From: owner-ammf-digest@smoe.org (alt.music.moxy-fruvous digest) To: ammf-digest@smoe.org Subject: alt.music.moxy-fruvous digest V4 #282 Reply-To: ammf@fruvous.com Sender: owner-ammf-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-ammf-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk alt.music.moxy-fruvous digest Monday, July 3 2000 Volume 04 : Number 282 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: Tall New Buildings [changesiv4@aol.com (ChangesIV4)] Re: Canada Day show [limezinger@aol.complicates (sonic death monkey)] [FAQ] alt.music.moxy-fruvous Frequently Asked Questions list (0/4) [Chad ] [FAQ] alt.music.moxy-fruvous Frequently Asked Questions list (1/4) [Chad ] [FAQ] alt.music.moxy-fruvous Frequently Asked Questions list (2/4) [Chad ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 03 Jul 2000 04:20:24 GMT From: changesiv4@aol.com (ChangesIV4) Subject: Re: Tall New Buildings >http://www.canoe.ca/JamMusicPopEncycloPagesT/tall_new_buildings.html wow, what hair :) he reminds me of someone from an old 80's sitcom... now, since i'm too lazy to start a new thread...i have a question. i figured you guys might know since you're all such wonderful, kind, nice, sweet people who know a lot about fruvous. :) i made a diagram for a cake that looks like the little red budgie dog. then my dad's dog ate the papers i drew it on when he ate my cookbook. =/ i don't feel like drawing up another one. has anyone else been bored enough to draw up such a design? if you have, i'd be eternally grateful and send chocolates if there's a diagram available online. :) or maybe it's just a stupid idea. but i thought it would be fun. shutting up now... Ky =X ~~~~~~~ "If I make a mark in time, I can't say the mark is mine I'm only the underline of the word" ~Cat Stevens ------------------------------ Date: 03 Jul 2000 05:26:40 GMT From: limezinger@aol.complicates (sonic death monkey) Subject: Re: Canada Day show >I will spare everyone the details of what Toronto traffic is like on >Canada Day. heh. due to that traffic, i was forced to miss out on jaymz bee, and was royally punished with lighthouse instead (i'm sure i'm sorry ). narr! :P sarah ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 03 Jul 2000 11:40:24 -0500 From: Chad Maloney Subject: [FAQ] alt.music.moxy-fruvous Frequently Asked Questions list (0/4) - ---------------=======================================-------------- FAQ Comments: ammf-faq@fruvous.com FAQ: http://www.fruvous.com/news/faq.html Newsgroup: news://alt.music.moxy-fruvous Website: http://www.fruvous.com - ---------------=======================================-------------- *** FAQ Update *** This is the monthly posting of the alt.music.moxy-fruvous official Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list. An updated version of this text is posted to the newsgroup on the first of each month. Updated records are easily recognizable by looking for *'s in the FAQ itself. WARNING: This posting is positively huge. It is broken into 4 parts of about 500 lines each. An HTML version of this FAQ with hyperlinks (making it infinitely more readable), is available at Fruvous Dot Com: http://www.fruvous.com/news/faq.html The alt.music.moxy-fruvous FAQ is currently actively maintained and provides a centralized place to look for answers to commonly asked questions on the newsgroup. All questions, comments, or suggestions for the FAQ should be sent to ammf-faq@fruvous.com. Discussions of the FAQ and its contents are appropriate for the newsgroup, but please cc: ammf-faq@fruvous.com also to insure the FAQ maintainer gets them also. - - Keeper of the FAQ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 03 Jul 2000 11:40:26 -0500 From: Chad Maloney Subject: [FAQ] alt.music.moxy-fruvous Frequently Asked Questions list (1/4) [Begin part 1/4] Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Questions, suggestions, and submissions to: ammf-faq@fruvous.com FAQ last updated: 25-JUN-2000 Question marked by a '*' denote content changes in this version of the FAQ. Questions marked by the '*' have been modified significantly enough to make it known, so that people familiar with the previous FAQ need only browse the '*' marks to get updated information. Questions in this FAQ: Section: FAQ Facts 1) What is the alt.music.moxy-fruvous FAQ? 2) Why do some people call it the Fruvous FAQ? 3) Who maintains the FAQ? 4) How can I make suggestions/corrections to the FAQ? 5) Where can I get the FAQ? Section: Fruvous Internet Resources 1) Is there an official web page? 2) Is there an IRC Channel? 3) Is there a newsgroup? 4) What is ammf@fruvous.com? 5) I'm getting a lot of bounce messages from ammf@fruvous.com. What should I do? 6) My server's newsfeed is horrible. What can I do? 7) How do I unsubscribe from the Mail<-->News gateway? 8) I don't want to unsubscribe, but I'm going away for a week. Can I ask the Mail<-->News gateway to not send me mail for a bit? 9) alt.music.moxy-fruvous is too high traffic, but I still want to read it. Is there anything I can do? 10) Is there an archive of alt.music.moxy-fruvous? 11) What is alt.fan.moxy.fruvous? 12) What is the "newsgroup pin"? 13) Do the band members read the newsgroup? 14) Are there any major fan web pages? 15) What happened to Josh Cragun's and Bill Bowen's web pages? 16) What's an umlaut? How do I make one? 17) I don't seem to be getting any posts from the Mail<-->News Gateway. What should I do? 18) I'm sending email through the Mail<-->News Gateway, but people who use news to read the group don't see it. Why? 19)* Where is the charter for alt.music.moxy-fruvous? Section: Basic Moxy Fruvous Information 1) Who is Moxy Fruvous? 2) What does "Moxy Fruvous" mean? 3) What is a Fruhead? How can I become a Fruhead? 4) What is the "Fruhead Card"? 5) What is the "Frumiles Card"? 6) My Frumiles Card expires at the "end of the millennium." Is that December 31st, 1999, or 2000? 7) Where is the band currently touring? 8) Why has the band toured more in the United States than in Canada lately? 9) Why does the band frequently play at restricted venues that don't allow underage people in? 10) There seems to be frequent mention of taping at Fruvous shows and trading of these tapes. What's the band's policy on that? 11) Is there any connection between Moxy Fruvous and the soft drink Moxie? 12) I ordered my merchandise four weeks ago from Fruvous and I haven't received it yet. What gives? 13) What's the best thing I can do to help support the band? 14) What's the story behind "The Troc"? What happened? Section: Mike, Murray, Jian, and Dave 1) On stage, who is who? 2) Why is Jian's name written as Jean in liner notes and older articles? 3) How do you pronounce Jian Ghomeshi? 4) Is Dave gay? bisexual? How about Murray? Jian? Mike? Section: The Albums 1) What albums does Moxy Fruvous have out? 2) Why aren't all the albums in stores? Where are they available? 