BEST BET: THE MOODY BLUES

By Barry Gilbert
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

 

June 23, 2005

7:30 p.m. June 29, 2005, at Savvis Center, 1401 Clark Avenue. $40 and $45. 314-241-1888 or 618-222-2900.

The Moody Blues, those flamboyant -- some would say pretentious -- art-rock knights in white satin, will bring a smaller version of themselves to Savvis Center. The core band is down to a trio, with the retirement in 2003 of founding flautist, singer and songwriter Ray Thomas. And they will not be playing with a symphony orchestra. This time out, the surviving Moodys -- guitarist Justin Hayward, bassist John Lodge and drummer Graeme Edge -- will be playing the relatively intimate (4,800 seats) Concert Club at Savvis. It will be a great chance to see and hear up close one of the great, second-wave British Invasion bands, which over about 20 original records has specialized in concept albums embellished with touches of psychedelia, mysticism and lush soundscapes. Reports from the road indicate that the Moodys, who have not released an original, non-Christmas studio disc since "Strange Times" in 1999, deliver a career-spanning sampling of their catalog, including "Tuesday Afternoon," "I Know You're Out There Somewhere," "I'm Just a Singer in a Rock and Roll Band," "Nights in White Satin" and, of course, the perennial encore favorite "Ride My See-Saw."

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