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Over the moon: Bay Area jam band Moonalice may seem like a bunch of hippies, but they're on the cutting edge of modern technology

By MARC CABRERA
Herald Staff Writer
Posted: 09/08/2011 02:04:18 AM PDT
Updated: 09/08/2011 08:46:08 AM PDT

Bay Area jam band Moonalice plays a free outdoor concert Saturday night in Pacific Grove.
Moonalice fans never really have to pay for a ticket to see the show. In fact, they don't even have to leave their couch.

That's because Moonalice streams its concerts live on the band's website, including Saturday's free show in the Bank of America parking lot in Pacific Grove.

Over the past few years, the band has cultivated its fan base through innovative online activity, such as the satellite uplink system that allows it to stream live shows.

The band employs poster artists and graphic designers, some of the most famous in their craft, to create original artwork for each of its shows. Posters are printed up and handed out to fans at each show, for free.

Then there's the music. A crafty blend of '60s- and '70s-inspired pop and rock, with a band lineup featuring former members of Hot Tuna and Phil Lesh & Friends.

"The music is super accessible," said lead singer Roger McNamee. "It's '60s music. A combination of songs you know really well, and stuff which is close enough to that that it's recognizable. It's low testosterone."

Drummer John Molo has performed with John Fogerty and Bruce Hornsby & The Range. Guitarist Barry Sless spent time with Molo in Phil Lesh & Friends.

Keyboardist/guitarist Pete Sears performed with Hot Tuna and Rod Stewart. Keyboardist Ann McNamee is a classically trained musician with a Ph.D. from Yale in music theory.

It's all more or less overseen by McNamee, a Silicon Valley investment maverick who has consulted Bill

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Gates and Mark Zuckerberg. McNamee's company, Elevation Partners, counts U2 lead singer Bono among its partners.
The band averages about 100 shows a year, including high-profile gigs at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in San Francisco and an opening slot for U2 during its June show in Oakland.

McNamee says the technology is a way to help break new ground for career musicians, but none of it would matter if the music itself wasn't up to par.

"It's not like we're in a bad band," said McNamee, on the phone from the Bay Area. "Barry is generally known as the best of Jerry (Garcia's proteges). Pete of course is a legend. Molo played for Hornsby. These are really serious musicians.

"We found a way to make this a different social experience, and we're able to use technology to leverage our scale throughout the entire web," McNamee said.

The band's latest single, "It's 4:20 Somewhere," best illustrates its freewheeling sound.

An easygoing guitar melody coupled with McNamee's campfire vocals make for a smooth ode to California weed culture.

McNamee sings vibrantly, "It's 4:20 somewhere/ It might as well be here/ Thunder clap and lightning/ then the sky will clear."

The band's sound has earned attention from critics, but it gets its greatest thrill from its growing audience.

That includes a lot of free concerts like Saturday in Pacific Grove.

"We play one-third of our shows like this one, for free. We do that because those are so much fun," McNamee said. "We philosophically believe there is no music as much fun as free music."

The freebies don't end with the music. Pacific Grove fans in attendance can expect the chance for a free poster as well.

McNamee actively pursues poster artists to design a unique creation for each show. It's a way to promote both the shows and the poster artists.

The band has released two books, "The Moonalice Legend Vols. 1 & 2," showcasing the band's poster art.

"Years ago, I tried to find something I could do uniquely to make the world a better place," he said.

It all comes back to McNamee's personal vision of spreading his art and living his dream. His successful business career helped him create a new path to follow his passion.

"I've been playing music for 40 years. The truth is, there are various thresholds along the way when it gets to be dramatically more fun," he said. "I'm just beyond lucky in the current balance I have."

Marc Cabrera can be reached at mcabrera@montereyherald.com. GO!