3) What if I can't get any of the albums at stores? 4) Does the band ever put out singles? 5) Does the band ever make videos? 6) Is there any connection between _You Will Go to the Moon_ and the children's book of the same name? 7) What is the Indie Cassette I keep hearing about? 8) Where can I get the Indie Cassette? Section: Songs and Lyrics 1) Where can I get a copy of "Green Eggs and Ham"? 2) Where can I find the lyrics to "Johnny Saucep'n," "Your New Boyfriend," etc? 3) Where can I get translations of the French songs? 4) Where can I find tabulature for Fruvous songs? 5) Where can I find vocal sheet music for Fruvous songs? 6) Where can I find sound files of Fruvous songs? 7) Which band member wrote which songs? Do they collaborate? 8) What's the song that they perform with the refrain, "Hey little bird, fly away home"? 9) Is it a female voice or Mike's voice during the intro to the studio version of "Green Eggs and Ham"? 10) Who says "Swing it" on the studio version of "Gotta Get a Message to You"? 11) Is the "Lowest Highest Point" really in Delaware? 12) In "King of Spain," the King plays crokinole. What IS crokinole? 13) What songs that Moxy Fruvous regularly performs are actually covers? 14)* In "River Valley," they mention Dippers, Grits, and Tories. What are those? Section: Fruvous Characters 1) Who is Larry Boniface Clebdon? Who is Barry? 2) Who is Lazlo? 3) What's a Laika? 4) Who is Dusty Fosterbourd? 5) Who is Grandpa Fruvous? 6) Who is Lou? 7) Who is Marion Fruvous? 8) Who is the Naive Young Chap? 9) Who is Jared (the wild boy)? Section: Fruvous-Related Links and Information 1) What other bands might a fan of Fruvous be interested in? Credits Appendices: Appendix A - An explanation of why age restricted venues exist and bands play at them Appendix B - alt.music.moxy-fruvous newsgroup definitions and etiquette suggestions * Appendix C - Common acronyms seen in alt.music.moxy-fruvous Section: FAQ Facts 1) What is the alt.music.moxy-fruvous FAQ? The alt.music.moxy-fruvous FAQ (a.m.m-f FAQ, or just the FAQ from here on out) is a frequently asked questions list that is a resource for newcomers and old timers of the internet NNTP newsgroup alt.music.moxy-fruvous. It is intended to answer many of the commonly recurring questions that are posed to the newsgroup so that the members there are not continually answering the same questions. Note that the a.m.m-f FAQ is not gospel. It is fan maintained. Sources are cited where they are known and every attempt has been made to give information in as neutral a way as possible. But the maintainer is only human (and at this time at least, a quite opinionated human at that), and at times some inkling of their opinions may seep in. Feel free to complain if you disagree. 2) Why do some people call it the Fruvous FAQ? The a.m.m-f FAQ does contain some good general Fruvous information that does not relate directly to the newsgroup. Any fan may find the information here useful, even if they do not have the time or desire to read the newsgroup. Also, "Fruvous FAQ" is much easier to say and type than "alt.music.moxy-fruvous FAQ" or "a.m.m-f FAQ." 3) Who maintains the FAQ? The original maintainer of the FAQ was Colleen Campbell. She researched, wrote up, and maintained the FAQ from its birth until August of 1999. Her work on the FAQ is very much appreciated, and the Fruvous community owes her a debt for her hard work. The second and current maintainer of the FAQ is Chad Maloney. Chad has been a Fruvous fan since July 1997 and posts frequently (if not very frequently) to a.m.m-f. He can be reached at Chad@fruvous.com and gladly accepts any and all email. 4) How can I make suggestions/corrections to the FAQ? Your input to this FAQ is very valuable. If there's something you disagree with, that you want said in a different way, or that you want added to or removed from the FAQ, please email the current FAQ maintainer. They should happily talk with you about your addition and give you feedback on the request. The email address ammf-faq@fruvous.com is setup for the current FAQ maintainer. Please do NOT post your FAQ input to a.m.m-f. The FAQ maintainer needs to keep a record of all requests so that they are processed accordingly. Due to problems with newsfeeds, every post to a.m.m-f may not make it to the maintainer. Please DO email the FAQ maintainer at ammf-faq@fruvous.com. 5) Where can I get the FAQ? The a.m.m-f FAQ is available in a couple of different ways. It is posted monthly to the newsgroup alt.music.moxy-fruvous. It is also available on the web at http://www.fruvous.com/news/faq.html. You can also request the FAQ from the ammf-faq autoresponder. To do this, simply send an email to ammf-faq-request@fruvous.com and the FAQ, split into sizeable chunks, will automatically be emailed to you. Finally, you can request that the FAQ be emailed to you by emailing ammf-faq@fruvous.com and requesting the latest version of the FAQ. The FAQ maintainer will forward you the FAQ when they get the email. Section: Fruvous Internet Resources 1) Is there an official web page? Yes, there is. http://www.fruvous.com (Fruvous Dot Com or FDC) is the official Moxy Fruvous web page and an amazing resource for Moxy Fruvous fans. The site is one of the best band websites around and contains an up-to-date tour itinerary, song lyrics, articles, guitar tab, and show reviews. Reviews posted to alt.music.moxy-fruvous usually make their way onto the site or they can be emailed to webmaster@fruvous.com. The site is maintained by Chris O'Malley and any questions about it should be sent to him at webmaster@fruvous.com. Moxy Fruvous Corp also has registered the domain moxyfruvous.com for future use. 2) Is there an IRC Channel? Yes, there is probably more than one. The one that many a.m.m-f denizens frequent is #MoxyFruvous on the Undernet. More information about that channel is available on FDC at http://www.fruvous.com/irc.html. You can probably find Moxy Fruvous channels on EFNet and DALnet as well under various names. 3) Is there a newsgroup? Yes, there is. alt.music.moxy-fruvous (for which this FAQ is written) is the Usenet group for discussion of Moxy Fruvous. For a simple etiquette guide to alt.music.moxy-fruvous, see Appendix B of this FAQ. To access the newsgroup using NNTP, choose your favorite newsreader (like TIN, Netscape Messenger, Outlook, etc) and look in the alt.music hierarchy for moxy-fruvous. You also need a news provider. If you are in school, you may have to request that alt.music.moxy-fruvous be added to your school's news server. You can also use a free NNTP service like Deja.com to read the newsgroup or there are several great news service providers that are available for relatively little money. NewsGuy, for example, works extremely well for some people ( http://www.newsguy.com ) and is very inexpensive. AOL has their own newsserver and the newsgroup is available there. To get to it, go to the keyword "newsgroups", then "add newsgroup." Search the alt.music hierarchy for alt.music.moxy-fruvous and then subscribe. Note that NNTP and the graph of newsservers is not wholly reliable. Sometimes posts may be lost or come in out of order. Deja.com is usually very complete, as is NewsGuy. See question #6 for some alternatives to using a bad newsserver. 