Cruising the Jersey Shore With Big Bang Baby

By K Bo

This week's featured band takes us to the famed “Jersey Shore”—my musical ‘hood.  For musicians and fans alike it is one of the greatest gigging grounds in America.  Within minutes you can find New York City, gorgeous beaches and, packed bars.  In the Summer the “Shore” is the place to be.  So, what drives it?  Good music!  What else? Anyone who has done the gigging thing for any amount of time knows that it takes more than just good tunes played well to get the good gigs. 

To explore that gigging “X Factor,” I began by placing a call to Paul Anthony.  Paul is better known as “Mooch.”  Jersey music fans know him as the electric frontman for Big Bang Baby.  BBB is a Shore staple and a solid payor of entertainment dividends.  BBB’s set list ranges from rock to dance, electric to folk, and their show swings wildly from the unpredictable to the outrageous.

“Mooch” is no rookie to the scene.  In fact, he’s no rookie at all.  Mooch plays four instruments, he’s toured with national acts, recorded for indie and major labels, and even lent his hand as a light man (on occasion).  But the frontman thing is his real wheelhouse—on any given night he brings a freshman’s allure, plenty of presence, and lots of entertainment bite with BBB in tow.  When combined with his engaging intellect Mooch is a really engrossing subject.

Q: So Mooch, tell our readers how did you get started in music and what’s your background?

    A: My start was unlike most people sitting in front of a TV and watching family-esque programs like “America’s Funniest Home Videos” or “American Idol” with some very “safe” but talented artists.  Instead, I watched Van Halen’s David Lee Roth “debaucherize” the rock n’ roll industry.  DLR was the ultimate frontman with one of the most amazing talents in guitar history; Eddie Van Halen.  That’s when I knew I wanted that life on both spectrums.  I’m presently BBB’s lead singer and there is nothing like us in the country except on the Jersey Shore.  I also play bass and electric guitar, drums and, a touch of keyboards.

Q: BBB is a Jersey standard no doubt.  Does BBB ever venture outside of the Garden State?

A: BBB is mainstay on the Jersey Shore but we definitely venture out to the entire East Coast.  We bring our whole Jersey Shore lifestyle to other markets like Maryland, Connecticut and other states and it’s wonderful to watch people outside the Garden State stare in amazement and confusion.

Q: Why do you think BBB is successful in one of the most competitive music markets which has nurtured artists including Bon Jovi and Springsteen?

A:  A Jersey Shore cover band is a lifestyle along with making money. BBB brings a show that is more like that of an national touring act than most cover bands.  Most bands don’t bring it to the stage which is why they stay local and perform like local bands.  I can get that by puttin’ a f****ng quarter in the jukebox!  I want to be entertained and if I saw BBB I would think I was paying for a cheap ticket to an amazing rock show especially if I couldn’t get a Bon Jovi or Bruce ticket.  Hey, BBB is just as talented as Bon Jovi or Bruce they just have more decimal points in their checkbook—whatever! They did covers too. (Ed. Note: GREAT point. Check this link for some thoughts by Springsteen cohort Steve Van Zant about why playing covers is a crucial step in a band’s development and one that is skipped all to often. This is a transcript of a talk Littel Steven gave as the SxSW conference in 2009.)LINK TO  http://undergroundgarage.com/essays-and-speeches/a-crisis-of-craft.html

Q: What do you and your bandmates expect out of yourselves for each performance and what do you do to prepare for that?

A: We bring a highly energized show.  I also look for boyfriends hating us and throwing beer at me for making their girlfriends hot and drunk without contact (sorry guys!).  We prepare with a couple shots of Jaeger (or another flavorful rock n’ roll soda) with our friends and fans before the first set. The only other preparation is making sure some of these club owners hear their cash registers ringing.  I always tell my band never ask a club owner how we sound because they don’t give a shit anyway.  I’m gonna light myself on fire one night on stage and I promise you the drink tabs will double. It’s a dog and pony show, but, the Jersey Shore is very entertaining on the rock and roll side.

Q: From a musician’s point of view, do you think the opportunities are better on the Shore than most elsewhere?

A: No, it’s really the opposite because people here are more critical and their attention span is short, so if you don’t bring something different you’re out.  The Shore scene is very critical, decadent, and judgmental but at the same time it is pretty cool.  Either way, it’s a challenge—no doubt.