What’s My Line, Moby?
Last Sunday afternoon, I attended a wedding for a long time friend from my college radio days and ended up meeting J. Keith van Staaten during an endless (and I mean endless) variety of drinks and appetizers. Keith is the host and director for What’s My Line – Live On Stage which takes place in the West Village (NYC) every Monday night. If you’re not old enough to remember the 50s-60s TV show (many of us are not), you might have seen reruns on the Game Show Network. Anyway, the show has bit where panelists try to guess a mystery guest celebrity. In the past, they’ve had stars raging from Larry King to Jose Canseco to Lisa Loeb all the way to NORM! himself, George Wendt.
When chatting about some of the artists we’re currently supporting, MOBY’s name came up. Low and behold, one of Moby’s good friends, author Jonathan Ames, was slated as a panelist on Monday night’s show and they needed a fill in guest celebrity to replace a last minute cancellation. Was it a sign? Could it be fate? Should I really try to stuff down another Peking duck wrap and mini quiche before the main entrée? The answer was yes to all of the above which sent me on a mission in a bloated state of discomfort. But after some quick coordination with our good friends at Mute Records, Moby was officially part of a live game show in front of a fun studio audience! Now THAT’S quite a different gig for one of today’s most innovative dance/pop artists, I must say. It’s always fun to play the match game. Now if only I can get my hands on a Plinko machine for the office…
Moby’s new album, Last Night, is available in stores and online today.
Top (L-R): Host J. Keith van Staaten and Moby.
Bottom (L-R): Julie Halston, Jonathan Ames, Laurie Kilmartin, Frank DeCaro