4) What is ammf@fruvous.com? ammf@fruvous.com is the email address of the Mail<-->News Gateway. Sending email to ammf@fruvous.com will post the contents of the email to the newsgroup with the subject provided. This is how the Mail--->News half of the gateway works, so that when you reply to a message sent by the gateway, it goes to the newsgroup. The Mail<-->News gateway provides a way to receive the contents of the alt.music.moxy-fruvous newsgroup without using an NNTP newsreader. Instead, once you subscribe, each posting to the newsgroup is emailed to you directly. Note that there is still an NNTP server behind the Mail<-->News gateway, so there may be posts out of order or left out, like when using another NNTP server. The contents of the list are also available in digest form. See question #9 for more information. For more information about the Mail<-->News Gateway, see http://www.fruvous.com/other.html 5) I'm getting a lot of bounce messages from ammf@fruvous.com. What should I do? If you aren't subscribed to the Mail<-->News gateway, something is really wrong. If you are subscribed to the Mail<-->News Gateway, then probably someone else is having mail problems and is bouncing mail to the list. Please send an email to owner-ammf@fruvous.com regarding the problem and they will work it out. Forward the bounce there and they will fix the problem as promptly as possible. 6) My server's newsfeed is horrible. What can I do? You have a couple of choices. You could pay for a better NNTP service from a company like NewsGuy ( http://www.newsguy.com ). If you have patience, you can use a free NNTP service that has a good newsfeed like Deja.com. The interface to Deja is a little awkward, but it does work. The web site http://www.fruhead.com has a web interface into a.m.m-f available as well. Finally, you can subscribe to the Mail<-->News gateway which is already hooked up to a good newsfeed. To subscribe to the Mail<-->Gateway (which will email you everything posted to alt.music.moxy-fruvous and allow you to email ammf@fruvous.com to post to the newsgroup), see http://www.fruvous.com/other.html. It has information on the Mail<-->News Gateway. Note that the web interface on FHDC uses the Mail<-->News Gateway for its newsfeed. 7) How do I unsubscribe from the Mail<-->News gateway? To unsubscribe from the Mail<-->News gateway, you need to unsubscribe from the mailing list ammf@fruvous.com. If you are unsubscribing from the address that is subscribed to the list, you simply need to send an email to ammf-request@fruvous.com with the single word "unsubscribe" in the body of the message. Otherwise, you're request will need to be authorized manually. You can email owner-ammf@fruvous.com for help with that process. If you are subscribed to the digest version, send your email to ammf-digest-request@fruvous.com following the instructions above. Please don't include your .sig in messages to the ammf-request address as it may mess up the automatic processor. See http://www.fruvous.com/other.html for more Mail<-->News gateway information. 8) I don't want to unsubscribe, but I'm going away for a week. Can I ask the Mail<-->News gateway to not send me mail for a bit? Nope. Sorry. The mailing list software behind the Mail<-->News gateway is Majordomo, which doesn't allow you to remain subscribed, while temporarily shutting off distribution of mailing list messages to your email address. To do this, you'll have to unsubscribe then resubscribe when you return. 9) alt.music.moxy-fruvous is too high traffic, but I still want to read it. Is there anything I can do? The best thing to do is to subscribe to the Mail<-->News gateway in digest form. In digest form, you will receive one large email containing a number of posts to the newsgroup instead of each one individually. You can then read the one message, instead of individually reading the 40 messages contained in it. To do this, email ammf-request@fruvous.com with the message body containing "subscribe ammf-digest". 10) Is there an archive of alt.music.moxy-fruvous? There are two easily available archives of the newsgroup. The first is provided by the Mail<-->News gateway, which archives all digests it sends. They are available for download at http://www.smoe.org/lists/ammf but you can't search or easily navigate through the digests. Deja.com archives a great portion of Usenet for your use. It provides robust searching of newsgroup articles back to 1996. 11) What is alt.fan.moxy.fruvous? alt.fan.moxy.fruvous is the old Moxy Fruvous newsgroup. People now use alt.music.moxy-fruvous for discussion of the band Moxy Fruvous. The newsgroup in the alt.fan hierarchy is no longer used because it was not petitioned properly in alt.config before the "add group" message was given to NNTP servers. Because of this, the alt.fan group is not available in many places. The alt.music group was (eventually) properly setup and should be available on a wider range of servers. An attempt was made to remove the alt.fan group from Usenet, but this isn't really feasible because NNTP servers aren't organized at all. Most posts to alt.fan.moxy.fruvous get immediate replies from kind fans referring them to alt.music.moxy-fruvous. 12) What is the "newsgroup pin"? alt.music.moxy-fruvous is a pretty cohesive fan group and many of us have developed a taste for meeting up with each other at Fruvous shows. To identify each other, the newsgroup came up with the a.m.m-f pin, originally distributed by Vicky Brasseur to those who sent her an SASE. There are a limited number of fans still using these old buttons, but Vicky is no longer distributing them. If you are at a show, look for Fruheads wearing a 2" white pin with black lettering, "alt.music.moxy-fruvous" on the top, "have modem - will travel" on the bottom, with the "Barry" creature (from the back of _The B Album_) in the center in full color. An image of the a.m.m-f pin (or ng pin) is available on FDC at http://www.fruvous.com/miscpics/frupin.gif The newsgroup pin seems to be in less use than it was during '97. Many of the newsgroup regulars became very familiar with each other in that period and identification pins became rather extraneous. There are a lot of new a.m.m-f'ers out there, though, and it would probably help us all meet each other if we kept the pin in common use. In August of 1999, Chad Maloney ( Chad@fruvous.com ) had a new batch of the old buttons reprinted. He has information on how to get an ng pin available. See http://www.fruhead.com/users/Chad/ammf-pin.html for more information about getting a button. 