DOUGIE MOONITES "Badonkadonk"

by jenny heying

Okay so I’m not a big fan of country music but I’d read that Dougie Moonites did Southern Fried country rock and since I was in the mood for some Skynard I thought I’d take him in. I was shocked when I tp’d in to legenda antica to find a huge crowd of about sixty people waiting for Dougie to take the stage. What was I in store for?

Dougie opened with "Folsom Prison Blues" and while he’s no Johnny Cash, he did the song justice. His voice is not as deep as Cash’s but it suited the song and he did have that twang. It’s suited for country and he uses it well.

Well I had a couple problems here. First, since I’m not up on country music, I didn’t know the name of many songs. While Dougie did mention the artists, he seldom said the name of the song so I was kind of lost. Oh well it was fun since I did recognize many of the songs. Second, the chat was mostly in Italian since it’s an Italian sim and again I was lost. But you know what? I had a lot of fun.


Dougie has a very tight professional set. While his bio says he plays guitar, I couldn’t really notice it, for if he was playing it blended in with the backing tracks. Maybe that is a compliment. He moved from one song to the next without abandon, pausing slightly between to talk briefly to the crowd.

While his set is tight, it doesn’t lack of fun. Dougie makes sure of that. The songs he chooses are full of fun even if the content might be a bit on the serious side. His energy on the stage keeps the party going. He makes sadness happy. Or at least tolerable.

Dougie shines no matter what the speed. Even the few ballads he did were done well. His voice drops a little deeper but he keeps it fun. He’s much better with the up tempo songs but he gives you a nice feeling no matter what he sings.

Ever the good old boy, Dougie seems to like a party. You can imagine him being the life of one. His voice is sexy, powerful but not overbearing. He delivers each note with gusto and leaves you beckoning for more.

All right, halfway through his set, I finally knew the name of a song. He picked up the tempo and with a little electric guitar thrown in he launched into “Swing”. Now that got me going. And if it’s not his theme song, “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” should be. It draws a huge response from the crowd and it’s the kind of song that parties are made with. Hmmm, I have to find that honky tonk.

Dougie mixes the tempo quite frequently. He seems to follow every up tempo song with a slower one. While I would have liked the tempo maintained, he knows what he’s doing. “Stupid Boy” was a good choice to follow with. It gives you a chance to catch your breath (and I guess his as well).

Okay, so I didn’t here the Southern Fried Country Rock but then again, I’m happy I didn’t. A Dougie Moonites show is fun and to tell you the truth, it didn’t matter what he played. He’s a professional through and through and he makes sure his fans are entertained. I was.

My apologies to Dougie Moonites for not being up on country music, but a big thank you Dougie for making country music enjoyable. /me tips her hat.