‘Moonshine Still’ enjoys finest hour

Times are exciting for local band Moonshine Still as it tours the Southeast, prepares for the release of its new CD and gets ready for a huge New Year’s Eve bash.

Originating in 1996 in Macon, Ga., the band called itself “Moonshine.” Because of a possible trademark dispute, the band added “Still” to its name.

After numerous personnel changes, the current band was formed several years later in Milledgeville.

Moonshine Still consists of Scott Baston as the lead vocals, Will Robinson on the drums, Ray Petren as the bass player, Bill Jarrett on the percussion, David Shore on the guitar and Trippe Wright on the keyboards. This has been the line-up for nearly three years.

The band is currently touring the Southeast performing three to four nights per week. Last summer, Moonshine Still performed at The High Sierra Music Festival in Quincy, Ca., and they booked a five-week tour throughout the West.

“We recently just finished a two-week stint in the Midwest,” the band’s bass player Ray Petren said. “We are right on the verge of being able to tour full-time, but we need to get our name out there a little more.”

Even though Moonshine Still tours different parts of the United States, the band occasionally returns to its roots in Milledgeville to perform.

“We love playing in Milledgeville,” Petren said. “The energy is always outrageous, and there is always a good mix of familiar and new faces. Often, on the road, we don’t know what kind of night we will have in places where we are not well-known.”

When it comes to music, the individuals of the band have different influences.

“I think that is part of what makes our connection to each other so special,” Petren said. “We are all pretty open-minded about music and are willing to experiment, and since we spend so much time riding together in a van, we are constantly exposed to each other’s influences. That’s not to say that we don’t have our own personal favorites, but we all listen to a wide variety of music. It’s hard to nail down our influences.”

Moonshine Still has trouble when it comes to classifying its music.

“We touch on such a variety of styles, and we don’t want to be pigeon holed in any certain type of music,” Petren said. “We are influenced by everything from funk to bluegrass, jazz to reggae, klesmer to rock and everything in between. Our live shows involve a positive spirit with a musical message.”

When the band started, a goal was to play at the Georgia Theatre in Athens, Ga.

“It was like the Holy Grail or something,” Petren said. “So, when we
finally got in, it was really exciting.”

Last New Year’s Eve, Moonshine Still was given the opportunity to play at the theatre with a band called Red Belly. The show sold out.

“We just couldn’t believe it,” Petren said. “The Georgia Theatre is always a treat for us, but to be able to do New Year’s Eve there is something else.”

This New Year’s Eve at the Georgia Theatre, Moonshine Still will be joined by a band called Perpetual Groove.

“They are a very tight band, and the bond we have with them is unreal. So it should be a very special night,” Petren said.

Another exciting upcoming event for Moonshine Still and its fans is the release of a new CD this winter.

“As far as we are concerned, this is really our debut CD because the other two that we have done were with other people,” Petren said. “This is the first CD that we will do with this line-up that is vastly different from the other studio projects that we have worked on.”

Moonshine Still has conquered its goal of playing at the Georgia Theatre. The band’s fan base is growing rapidly. A CD is on the way. Many would say the band has reached success.

“It’s hard to really know what success is in this business,” Petren said. “It doesn’t always show itself in numbers, but we feel very good about what we have and the direction that we are going in.”

Don’t miss Moonshine Still at Capital City in Milledgeville on Friday, Nov. 15. For tour dates and more information on the band, visit www.moonshinestill.com.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Nov 8 2002. Filed under Other. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry