Members of Gainesville band Moodhosa said their sound is hard to explain - even for them. There's a backdrop of gutty, gritty Delta blues, hints of funk, undercurrents of reggae and a smattering of good, old-fashioned rock 'n' roll. What shapes Moodhosa's groove is exactly what makes rock music great: a respect for the classics, an acknowledgment of contemporaries and a personal touch.
The band members, who will perform Saturday at Market Street Pub, said they have a closet obsession with Prince ("Purple Rain" in particular) and name Delta blues legends like Robert Johnson and Son House as some of their favorite artists and influences. It should come as no shock that Moodhosa has a different kind of sound.
When Jose Peruyero and Jason Moody met two years ago, things didn't completely click. The guitarists' short-lived jam sessions stopped after school got in the way. An unlikely meeting at Zaxby's proved to be the setting that would change all that.
Peruyero said the meeting was like an "awkward date."
"We were both kind of like, 'Uh, I know we tried this before, but maybe, ya know, we could try it out again,'" he said.
Despite the strange circumstances of getting back together, the second time around was a completely different experience.
"Our chemistry was just on another level," Peruyero said. "We really just vibed the second time. Our biggest connection was the old blues. We wanted to push back to the roots. Those songs express sadness, pain and soul - that's where we feel like it comes from."
With Peruyero needing an outlet to write songs and Moody crafting the melody and riffs on his six-string, the duo began to grind out some original material.
With no drummer in tow, the pair had their first show March 20, 2007 at the Shamrock. Peruyero recalled being nervous to the point of nausea in the bathroom before the gig. The show went well, and by its second gig, the duo had picked up steam and become a trio with the addition of bassist David Cotton, whom Peruyero knew through Santa Fe College's graphic design program.
Cotton's bass playing fit right in with the pair's musical tastes, and he found a permanent drummer, Ari Scott, to boot.
Not only could Scott "lock down a groove," but he also happened to be a sound engineer - a key ingredient in the group's efforts to put together a record.
Over the next few months, Moodhosa began to take shape. The group makes music in a way that does not acknowledge genre. Its eclectic sound comes from each member's different musical backgrounds and their ability, as they put it, to give each musician complete freedom to craft songs to his own tastes.
The result is what Peruyero calls a blend of music that is natural to them. It's not that they want to play a certain type of music; it's merely all they can play. Anything else would feel contrived.
A full-length record later, Moodhosa continues to expand its creativity as well as its touring territory. At the beginning of October, the band is set to hit the road for two weeks playing gigs from Florida's panhandle, through Louisiana and eventually into Texas and back.
The band travels in a Chevy Astro conversion van. To say this vehicle is a stereotypical touring vehicle would be a gross understatement - its rusted hood and mid-80s, box-like shape is a testament to the carefree attitude of a band on the road. The van serves as the band's road warrior and is affectionately referred to as the "Big Purple Monster." Moodhosa swears the behemoth gets great mileage.
Saturday, the Big Purple Monster need not make a long voyage. Moodhosa will perform locally at Market Street Pub in the band's last show in Gainesville for the next few months.
The band promises a high-energy show, and members said they pride themselves on being a band that lives for live shows, a band that leaves it all on stage. The Market Street Pub show will be special because, as they say, Gainesville has been good to them.
"This is what we all get off on," Peruyero said. "We want to feel exhausted when we leave the stage. We give it all and really pour our emotions out there."
The doors open at 9 p.m., and the cover charge is $6. Inca Maya, a rock group from Jacksonville, will open.
