Local Spins profiles the Kalamazoo band with a new single/video this week and playing Kalamazoo Pride, while also debuting fresh tracks from Kennedy Perez, Sonny Ski and other Michigan artists.
The Nathan Moore Affair: A unique combination of musicians and influences that works. (Courtesy Photo)
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Singer and keytarist Nathan Moore characterizes his soulful Kalamazoo band as musical gestalt – different players from different backgrounds with different influences who create music that’s “bigger and better than the sum of its parts.”
Bassist Mark Glubke puts it another way: “If you want to know the honest truth, we’re kind of a weird band. … Like on paper, it doesn’t really make sense, and yet if you listen, it’s an interesting stew … and it works.”
Indeed, The Nathan Moore Affair – Moore, Glubke, percussionist Carolyn Koebel and guitarist Chris Schleuder – not only works in terms of its energetic live performances, but in the captivating songwriting that the all-star band weaves into its recent debut album, “Reconciliation,” and a brand new single and music video, “Don’t Let ’Em Tear Us Apart.” (View the video here.)
VIDEO: The Nathan Moore Affair, “Don’t Let ‘Em Tear Us Apart” (Live at Dogtown Studio)
It’s “simply a soulful rock band,” Glubke offered. “I would say we borrow most from genres like soul, blues and funk. We are not a blues band, per se, but we play a good bit of blues. Same with soul and funk.”
Moore, a Flint native first inspired by singers at First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in his hometown, also describes the group as “the queerest band in Kalamazoo.”
He leads the band after first collaborating with Schleuder more than a decade ago, later joining The Perilous Cats music collective and eventually creating The Nathan Moore Affair with Glubke. The lineup was finalized in 2022 when accomplished, in-demand drummer and percussionist Carolyn Koebel joined the group.
“Carolyn is a legend, right? Playing with Carolyn is a thrill,” said Glubke. “She brings the whole world to her playing.”
KALAMAZOO PRIDE AND OTHER SUMMER PERFORMANCES
Moore – described by Glubke as “very charismatic” on stage – noted that performing the band’s songs live helped develop and grow them for the final recorded versions, which were laid down with Ian Gorman at Kalamazoo’s La Luna Recording and Sound.
The band plays Kalamazoo Pride at Arcadia Creek Festival Place at 4:15 p.m. Saturday (June 7), followed by The Rebel Eves, then returns to Buttermilk Jamboree at Circle Pines Center in Delton at 8 p.m. June 14.
Loving the Live Shows: The Nathan Moore Affair (Courtesy Photo)
The Nathan Moore Affair also performs at two other Pride events – June 21 in Three Rivers and Aug. 2 in Allegan – following by Allegan’s Rollin’ on the River series on Aug. 15 and Beats on Bates in Kalamazoo on Sept. 5.
There’s also new music in the offing.
“We did a little retreat earlier this year and we came up with a ton of new songs,” Moore said. “We’re trying to get those out into the ether, doing them in these shows that are coming up. I know that we’re going to record another album.”
This week’s edition of the Local Spins Michigan Music Showcase — — airing on WYCE at 11 a.m. Fridays and 5 p.m. Sundays WYCE (88.1 FM) and online at wyce.org, and on Interlochen Public Radio at 7 p.m. Saturdays – featured two tracks from “Reconciliation,” the title track and “Sweetness.”
The show also features new music from Kennedy Perez, Abe Savas, Chloe Kimes, The Morning Yells, Flexadecibel, Jake Simmons & The Little Ghosts, Matthew Borr, Sonny Ski and The Aquaerials. Listen to the interview and podcast here.
PODCAST: Local Spins Michigan Music Showcase (6/6/25)
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