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MoPhat Brings the Party to TCNJ

I turned to a friend as I stood in a dimly lit basement, looking past the frenetic crowd dancing to every riff of the guitar, every beat of the drum. "This is as good as it gets at TCNJ," I said with all smiles and good feelings as the band went into their next number.

My friend turned to me, laughed and agreed, "This is about as much fun as I've had all year."

The College of New Jersey isn't exactly what you'd call a party school. Depending on who you know, it's a crap shoot some weekends as to how much of a good time one can have. Such is the price of going to college in the Garden State.

Yet for those looking for a break from their potentially mind-numbing academic responsibilities, the jackpot had been hit. On this particular night in late February, MoPhat--a band whose members are as eclectic as their music--resurrected a typically dead house party; their own musical rendition of "Raising Lazarus." As more people packed the quickly filling basement - lead guitarist Wiley Griffin firing off electric riffs, his trademark dreadlocks bobbing with his head to the music - the crowd began to surge towards the makeshift stage while something conspicuously absent from the usual weekend fair at the College, a vibe of big-city cool, filled the air.

Headquartered in South Orange, NJ, MoPhat pushes a musical lineup six members strong. Consisting of drummer Pat Mooney, currently a senior economics major at the College, guitarist Wiley Griffin, bassist Bren Kelly, hybrid percussionist Paul Borek, keyboardist Brett Mayer and vocalist Mike Skills, MoPhat produces a sound which Mooney calls "dance funk." Having been led out of the musical wilderness through grueling and occasionally fiery rehearsals, the young band has shed their chameleon sound and found an identity all their own, combining elements of jam bands, techno, afrobeat and funk.

The group is all at once a seemingly impossible hodgepodge of musical talent and a clash of varied and strong personalities. Mike Skills shines in the spotlight with a rare personality that burns brighter as the moment approaches. Watching the man in action, it's readily apparent he is one with the crowd, his vocal cues rising and falling with the cheers from the throng. Percussionist Paul Borek brings incredible energy and heart to his music, feverishly blasting away on his hybrid drum kit as he's draped in a satin komodo and faux fur lined top hat. Away from the music, Borek's temperament is as diverse as his wardrobe, his late night escapades the material of legend. Easing going bassist Bren Kelly, with a personality as smooth as his sound, moonlights as Borek's handler, often the only thing separating the percussionist from blissfully wandering off.

"Through the four to five hour practices, you grow, you fight it out. Yeah, there's contention in rehearsal, there's going to be times when it gets heated, but it's all for the benefit of the music," Mooney said, as we shared a drink in his living room after one of his shows. "TCNJ has been great, though. We love coming down and playing because the people get up for our brand of music. We hope they keep coming out."

While MoPhat's reception at the College has been strong, they're reaching for more, playing shows all over the Garden State and into Philly, including a few sets at the cultural hotspot Lit Lounge, located in New York City's East Village.

"It's not even about locking down in the studio yet; we'll get to that. A studio effort is definitely on the way," said Mooney, taking a drag of his cigarette. "Right now, it's all about the live shows; the emphasis is all about the music and the crowd."