Karen Ponzio Photos
The Mold Monkies.
Did Russell Shaddox have any final words after the final set of The Mold Monkies show at Best Video Thursday night?
“I’m old and I’m tired,” he said, which elicited a laugh from those around us, and from Shaddox himself. “Old and tired” were not words anyone at the film and cultural center on Whitney Avenue would have used to describe this New Haven-based band.
The Mold Monkies have been around for a while, but only recently started performing and recording again. Before the show, Shaddox said, “we haven’t played a show in two years as far as I can tell. Not since we opened for Pugwash at the Outer Space in early 2015. I could be wrong about that. Maybe we played somewhere in the last year or so.” The band had also promised a free EP to all who attended the Best Video show, and Shaddox said he “got a little carried away designing the materials” and was “sweating down to the wire trying to get them all done.”
According to the Mold Monkies’ entertaining website, the band — Shaddox on vocals and guitar, Nick Appleby on vocals and bass, Gerry Giamo on vocals and guitar, and Killian Appleby (who is noted on the website as “no relation…okay, I’m lying. Totally a relation”) on drums — played its first live gig back in 2005. It released two albums, one in 2005 and the next in 2010. The third has been in the works for “eight frigging years,” Shaddox said.
On Thursday, the Mold Monkies charged right out of the box with a song by Dwight Twilley called “Rock and Roll 47” that also appeared on the new EP, which Nick noted that “Russell has been spending all of his waking hours on.”
“I made fifty, which was very optimistic,” Shaddox said. His optimism was not in vain, as most of the seats in the venue were filled and a decent number of attendees stood and populated the back as well.
The banter among the musicians went on for most of the night in between songs. Nick announced that the band would be playing two songs from its second album. The third album “might even come out this year,” he said.
“Never was a worse lie told,” Shaddox said.
The back cover of The Mold Monkies EP Felonious Monks.
The two switched off on lead vocals but also joined in on harmonies with each other, as well as Giamo, throughout the night. The songs were as charming and joyful as the musicians themselves, whether they were new originals, previous favorites, or covers of popular hits. Despite the band’s claim that it does not play all that often, the musicians’ individual talents shone through and complimented one another exceedingly well. Giamo in particular let loose on solo after solo, making his guitar tone swing from otherworldly to down and dirty.
The band was “having fun with cool new things,” Nick said, including his “monkey bass” and Shaddox’s “cool new pedal,” which Shaddox noted made him “ready for his prog rock band.”
The first set ended with the hard-rocking “Hobo Rocket,” showcasing Shaddox’s energetic personality and vocals. During the break, the aforementioned new EP Felonious Monks was passed out to all in attendance. Does everyone still like physical CDs and albums? Many of the people who showed up for this gig did.
After the break the band tore through nine more songs, including “Monkey Brain,” which Shaddox explained was “a song about a monkey who has its brain removed but is telepathic and takes over the minds of the other scientists in the lab, but you got all that from the song I’m sure.”
The joking and laughter continued right through the show from beginning to end. Even the audience joined in. Nick announced that they were about to do their last song.
“Maybe we should do an encore before that song, like a pre-encore,” Giamo said.
“Proncore!” an audience member yelled.
That “proncore” turned out to be a cover of The Beatles’ “And Your Bird Can Sing,” The actual last song turned out to be an all-out wild rendition of Joe Jackson’s “I’m The Man” (also on the new EP). The crowd received it all with rousing applause and appreciation, and friends and family lingered long after the show was over to greet and congratulate the band with smiles and warmth all around. No mold had grown on this band, and there was nothing old or tired about getting together with friends to rock ‘n’ roll.
