The Making of “Bob Moog Live” (Part 1 of 5): The History

Leading up to our Bob Moog Live CD Release Party  on October 10, 2010 at the LAB, we are presenting a series of blogs written by Dan Lewis. Lewis is the only surviving member of the trio of Bob Moog, Mike Abbott and Dan Lewis who rehearsed and performed together for this recording. Dan will be performing and speaking at the release party.

Bob Moog & Dan Lewis Rehearsing in Bob's Workshop, Fall 1980

Bob Moog Live is one of the very few recordings that exists of Bob Moog performing on the Minimoog,  
one of the many synthesizers he helped create. About half the tracks on the CD are taken from what musicians often call “a gig tape”, 
a simple recording made for the musicians to remember the performance by but 
not originally intended to be reproduced for audiences. 
There were two performances by Moog, Abbott and Lewis, both in 1980. The 
first performance was at the Bele Chere Festival in Asheville, N.C. in late July, and the second performance was on November 23rd at the Asheville Art Museum. Also 
included in the CD is a recording of the rehearsal which took place at Moog’s workshop in 
Leicester, NC.

The entire series of events and the resulting concerts happened by chance; 
I was serving as co-chair of the entertainment committee of the second 
Bele Chere festival, back when it was an intimate downtown arts festival (it now takes over the city and attracts 300,000 people annually). In 
those early days, the entertainment committee (all three of us) did everything 
but clean the streets afterwards. At one meeting, someone mentioned that 
Robert Moog, the famous synthesizer inventor, had moved into the area and 
wouldn’t it be amazing if he would consent to do anything, anything at all, 
at the festival that year.

As a musician, I privately thought that there was no way this musical giant 
was going to do anything at our little second-year festival, but I volunteered to 
give him a call, figuring that I might at least hear his voice on the phone. 
I had no idea how fateful that phone call was to be. 
I was surprised to find that Bob was totally accessible, engaging and willing 
to participate. He asked if there was anyone who would be performing with 
synthesizers, and by chance, my close friend and musical collaborator 
Michael Abbott (perhaps the only professional synthesist in western NC at that 
time) and I were planning to do some original music and Bob immediately 
replied (to my amazement!) “Great! I’ll play with you guys”. Articles from Bob Moog’s archives, which the Foundation is working to preserve, will be on display as well.

Dan Lewis

October 2010

Flat Rock, NC

The CD Release Party for “Bob Moog Live” happens on October 10, 2010 at the LAB in Asheville, NC from 3:30-6:00 p.m. Doorsare at 3 p.m.  Tickets are $7, with proceeds benefiting the Bob Moog Foundation. Performers include Dan Lewis, Mary Frances, Jeff Knorr and Ben Hovey with other special guests.