A “Tuesday Afternoon” with The Moody Blues

In 1964, an English rock band formed in Birmingham by the name of “The Moody Blues.” Starting off as another blues-influenced rock band, The Moody Blues evolved into one of the forefather groups of the progressive rock genre. Their second album Days of Future Passed (1967), which boldly fused elements of the orchestral and rock genres, was one of the first successful concept albums in music history. Their songs reached millions, defining a generation of cosmic rockers and paving the way for many psychedelic groups to come. Soon to be inducted into the hall of fame, The Moody Blues are touring currently for the 50th anniversary of Days of Future Passed, and rolled through New Orleans on a lovely “Tuesday Afternoon.”

The Saenger was filled to the brim with long-hairs gone grey, matching the follicles of the three remaining members of the group. Vocalist/guitarist Justin Hayward, vocalist/bassist John Lodge, and drummer Graeme Edge are now the only original players from the band’s heyday. The rest of the band had been replaced with younger, sprier musicians. A second drummer backed up Edge with the more complicated rhythms while he played simpler beats, most likely due to his age. There were two keyboard players, as well, along with a young woman dressed in black who assumed the role of Ray Thomas, The Moody Blues’ famous flautist.

The Moody Blues (photos by: Finn Turnbull)

There was no opening band, just two great sets from the cosmic cowboys. The first set was a mixture of their hit tracks, including the 80’s smash hit “Your Wildest Dreams.” The performance was excellent, however, it was stripped down compared to the second set. After a twenty-minute intermission, they began the portion of the show everyone came to see.

To celebrate its 50th year, The Moody Blues played through Days of Future Passed in its entirety for the audience. For the second half, the production of the show was kicked up a notch with dreamy, colored lights and imagery on a large monitor of serene landscapes and photos from the band’s career. There were also quite a few photo dedications to Ray Thomas, as he had passed away less than two weeks before the show.

Despite the age of the remaining band members, they all played with a robust enthusiasm and precision. Considering the fact that their music is quite vocally-driven, it was a satisfying thrill to hear them all sing the lyrics superbly in their 70’s, especially Justin Hayward, who can still impressively project, in a wide range, his distinctly warm, yet haunting voice. Additionally, the bassist, Lodge, was not shy with his rockstar axe-waving, power stances, and crowd engagement. The only lulls in the concert came from the orchestral transitions between each track, which were pre-recorded and gave the musicians on stage nothing to do while they sounded.

With the LP conceptually spanning the course of a day, starting with “The Day Begins” and ending with “Nights in White Satin,” it felt perfectly surreal to be witnessing the album in full on a Tuesday, since “Tuesday Afternoon” is arguably the most popular track from the record. “Nights in White Satin” is a climactic, close second, and this was made obvious by the thrilled crowd, singing along with every line. A seated theatre, such as the Saenger, was the ideal place to see The Moody Blues, because this made a well-deserved standing ovation possible during the encore. The masters of philosophy and rock & roll closed out the impeccable Tuesday show with another crowd favorite, Lodge’s powerful and upbeat “Ride My See-Saw.”