13) Do the band members read the newsgroup? Jian has admitted in front of fans that he does skim the newsgroup occasionally. It's also been said that Murray and Mike have seen the newsgroup before. Even though members of the band occasionally see the newsgroup, the newsgroup is not for communication with the band members. Many, many people read the newsgroup to discuss Moxy Fruvous, and the last thing they want is people posting personal messages to Murray, for example. There are much better ways to communicate personally with the band than to use the public newsgroup. Please remember that the newsgroup is a public forum and what you write may be seen by any number of people, including band members. 14) Are there any major fan web pages? FDC has a links page for many fan pages in its "Moxy Online" section available at http://www.fruvous.com/other.html. http://www.fruhead.com is a fan web page and resource for Fruheads kept up by Josh Woodward. It provides many great functions like sending messages to other fans (Frumessages) and trip planning/coordination. You do have to be a member to use some functions, but membership is free. Also, FHDC has a "Fruhead Links" section with Fruvous-related links on it. Most of the band members also have fan run sites dedicated to them: - - http://www.WayToGoMurray.com is a Murray Foster fan site - - http://www.MyPoorGeneration.com is a David Matheson fan site - - http://www.GoJian.com is a Jian Ghomeshi fan site (and of course there's http://www.JianKillsCats.com for details of one of Jian's oddest proclivities) 15) What happened to Josh Cragun's and Bill Bowen's web pages? Bill Bowen's page called the "Fruvous Supplement" lost web space quite a while ago. He has since allowed Chris O'Malley to include his web page on FDC. Josh Cragun's, which was originally the "official" Fruvous homepage, but hadn't been updated in over a year, disappeared from the web awhile ago. The "jcragun" account was removed from the server, possibly because Josh is no longer at school. Chris has, however, moved some of the articles, lyrics, and other tidbits from those pages to FDC with the permission of their previous owners. 16) What's an umlaut? How do I make one? An umlaut is the technical name for the two dots that are above the "u" in Moxy Fruvous in all the band's printed materials. In other languages, things like umlauts modify the pronounciation of a specific letter. For example, the u-umlaut in German sounds like a ue, and is sometimes written that way in electronic media where no umlaut is available. How to make an umlaut on your computer depends on the computer you use and the character set it is configured for. On most Windows PCs, the ascii code 129 is used for the lowercase u-umlaut. To make it, hold down the ALT-key and, using the numeric keypad on the far right of your keyboard, type 129 then release the ALT-key. The result should be a lowercase u-umlaut that will be visible for people using Windows. But, for some people using a different character set usually on UNIX, what you just made will show up as junk. It is this character set difference that keeps this FAQ from using umlauts for Fruvous and that causes many people to not use them in IRC or on the newsgroup. Not everyone sees it as an umlaut. Normally, when someone sees a word that is Fr^vous for example, they realize what it says, but it's usually best to stick to Fruvous without the umlaut if you want it to look decent on all computers. 17) I don't seem to be getting any posts from the Mail<-->News Gateway. What should I do? Don't panic. a.m.m-f gets a lot of traffic and you probably notice when something is awry with some part of the Mail<-->News Gateway. There are a couple steps in the process that could be the problem and any diagnosis you can do on your own will benefit both you and others. The first thing to check is your email account. Do you have an email quota that you are violating because of too much mail? If you are in violation of your quota, your ISP may be automatically bouncing new messages addressed to you back to the sender. Are you getting other email alright? If so, there's probably nothing wrong with your mail account. Your ISP can probably help you figure out if you are having problems with your email service. The Mail<-->News Gateway works by taking mail from an NNTP newsserver it uses and forwarding it to a majordomo mailing list. There are a couple places where this whole process can be gummed up. The newsserver the Mail<-->Gateway uses may be having problems, there could be space problems on the machine that manages the majordomo list, or any of myriad of other problems. The proper thing to do when you've determined the problem isn't your email is to send an email to owner-ammf@fruvous.com and explain your problems. They will help you as soon as they can. Please don't send "I'm not getting any posts" messages to the newsgroup. The correct and direct way to get the problem fixed is to alert owner-ammf@fruvous.com of the problem. 18) I'm sending email through the Mail<-->News Gateway, but people who use news to read the group don't see it. Why? To send posts to the newsgroup through the Mail<-->News Gateway, you have to send email to ammf@fruvous.com. This is the correct address and the only address that will post your message to the newsgroup. The Mail<-->News Gateway is currently housed by smoe.org and ammf@smoe.org is a valid email address, but is NOT the address of the Mail<-->News Gateway. Mail sent to this address will be distributed only to those people who subscribe to the gateway. People who use NNTP news services or Deja won't see the post. The solution is to use ammf@fruvous.com, which will automatically submit a NNTP news post for you that will then be distributed to Deja and other NNTP news service providers, including the Mail<-->News Gateway itself. 