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The Moss Brothers rock. I say this before I tell you that Reuben (he plays the guitar)
is 12 and that Evan (he's on drums) is 15. I had my own doubts when I went to
their record release party yesterday afternoon, having never heard any of their music.
Two kids playing rock 'n' roll just seem dangerously gimmicky. But PF insisted they were
really good. I knew Soul Coughing were big fans. I also knew that Jason Newsted
(formerly of Metallica) had heard them and was so impressed that he'd started playing
bass with them and had produced their latest album, Electricitation. I will tell you
they did indeed live up to the buzz.
Reuben and Evan stepped out on stage and immediately lit into "Money for Nothing" by
Dire Straits, which got everyone's heads bobbing. After a couple of their own songs
Reuben disingenuously introduced his friend Jason, and Newsted stepped onto the stage,
easily twice as tall as Reuben. Newsted was quick to make it clear that he was
there merely as backup, that the real attraction were these two amazingly talented kids.
I would wager the identifiable Metallica fans in the audience were there just to see
him, and I myself had a few giggly moments. I had spent a significant amount of energy
my freshman year of high school loving Metallica because the boy I had a crush on did,
and there was something incongruous about seeing Newsted onstage at Ashkenaz, a small
Berkeley club known for showcasing music from around the world and known as a proponent of
social activism. With all of the posters behind the performers calling for justice,
action, and peace, I thought of all the time Metallica wasted recently trying to take
down Napster. Rumor has it the Napster debacle was one of the reasons Newsted decided
to leave Metallica. I hope it's true.
But I digress. The Moss Brothers. Their music generates a joy that was felt by everyone in the
audience, parents and children and friends and hipsters alike. I especially liked their
surf-guitar-inflected
instrumental pieces during which Evan and Reuben had the opportunity to let their
musical abilities shine without any distractions. Their lyrics pretty much dealt with
what you might expect young teenagers to sing about: sports and the ethics of cheating
on a test ("completely fictitious!" insisted Reuben).
Just a shade more cutesy and they'd be sliding dangerously into Shonen Knife
territory. And what if Reuben's voice changes? I can't wait to find out.
The Moss Brothers, Ashkenaz
April 1, 2001
http://www.mossbrothers.com
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Heidi J. De Vries
