In a Show of Sonic Power, Moby Hardly Misses a Beat

Moby is a pop auteur who is audacious enough to suggest that electronic dance music is the most creative area of contemporary pop, and talented enough to back up the view--as he showed in a frequently dazzling concert Thursday at the Mayan Theatre.

The problem with much dance music is that it lacks the elements that connect most easily with a mainstream audience, notably strong themes and identifiable song structures--a point underscored Thursday by the opening set from Boom Boom Satellites, a standout Japanese outfit that plays an aggressive brand of electronic dance music that lacks a captivating spark.

Moby has that spark.

In his “Play” album, the New York-based producer and musician combines all sorts of inviting dance elements with pieces of traditional gospel, folk, blues and rock, and then backs them with themes and song-friendly qualities without any hint of compromise.

Joined at the Mayan by a three-piece band, as well as an arsenal of recorded vocals and instrumental touches, Moby brought this music alive, much to the delight of an enthusiastic, sold-out audience.

The heart of “Play” explores questions of spirituality and faith, not with rigid doctrine but with a liberating and inspiring recognition of human frailty and need. Though Moby focused on material from the album, he changed the song order around and mixed in some older material so the evening had its own fresh and compelling identity.

Moby doesn’t offer the nonstop sonic thrills of Prodigy, another rock-friendly dance entry, but that’s not his goal. He seeks a far wider emotional range, employing folk elements on a song as delicate as something you’d expect from James Taylor or Beth Orton. Elsewhere, he turned to such extremes as mirror-ball disco and punk-rock assault.

Moving about the stage with missionary zeal, Moby frequently sang a few lines of a song, then dashed to a portable keyboard or percussion instrument to finish it, as if words alone could only carry him so far and he had to seek remaining truths in the power of the music.

His only mistake was placing “Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?” midway through the 90-minute set. It’s a gospel-edged tale of need with a soulful ache reminiscent of Percy Sledge’s classic “When a Man Loves a Woman,” and for a while it was hard for Moby to match that emotional high point.

But the personable performer eventually recaptured the momentum, closing the show alone on stage under a torrent of lighting as a recorded tape delivered a tune with more beats-per-minute than you would think possible. As he stood motionless, the music seemed to cleanse him of all the tensions and troubles of the world--a final benediction in an evening of spectacular power and grace.