19)* Where is the charter for alt.music.moxy-fruvous? In technical newsgroup geek terms, there was quite an excitement over the registration of alt.music.moxy-fruvous before everything settled down. With an already existing (yet badly named and half-heartedly propaged) newsgroup for the discussion of the band, it took a few tries to get alt.music.moxy-fruvous added to the Usenet hierarchy and news spools around the world. You can see some remnants of this and also the newsgroup charter as written by Jason Reiser at: ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/usenet/control/alt/alt.music.moxy-fruvous.Z Note that the newsgroup charter is not kept up to date. This FAQ is kept up to date and should be a great resource for up-to-date information about the newsgroup and the band. The charter is available for posterity however for all internet history buffs and curiosity-driven fans alike. [End part 1/4] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 03 Jul 2000 11:40:28 -0500 From: Chad Maloney Subject: [FAQ] alt.music.moxy-fruvous Frequently Asked Questions list (2/4) [Begin part 2/4] Section: Basic Moxy Fruvous Information 1) Who is Moxy Fruvous? "Coming from Canada," a Toronto-based quartet of singer-songwriters who double as political satirists, comedians, social commentators, etc. The band includes Mike Ford (guitar, harmonica, bongos, keyboard, occasional drum kit and vocals), Murray Foster (bass, occasional drum kit, percussion, occasional guitar, and vocals), Jian Ghomeshi (drums, percussion, occasional guitar, and vocals), and Dave Matheson (guitar, accordion, banjo, keyboards, and vocals). They've been playing together as a group since about 1990 and are known for their experimentation, dabbling in genres from barbershop quartet to grunge, retro rock to rap, ballads to Saturday morning cartoons. See http://www.fruvous.com/band.html for the Fruvous Dot Com band bios. 2) What does "Moxy Fruvous" mean? Mike: Many, many people come up to us after shows and ask us "where'd you get your name"? Jian: Or sometimes, or more usually, it's "where'd you get your stupid name." What does "Moxy Fruvous" mean? Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Anything you want it to. "What is the sound of one hand clapping"? It's a couple of nonsense words, two great tastes that taste great together, a happy coincidence, a fun sound, and to fans' everlasting delight, some gibberish that lends itself imminently to wordplay. If you ask Fruvous what their name means, you're likely to get a strange look (or several) or a cryptic reply. 3) What is a Fruhead? How can I become a Fruhead? Fruvous is aware of and frequently acknowledges their follow-band status. Some fans of the band consider themselves "Fruheads" (which is a derivation of word Deadhead used to describe specific fans of the band The Grateful Dead, who followed them around creating a whole new social atmosphere around Dead shows in addition to the actual show itself). At its most basic, a Fruhead is usually a fan of the band who goes a bit beyond what normally comes with being a fan. Many Fruheads not only attend shows in their town, but travel to nearby or even faraway towns to see shows or attend multiple shows in a row on a tour. They support the band, buying albums and other merchandise, and usually recommend the band vehemently to their friends. The band likes to describe the Fruheads as the people who "get" their music and what they are doing and support it. Many times, the word Fruhead is used interchangeably with fan, though to some, "Fruhead" has more connotations than just a fan. There is no ritual, rite of passage, or letter of recommendation needed to become a Fruhead. Despite the description given for the six-stamp mark on the old Fruhead card, there is no prerequisite number of shows you need to attend before becoming a Fruhead. You simply need to consider yourself a member of the Fruhead community and be willing to accept that label upon yourself, knowing full well it means a boatload of things to different people. People who do not travel, but see each and every show in their city and support the band by buying albums are just as important as the crazy who drives to who-knows-where to see a show. The status of Fruhead does not raise someone into the inner circle of Frudom. If you consider yourself a Fruhead, congratulations. You are. 4) What is the "Fruhead Card"? In the Fruvous Quill #9 (their mailing list fan club newsletter, also on file on FDC at http://www.fruvous.com/quill.html ), they instituted the Fruhead Card, a means of keeping track of the number of shows a fan had attended. It ran through December 1997 and was stamped and dated at the merchandise table at each show. After 3 stamps, the fan received a pin; at 6, a t-shirt signed by Fruvous (not available for purchase); at 12, a compilation of their videos (including "King of Spain," "My Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors," "Stuck in the Nineties," "Fell in Love," "Down From Above," "Fly," and "Get in the Car"); at 18, a song composed, recorded, and mailed to them by the band; at 24, an all-expense-paid bowling trip with Fruvous; at 30, a dinner-and-dancing date with Dave; at 36, dinner and dancing with Mike, Jian, or Murray; and at 50, theoretically, a Fruvous ass-brand administered by the band. None of the songs have yet reached the fans - about forty obtained 18 stamps (though several people have been told that their songs are completed). About 20 people reached the 24 stamp mark, and many of them went on a bowling trip with Fruvous during the weekend of the First Annual Fruhead Convention (FruCon) held in Toronto in February 1998. The dinner dates haven't yet materialized and seem to be in rain check mode (no figures available on how many people reached each of those marks). Two people, though, reached the fifty-stamp mark; Dan "the Shadow" Jablonski respectfully declined the fleshly acknowledgment of his accomplishment, but the other, Chris O'Malley, received a tattoo of the budgie dog (paid for by Fruvous), on camera (and broadcast on Canadian television), right where it was stipulated. 5) What is the "Frumiles Card"? The Frumiles Card was the latest reincarnation of the original Fruhead Card. It began in Fruvous Quill #12, and every subscriber to the Quill received a card. The system of rewards was similar, but one must accumulate Frumiles and "spent" them, instead of simply receiving the prize after X number of shows. The prizes that time were a Fruvous key fob for 300 miles, pin for 500, racing cap for 1000, campfire songbook for 1500, mint condition indie cassette for 2500, and bowling with the band and "treats" for 3000. Note that these theoretical miles had nothing to do with actual miles, and driving from Vancouver to a Boston show would likely net you one stamp on your card, worth 100 miles. To cash in stamps on your Frumiles card, check at the Merchandise table at a show, email MFHQ at moxy@passport.ca, or call or mail Moxy Fruvous headquarters using the contact info on FDC at http://www.fruvous.com/contact.html. A picture of the front of the Frumiles Card is available at http://www.fruvous.com/miscpics/milefron.jpg 6) My Frumiles Card expires at the "end of the millennium." Is that December 31st, 1999, or 2000? While Quill #12 states that "Stamps will be awarded for the duration of this millenium," the front of the Frumiles card clearly states 98/99 and members of the band and crew have said that the Frumiles Card ends its run at the end of 1999. And, as a matter of fact, it did end its run at the end of 1999 with the final stamps possible on the Frumiles card being given out at the two shows over New Years in Buffalo in 1999/2000. Yes, a stamp was given for the New Years Day show on January 1st, 2000. 