Music : The Boogies: Guaranteed good time
By Olivia Lew
Published: July 31, 2008
"It's a party every time we get together," says The Boogies' frontman Adam Natusch, and anyone who has seen what happens when the 13-piece disco cover band takes the stage dressed to the hilt in their over-the-top disco garb, afro wigs, towering platform shoes and skin-tight sequined spandex suits would agree. In these amazing and absurd outfits, The Boogies get down and dirty recreating the disco band nights of '70s and '80s.
Their next concert is at Outerland on August 6.
The Boogies probably won't be the only ones decked out in retro outfits. Mr. Natusch says, "It's like a Halloween party every time we play." The group has a dedicated following that tear up the dance floor in outlandish garb that matches the onstage dress. If you're dressed up, you might be invited on stage to join the band for the usual finale, "I Will Survive."
Mr. Natusch, who is recognizable on stage in a one-piece black jumpsuit with a red cape, recalls founding the band in 1996 after seeing a group in Arizona doing a similar show. He put together a group made up of nine Vineyard friends, but it wasn't until they slipped on the matching costumes that Mr. Natusch's stepmother had sewed for them, that they transformed into The Boogies.
"It started as a group of friends who like to play a lot of music, get drunk, and have a good time," says Mr. Natusch.
And this is exactly what they have continued to do with immense success for 12 years. Now, with over a decade of experience and an expanded group of 11 men and two women vocalists, their show is quite a spectacle.
When not in their disco disguises, The Boogies are construction workers, police officers, taxi drivers, bar tenders, and clothing store managers. "Being in the band," Mr. Natusch says, "gives everyone an excuse to tear it up."
Molly Magee, the group's lead singer, joined the group in 1999 as a backup singer when Sally Taylor, part of the original lineup, was still singing lead. "It's hard to get 12 people together," Ms. Magee explains, "but it doesn't matter. We sometimes have ten people and sometimes 13. But it's always great."
Departing from disco tradition, The Boogies don't rehearse. Instead, they get together once in the beginning of the summer and have a party. The group uses this informal gathering to play for fun and catch up.
"It's never really been about the music," Mr. Natusch says. "Its much more about the party and the people who come to have fun."
When asked about the future of the band, Mr. Natusch is adamant in explaining, "There is no future. Any gig could be our last."
Despite the non-disco distractions that life presents each of the members, they hope to keep The Boogies alive for as long as they can. "If we stop, we're just going to get old," says Mr. Natusch.
So strap on your platforms, zip up those sequined spandex and polyester suits, and come to Outerland on August 6 and take part in one of the best dance parties on the Vineyard. u
The Boogies, Wednesday, August 6, 9:30 pm, (doors open at 9 pm), Outerland, Airport. $15. For tickets, call 508-693-1137 or visit outerlandmv.com.
Oak Bluffs resident Olivia Lew is recent graduate of Middlebury College in Vermont.
