Event is 21+
$15/$20 door
Doors at 8
Moon Boot Lover delivers a one-of-a-kind mix of rock, funk and soul, with dynamic versatility and range. From high-energy body-moving grooves to heartfelt emotive ballads, Peter Prince (front man & MBL originator) & MBL are widely respected by fans and musicians alike for their signature “Rocket Soul” sound and deep catalog of songs that top “all-time favorites” lists of fans across the globe!
Founded in NYC in 1993, the initial lineup of Moon Boot Lover featured guitarist, vocalist & MBL songwriter, Peter Prince alongside Alan Evans on drums & Owen Yost on bass, they recorded MBL’s first release,Outer Space Action (1994).The following year Neal Evans on keyboards & Jon Hawes on bass joined the group to record MBL’s second live release, Live Down Deep (1995). Each album featured a comic book-style cover art drawn by Peter Prince. The band achieved success on the jam bands circuit with contemporaries like moe., Schleigho, and others. In fall of 1996, they played a short Rock the Vote tour with moe., the Ominous Seapods, and Yolk, which featured a large amount of cross-pollination between the groups. After a couple of years of hard touring around the country, Jon Hawes left the group, leaving P.Prince & the Evans brothers to record their 3rd studio release, Catskill Martian Dogs (1997).
The Evans brothers left to pursue other projects (Soulive), Prince, meanwhile, participated in collaborative acoustic tours with singer/songwriter David Gans, members of moe., and others entitled the Merry Danksters, as well as touring with Allman Brothers guitarist, Derek Trucks, before putting together a new lineup of Moon Boot Lover.
With the transience of the lineup established, Peter Prince firmly became the group’s center of attention. His frenetic guitar playing on his trademark Flying V guitar, coupled with his maniacally comic stage persona and deeply soulful voice was simultaneously visually entertaining and exhilarating. Now touring as an elder of the jam band scene, the new lineup of Moon Boot the reunion of Jon Hawes back on bass, Andy Herrick on drums (Assembly of Dust)& Jeff Merrow on keyboards.
Having toured the country many times over, Peter Prince & Moon Boot Lover have performed and recorded with such diverse musical talents as the Derek Trucks Band, Dave Matthews collaborator Tim Reynolds, Steve Kimock, Doug Wimbish (Living Colour), Oteil Burbridge, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, John Medeski (Medeski Martin & Wood), Page McConnell (Phish), Bernard Purdie (James Brown, B.B. King), Keller Williams, Poogie Bell (Herbie Hancock), Jennifer Hartswick (Trey Anastasio Band), Drew Emmitt (Leftover Salmon), Lettuce, Jesse Dee, Ryan Montbleau, Reed Mathis (Tea Leaf Green), Aaron Maxwell (God Street Wine), Toussaint Liberator, Percy Hill, Deep Banana Blackout, John Brown’s Body, Nephrok, Sam Kininger, Conehead Buddha and moe. He has also shared the stage with the legendary Johnny Winter, Frank Zappa vocalist/guitarist Ike Willis, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Umphrey’s McGee, David Johansen, Koko Taylor, Michael Franti, John Scofield, The String Cheese Incident, Jazz Is Dead, Charlie Hunter, The Samples, G. Love & Special Sauce, Disco Biscuits, Martin Sexton, Tom Tom Club, Col. Bruce Hampton and The Aquarium Rescue Unit, Maceo Parker, Pee Wee Ellis, Fred Wesley, Bernie Worrell, Ed Hamell (Hamell On Trail), Dave Gutter & the Rustic Overtones, Paranoid Social Club, Screaming Headless Torsos, Zach Deputy, Assembly of Dust, Strangefolk, The Figgs, God Street Wine, Chris Barron (Spin Doctors), Wasabi (feat. John Popper, Mark White, Erik Sckenkman and Aaron Comes), Jazz is Dead (feat. Jimmy Herring, T. Lavitz, Alphonso Johnson and Rodd Morgenstein), Galactic, Tinsley Ellis, and Napoleon Murphy Brock. Peter Prince is also a member of the Earthdriver.org musical family including Ryan Waters (Prince, Sade), Bemshi, Olu, Mark Lesseraux (the Citizens), Imani Uzuri, Shariff Simmons, Suga Bush, Jerome Jordan, Rick Derringer, Reeves Gabrels, Groove Holmes, Tree and many more…
The latest lineup:
Peter Prince – guitar, vocals
Reed Dieffenbach – drums
Mike Gruen – bass
“Lightnin’ Hopkins playing with The Small Faces while Terry Gilliam films it all.” -Alan Smithee, Filmmaker
Troy Mercy is a genuine guitar-star; highly respected by his peers such as Kirk Fletcher and GA-20. He also has the rare gift of a soaring & soulful voice that would feel right at home in the grooves of an Atlantic or Stax R&B 45. Troy’s brand of blues places the song at center stage. His use of artful tune construction, hooks & melody extend the tradition of the genre.
Mr. Mercy’s resume as a guitarist includes Booker T., The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and countless blues legends such as Pinetop Perkins, James Cotton, and Hubert Sumlin. He has toured this Earth and played on two Grammy nominated albums.