7) Where is the band currently touring? Tour information is included in each issue of the Fruvous Quill. Simply sign up on the band's mailing list and you will get the Quill twice a year. To get on the mailing list, check at the merch table at a show or email MFHQ at moxy@passport.ca and ask to be placed on the mailing list. If you are on the mailing list, the band will occasionally send postcards to certain areas or all over to announce a stint of dates, usually as an addendum to the latest Quill. Fruvous Dot Com is also kept up-to-date with the latest tour info including additions and changes since the Quill went out. It also has venue information and links to venue web sites. The FDC Tour Page is found by following the Tour Dates link on the main page http://www.fruvous.com. The final say in tour date information comes from the kind people who hold down Moxy Fruvous Headquarters in Toronto ON. To get clarification on tour dates beyond what is listed on FDC, contact them at moxy@passport.ca or call using the phone number listed on FDC in the Contacting Fruvous section at http://www.fruvous.com/contact.html. Fruvous has played in England, Scotland, and Denmark in the past, and recently have been touring more in Western Canada and the Western United States than in the past. Tour dates are usually more concentrated in the areas around Toronto ON, and in the Midwest and Northeast United States. 8) Why has the band toured more in the United States than in Canada lately? [Maintainer's Note: This question is a really an opinion question. I personally wasn't there when all this happened, though I have talked with some people about it. Colleen was not there either. Both our takes come from secondhand (or more) observations and shouldn't be taken as gospel. I left Colleen's answer in as well as adding my own to this so you can see both our opinions.] This is a tough question really. As of late, there has still been a bias towards the US, even though there have been tours including Western Canada for the first time in years. Jack Ross, the band's manager, said that with the release of _Thornhill_, he thought that the Canadian music industry may again be ready for Moxy Fruvous, and the touring schedule would reflect that thought for the _Thornhill_ tour. The bottom line is that touring is how the band makes money, and with the media reversal post-_Bargainville_ in Canada, the United States brought in crowds and the money it takes to keep them on the road. With the grassroots success they were seeing, they also found a growing fanbase that was very dedicated, in addition to some already dedicated Canadian fans. With _Thornhill_, it seems the band has branched out to a much larger area. Where they used to play 2 or 3 (and sometimes 4) times in some of their favorite cities, they now cover more area. They have toured in 98 and 99 in Western Canada and down the West Coast of the United States, including dates in Colorado. [Colleen Campbell's answer circa early-1998, from the original FAQ] Whooboy. Touchy question, but one that deserves at least an attempt at an answer on a FAQ, as it's been a frequently-asked-and-endlessly-discussed question on the newsgroup. Thus, a caveat: the writer of this FAQ, like the people reading it, is a person with an opinion which is informed by the facts she has gathered (definitely not all the facts on the matter which exist) and which does not necessarily represent the only answer or even the correct answer, if there is one. If you find this answer demeaning, offensive, or incorrect, please remember that it is not intended to be so and may not address your personal experience or beliefs in the matter. Given that, then: Fruvous is a band which had what Murray has called "meteoric" popularity in Canada with their indie tape and _Bargainville_: the former went gold and the latter went platinum. They covered Canada thoroughly on their "Bargainville" tour, but barely dipped into their southern neighbor, even in 1994, when the album was released in the States. Their following at the time, though, wasn't one known for longevity of interest or loyalty, consisting at least in part of "teenyboppers" who were more attracted to Fruvous' novelty work. Songs like "King of Spain" received a lot more attention than songs like "Fell in Love" did. In the States, though, there was little media attention to or radio play from _Bargainville_, so when the album was heard, it was probably taken more as a whole, novelty and serious songs both. When _Wood_ came out, the media machine didn't go into play as it had before in Canada, nor was audience response the same: the album hit only #35, Fruvous was playing to much smaller crowds, and there was little notice of it by critics, as there had been for _Bargainville_. In short, Fruvous probably felt like Canadian audiences had rejected it. In the States, although the album wasn't released, the songs from it were received as "another side of Fruvous" during concerts: audiences tended to have fewer expectations about Fruvous' "novelty" work than in Canada. So Fruvous built up a stronger base of support while touring to promote _Wood_ in America. Canadian media and audiences don't seem to be as aware that Fruvous is a group of evolution and experimentation, that they are not just "the band who went platinum back in '94"; meanwhile, in the States, the response to and coverage of Fruvous has been increasing since then. And America is a relatively new and fertile ground to till, for them: a place where they're still forging a name for themselves and can attract a new following, which is important for a band of their stature to do. They have been well-received at even the largest folk festivals in America, selling out of albums at both Falcon Ridge Folk Festival and Philly Folk Festival. This is not to say that they aren't appreciated in Canada (Dave reports that both nations are "duly impressed" with the latest [You Will Go To The Moon] album), or that this trend of fewer concerts there will continue indefinitely: just that Fruvous seems to be responding to their increasing popularity in the States by "giving the people what they ask for." 9) Why does the band frequently play at restricted venues that don't allow underage people in? They do not play age-restricted venues because the band hates all underage fans. That's simply not true. Moxy Fruvous, in addition to being an incredible band and 4 wonderful people, is a business and the livelihood of those 4 members (and other people who work with the band). They need to make money, and they do mainly by playing a lot of gigs across this continent. They, like many bands, have a booking agent that gets them gigs so that, in addition to writing wonderful music and thinking up silly characters, the band doesn't have to worry about calling clubs, arranging contracts, and making sure they are getting paid what they should. Many times, due to the economy of the live music industry, the only place to play in a given town on a given night is a bar. And, due to