and worldwide.
The effects of the virus have reached every fabric of our lives; tragically, it has caused the death of over 100,000 of our fellow Americans and has left untold thousands ill. This is not to mention the millions that have lost their jobs or livelihoods.
Given all of this sorrow, it seems almost sacrilegious for our band, Johnny Earthquake and The Moondogs, to complain about how we have been adversely affected by the virus. The band had an extremely busy spring and summer planned with festivals, concerts, special events and weddings galore being scheduled. Nearly all of those have had to be cancelled.
While all of The Moondogs have been disappointed by these cancellations, we tend to focus on the even wider ranging effect, which is the disappointment that the cancellations have caused for thousands of fans out there who have been loyally attending our events.
It should not be discounted that one of the most devastating effects of this cruel virus is the denial of entertainment outlets for many Americans. Whether it be movies, sports, restaurants and bars or live music, Americans tend to relieve stress by participating in the type of entertainment they enjoy most. Certainly, live music is one of the most prevalent and popular forms of entertainment that we Americans enjoy.
So what do The Moondogs miss most about not getting to perform? The answer is easy: The People. Anyone who has seen a Moondog show live knows that we are all about crowd participation and interaction. It is what we do. It is what we call, “The Stuff That Screams Are Made Of.”
Whether we are performing for tens of thousands at a beach concert in Pensacola, or for one hundred at a wedding reception, our show is the same, high energy, sing-a-long, crowd interaction with the occasional, “And The Crowd Went Wild!”
We miss that. We miss looking out and seeing those smiling happy faces and people laughing and dancing as they sing along to one their favorite songs. What makes us happy is to make y’all happy.
This down time has allowed us to sort through some old photos and pick out a few to share with you from some of our favorite performances over the past 25 years.
In these photos, you will see us playing at the James Burton International Guitar Festival at Hirsch Coliseum in Shreveport where we attempted to break the Guinness World Record for most guitars played at once. We had nearly 2000 guitarists playing along with us, and joining us on stage were Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Steve Lukather of Toto, and many other luminaries, including guitarists for Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton’s band, Rod Stewart and many more.
You will see many pictures of our performances at various festivals including, of course, the Natchitoches Jazz/R&B Festival, the Ark-LA-Tex Music Festival, the Leesville Mayfest, Mudbug Madness, The Natchitoches Christmas Festival, Downtown Rocks in Alexandria and many more. You will see photos from our concerts at Margaritaville, The Horseshoe and other casinos, and pictures from some of our favorite Mardi Gras Balls and wedding receptions.
Those events may not represent the largest crowds we played for … they are often the most intimate and, many times, the most fun. Sometimes at those events, the crowd literally becomes one with the band, and we love that. We miss it.
You’ll see many pictures from what is always one of our most memorable events of the year, our annual Bands on the Beach concert at Pensacola Beach. This year would have been the ninth year straight for us to play this show and, believe me, we miss it and all the thousands who show up for the concert every time!
Sure, we miss the music, we miss getting to interact and hangout with the other members of the band, and yes, we miss the money. Most of all, though, we miss you, the people, who come to our shows and sing with us, laugh with us and dance with us. To you we say this, don’t worry, Johnny Earthquake and The Moondogs are not going anywhere.
We are planning some very exciting events that will be happening in the near future, so stay tuned. Until then, stay safe and keep rocking!
Rodney
Johnny Earthquake and The Moondogs
