Nights in White Polyester

About this time last year I took my parents and girlfriend to see The Moody Blues in concert at Hard Rock Live (5747 Seminole Way, Hollywood). My girlfriend and I were the youngest people in our section by at least 100. (Months? Years? Eons? You choose.) The show was a blast. Justifying their place as one of prog rock’s original purveyors, the Blues stormed through a set of euphoric, concept-driven classics like “Nights in White Satin” and “The Voice.” (Ominous.) A two-story projection screen behind the group flashed whirring images that looked like the visualizer setting on Windows Media Player. The 60-somethings in front of us thought it was trippy, which was amusing too. I was a little concerned about the group, though. Justin Hayward looked a bit frail, and I feared that Graeme Edge – the Moody’s original drummer – might not make it to see the end of the set. He actually had a ghost drummer – a young, chipper dude with a fat smile, sitting at a drum kit a couple of feet behind him. The ghost percussionist did all the heavy lifting while Edge just smiled and pretended to play. That was sad. But then it became not-so-sad because they played “Your Wildest Dreams.” That video rocks.

Actually, it was a nostalgic and fun concert – mostly because I remember my parents playing Moody Blues records when I was a kid and I could hear all the songs again with them. The point is, please take your parents to see the Moody Blues Tuesday at 8 p.m. at Hard Rock Live; someone has to. Tickets start at just $35, plus seeing a young person might give Graeme Edge the drive to keep on truckin’. Call 954-797-5531, or visit www.ticketmaster.com.
Tue., March 25, 8 p.m., 2008