local, state or provincial, or national laws, there are just some rules that need to be obeyed. Age restriction is a big one. If this is still worrying you, or you want information about the above, read Appendix A right now. It's a detailed account from a different perspective of why age-restricted shows happen. All that said, what can you, the underage fan, do about it? Please do your research. Find some other venues in your area that regularly play all-ages shows and get that information to the band (most likely through MFHQ - moxy@passport.ca ). They will get that info to the right people, and it may work. It also may not. Just please keep in mind that when there is an age-restricted show, it isn't to spite you in particular or underage fans in general. It's usually because the club wants it that way and in order to play the club, the band abides by their rules. If you haven't read Appendix A yet, go do it. 10) There seems to be frequent mention of taping at Fruvous shows and trading of those tapes. What's the band's policy on that? Well, obviously, the newsgroup respects Fruvous's right to their own music and performances, and fans would not tape against their wishes. Those interested should first look around at a show. If there are any other tapers there setting up, strike up a conversation and get to know them and what rules they abide by. If no one is visibly taping there, asking Cal Stanutz (the front of house sound engineer) or Dave Tobey (the road manager) is often easier than locating one of Fruvous before a show. The band currently allows and appreciates taping for non-commercial use on a personal level. The best way to get into taping Fruvous is to talk to other tapers at a show. Many of them know the band's position on things and may have tips and tricks on levels, show length, and board feeds. Most Fruvous tapers are very friendly beasts that would love someone to talk to about their myriad of gear. In dissemination of taped live shows, Fruvous prefers one-on-one trades. No profit is to be made of the privilege of taping their shows. Personal trading encourages a bit of accountability and it is recommended that you have purchased all the commercially available albums before getting into tape trading. There have been two Moxy Fruvous tape trees in the past. The first, disseminating a show from the Iron Horse in Northampton, August of 1995, was run by John Greene. The second, taped in New York City in December of 1996, was run by Jason Reiser. Both shows are widely available; ask for them, and you'll likely get a friendly Fruhead to tape one for you. There are, of course, many other live shows available, and many people are eager to trade or acquire them, so keep your eyes open and feel free to ask if you're looking for a particular show for your own personal use. FHDC ( http://www.fruhead.com ) has a section set up for finding tape traders. It provides quick info on people who collect shows and are willing to trade with new people. It also has a quick search engine that will search lists for specific shows. Please don't offer to pay someone (in money, extra tapes, or anything else) in return for copies of Fruvous live shows. This hurts the band and threatens the privilege tapers have to tape the shows. Fruvous allows taping for personal use only, and no one should be profiting off the tapes made with their permission. 11) Is there any connection between Moxy Fruvous and the soft drink Moxie? Nope. In fact, the guys have made derogatory remarks about the drink. Don't expect any cross-over advertising campaigns any time soon. Nor is there any connection between the '70s group Moxie, the '90s group Moxy, or the group Mox. 12) I ordered my merchandise four weeks ago from Fruvous and I haven't received it yet. What gives? Welcome to the world of shipping. Most ordering services stipulate that you'll receive your order within six to eight weeks, and Fruvous is no different. It'll take up to a week to receive your order, a few more weeks to get it processed and shipped back, and then a week or two more to receive your package. When customs is involved, other delays are likely as well. If you're concerned, though, that your merchandise seems to be taking an abnormally long time, you'd do well to contact MFHQ directly and ask for yourself. They're very busy, so if you need a quick reply, a call to (416) 368-5599 will probably yield better results than attempting to resolve the situation via email. 13) What's the best thing I can do to help support the band? The absolute best thing you can do to help support the band is to tell all your friends about them. If you feel that Moxy Fruvous is the best thing since sliced bread, tell your friends. Sit them down and ask them to take a listen to a song you think they'll like. Take them to a live show and let Fruvous do the selling for you. You can do the normal fan things. Go to Fruvous shows (and don't forget to invite friends). Buy Fruvous albums for yourself. You can also do the abnormal fan things that many Fruvous fans and Fruheads do. Drive to see that show in the next town over. Drive to see that show in the next Province over. Arrange your work flights so that you have a convenient stop-over in a city where Fruvous is playing that night. Please request Moxy Fruvous at your favorite (and least favorite) radio stations. If you are familiar with radio formats, AAA stations would probably be best. Call them up and request your favorite song or the current single off the newest album. If they give you the line about not having the album, email MFHQ ( moxy@passport.ca ) and give them the information about the station you called. They can make sure that a promo copy of some Fruvous stuff has been sent or will be sent there. Make the radio stations know that people out there want to hear Moxy Fruvous. When you go into a record store, check for Fruvous albums. Some people even go so far as to helpfully rearrange the albums so that the more important bands (i.e. Moxy Fruvous) are up front. We here at the FAQ don't condone this behavior, but do what you like! If you don't see any Moxy Fruvous CDs there at the store, ask them to order some for you. It'll give them an idea that people want to buy Fruvous albums. If you already own the disc, just tell them you found it at their competitor's store already in stock and bought it there, but thank them for ordering it for you and reassure them you'll check there next for other Moxy Fruvous albums now that they've gotten their act together. Also, you can forward record store info to MFHQ ( moxy@passport.ca ) and they can get that info to the record label so they can use that information to get the album well distributed. Each person's work in helping and supporting the band is important. Moxy Fruvous was built upon grassroots efforts and friendly word of mouth and that comes from you. Keep up the good work! 14) What's