The Moss Piglets

The story of The Moss Piglets began when John Goolsby met Ian Gamble while taking a break from studying at Grinnell College in Iowa. Although both were walking in the same direction, they somehow managed to run into each other; the subsequent sound produced was considered their first musical composition. Music had always been important to John and Ian, but it was on that fateful day that they began the process of pooling their distinctive talents to make what some call music, and others call a threat to modern civilization.



Ian and John weren't so much musicians in those years as free-thinking performance artists. They explored the various edges of good taste, nibbling on one section after another until they would throw it all away and start over. Where they were going to school, there weren't many other musical acts in the area save for the occasional yodeler, so performances came quickly. As they explored the outer limits of melodic theory, they also began to explore different identities. They called themselves the Dogz, Highstreet Blues Band, The Night Owls, Out of the Blue, and Jam Bag (the Jam Bag groupies were the best!). It would take years (and a few classes in entomology) to finally arrive at the name, "The Moss Piglets".



George Payne began playing with John and Ian at Grinnell. Immediately there was a chemistry, and everyone knew that somehow they would all end up playing together for the rest of their lives. It just felt that good. After a tree fell on his head, George built a standup bass out of the tree and a nearby metal tub, and began playing the thing. George lives in Maple Grove with Brittany, Paul and Melissa. They have two dogs named Spencer and Etta and a bunch of cats. They also have a pool in their backyard.



John Barcay was just beginning his illustrious career as an entomologist when he met Ian Gamble at a work party. When Ian heard John play piano, he convinced John to jump on the Piglet bandwagon and told him that although the band was not going to be the next big thing, it very likely would be the one after that. During a trip to a toy store, John discovered a melodica and became inspired to play his piano licks on the pneumatic contraption. A trip to a hardware store inspired John to introduce a musical saw into the band. We are trying to keep him away from the medical supply thrift stores. John lives in Burnsville with Heidi and a bunch of animals.



John Goolsby is the sticky glue that holds the Piglets together, playing acoustic guitar and often his voice. John is the band lawyer and chief financial officer. He is married to Stacey and they live in Saint Paul with their son Paul and their cat Mozart. Both Paul and Mozart think the Moss Piglets are really cool. Of course, they have little to compare them to, except Barney.



Ian Gamble has been playing music since he was in diapers. He plays burning guitar leads and banjo follows with equal abandon. He lives in Stillwater with Kerri. Kerri comes to almost all the gigs and is our strongest supporter, recently promoted to Vice President of Quality Assurance. They have a dog named Tika. They like to hike and do fun stuff outdoors and sometimes they'll have a party at their house. If you hang out long enough, you can sleep on their couch.



Mike Zullo is the latest addition to the Moss Piglets roster, filling the gaps with mandolin, violin, and a sense of humor. Mike teaches guitar in the Twin Cities and routinely offers carpooling to John Barcay who lacks a reliable form of transportation. Mike is a dedicated vegetarian, makes a mean pizza, and has an obsession for energy drinks with extra sugar. He lives in an undisclosed location due to security reasons.