the story behind "The Troc"? What happened? The Troc, or the Trocadero, is a club in downtown Philadelphia. Philly is a very Fruvous-friendly town and the home of WXPN. Fruvous plays many large sold out shows in Philly and it's one of their biggest markets, largely thanks to the support WXPN gives them through airplay and promotion. The band has played in the area for years. FDC tracks shows back to 1994 at the Tin Angel. In 1996, they started playing in Philly at the TLA, the Theatre of Living Arts, a much larger venue than the Tin Angel and a symbol of their success in the Philadelphia area. After 3 gigs in the next year at the TLA (including one of the shows recorded for the _Live Noise_ album), the band had outgrown even that venue. The next choice of venues was the Trocadero. It was significantly larger than the TLA, but still the show was sold out even before the day of the show. Yet another statement of the Philly area's love for Fruvous. That Trocadero show on February 6th, 1999 is a show that will live in infamy in many Frufan minds. The show itself was a very good show. The larger venues carry better lighting and sound equiptment allowing for the band to rock out a bit. But the place was packed solid for the most part and there were long waits while your elbows jabbed your neighbor and the person behind you breathed down your neck. The opener, the Butch Ross Band, started playing before even half the line had come in yet there was an interminable wait between sets stirring the crowd up. But still, Fruvous pulled everyone together with an incredible set. After the show was a different story. The club, well within it's rights but entirely against the spirit of a Moxy Fruvous show, proceeded to quickly and forcefully push the entire crowd out the doors. People trying to get Frumiles stamps from Tobey were hurried. People trying to purchase Fruvous CDs or shirts were hurried. People waiting patiently to get autographs because they knew the band was coming out to give them were hurried, various members of the club's security staff yelling the entire time. It is understandable that the staff wants to go home after a show, but the way the fans were treated was unacceptable. Many fans ended up out on the sidewalks on a February night waiting (some vocally), while the security staff attempted to even force them off the sidewalk in front of the building. One by one, as each band member realized what had happened, they came out to the front of the venue to sign autographs and chat with fans. The band apologized for the actions of the venue and cheerfully talked and signed, even after a long show after a long day. But, when the band wanted to go back inside, the security had locked them out as well! Once someone came out, someone else caught the door and held it open so the band could get back inside when needed and eventually everyone went home with a sour taste in their mouths thanks to the security staff and policies of the Trocadero. The next day, the newsgroup began to fill with discussions of the show and disgust at how paying customers of the venue were treated. Many called for boycotts of the Trocadero and expressed wishes that Moxy Fruvous never play there again. The show reviews on FDC represent a taste of the discussions ( http://www.fruvous.com/99rev/990206.html ). After a day full of complaints on the newsgroup, Jian posted an official apology from the band, management, and crew for the staff at the Trocadero and promised that the band will not play the Trocadero in Philadelphia ever again (instead he offered the idea of playing multiple TLA shows even though the venue is much smaller). The incident received press in the Philly area ( http://www.fruvous.com/news/990211nw.html ). With no suitable venue in Philadelphia itself, the next Philly area show came in November 1999 - a sold-out show at the Keswick Theater about 20 minutes outside Philly. Section: Mike, Murray, Jian, and Dave 1) On stage, who is who? In standard position, the lads on stage are (from left to right): Murray, Jian, Mike, Dave. Murray wears the stylish shirts and usually is found playing the bass. Jian is the self-proclaimed (and born that way) "brown guy" with black curls usually behind the stand-up drum kit. Mike is the crazy Kirk Cameron looking guy usually found with a guitar. Lastly, Dave is the bald one with the accordion, banjo, or guitar. From their standard positions on stage, stage left (or left when you are standing on stage looking at the audience) has been deemed "Stage Dave" while stage right has been called "Stage Murray." People standing towards the middle can be "Stage Jian" and "Stage Mike." 2) Why is Jian's name written as Jean in liner notes and older articles? "Jian Ghomeshi" is the original spelling of his name. When his family moved to Canada in his youth, his mother changed it to "Jean," perhaps because it seemed easier to pronounce that way; but it's always been, officially, "Jian" (including on his driver's license), his friends have always known him as "Jian," and he's been spelling it "Jian" across the board for a good while now. 3) How do you pronounce Jian Ghomeshi? Jian's heritage is Persian (Iranian). It's not possible to exactly reproduce the phonetic sound of his name in English letters, but "ZHEE-on" comes closest (where that ZH is kinda like the Z sound from Zsa Zsa Gabor). Ghomeshi is pronounced like it's spelled - "go-MESH-ee." 4) Is Dave gay? bisexual? How about Murray? Jian? Mike? The matters of the band members' personal lives are NOT something for this FAQ to discuss. The band, being open-minded individuals, do bring up sexual preference occasionally on stage, usually through jokes that may be unsettling to members of the audience that aren't so comfortable with it. The other members of Moxy Fruvous frequently tease Dave onstage about proclivities other than strictly heterosexual. "Lee," from _You Will Go to the Moon_, is sung by Dave and can be interpreted to be voiced by a gay man to a lover dying of AIDS. Dave is usually nodded at by Jian during the word "gays" from the line "paranoid minorities, and gays" from "Greatest Man in America." Jian frequently dons a bright orange shirt proclaiming "I dig your boyfriend" for shows; he also alters lyrics, such as saying "I was looking straight" instead of "straight ahead" in "My Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors." Mike, during a break in "the Kid's Song" where he says "my sister has 3 gender biases" on _the B album_, sometimes says "she's trisexual" live. But the bottom line here is that it is none of your business. If you feel it is your business, take it up with the band members themselves and see what they have to say. It is inappropriate for the newsgroup to discuss such things. [End part 2/4] ------------------------------ End of alt.music.moxy-fruvous digest V4 #282 ********************************************