NYS Music 20​15

Tag: moe.

  • Get Ready to Head Back to Summer Camp

    Memorial Day weekend is almost upon us and despite all the festival potential in store across the Northeast, the Midwest holds one of the best festivals of the year – Summer Camp Music Festival. Now in its 15th year. Summer Camp has become the Midwest’s number one destination for all things jam, rock, electronic, bluegrass and plenty of general partying and hollerin’.

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    There’s a lot going on this year at Summer Camp, including some just announced improvements and rules changes that fans need to be aware of. Read here for a detailed list, but take note of the following in particular:

    Entry: A new main gate setup and more efficient entry procedures will allow for quicker and easier entry this year.

    Vibe Tent: To accommodate some of the massive EDM artists playing this year’s festival, expect a bigger-than-ever Vibe Tent! From the production and sound, to the stage and the tent itself, Summer Camp has expanded and fine-tuned every element of the stage.

    summercamp phoneCharge your cellphone on site with Solar Go’s Custom USB Recharging Batteries: Order your battery now and it will be charged and ready when you arrive. Then, each day you can exchange it for a fully charged one, and at the end of the festival you take it home with you.

    Chinese Fire Lanterns are banned!: Due to safety concerns (and common sense) these have been added to our prohibited items list, and will NOT be allowed at Three Sisters Park!

    You can access the Summer Camp schedule here and use the app for IOS or Android to build a customized music schedule.

    Of course, the music and activities at Summer Camp are the reason you are coming, not to block the view of Jeff Waful with your ragestick (leave those home too) so here are the Top 15 acts and events not to miss at Summer Camp 15.

    15. Keller Williams / Keller Williams & Grateful Grass

    With the release of his latest album Vape, Keller is back with new material  and a Dead set with Grateful Grass that offers anything but the traditional Grateful Dead covers. Being the Dead’s 50th year, expect plenty of tributes to the Grateful Dead at this year’s Summer Camp. (2am Friday, Campfire Stage // 5pm Friday, Moonshine Stage)

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    ScottHarris_PTF_1024px-0084314. Make a Difference

    Increase your social and environmental awareness as you make a difference at Summer Camp this year in a variety of ways. Check out non-profits, help clean the grounds, take part in the treasure hunt, and spread the word! Summer Camp is a great way to have a blast and kick off the summer, as well as do a good part for your community! (Throughout the weekend, Soulshine Tent)

    13. Pink Talking Fish

    We have had the luxury of Pink Talking Fish playing a bevy of shows in their native Northeast, and checking them out at Summer Camp will be a real treat whether you have seen them or not already. Combining Phish, Talking Heads and Pink Floyd songs in unique ways – you won’t be disappointed. (2am Saturday, Soulshine Tent)

    12. Krewella

    I haven’t seen Krewella, but given the amount of vitriol some fans gave the female electronic duo when they were added to the lineup, even going so far as to start a petition to have them removed from the lineup, now I REALLY want to see them. I enjoy EDM and don’t pass judgment until I see music live, and with the duo hailing from near Chicago, IL, they are now a must see. (9pm Friday, Moonshine Stage)

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    11. Field Day
    Akin to Camp Bisco’s Color Wars, Field Day is a great friendly competition that features dodgeball, capture the flag, a spelling bee, a Manolo’s Pizza & Empanadas eating contest, and more! Pre-register here and Go Purple! (12pm – 5:30pm Saturday, 312 Beer Garden next to Vibe Tent),

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    10. Wild Adriatic

    One of the best bands to come out of Upstate New York, Wild Adriatic has played SXSW and will perform at Bonnaroo this summer, and are well-known throughout the Northeast for rocking sets and choice covers, including “Ain’t No Sunshine”, featured on their new EP Never Enough. (5pm Thursday, Starshine Stage)

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    9. North American Scum

    If you love LCD Soundsystem even a little bit, you have to stay awake on Sunday and catch North American Scum. I saw them in Chicago last July and was blown away – it’s as close to the real deal as you can get. Watch below and see for yourself (2am Sunday, Soulshine Tent)

    8. Amazeballs Mini Golf

    Amazeballs Logo RGBMusic festivals have been waiting for this one – mini-golf! Amazeballs Amusements is an awesome addition to Summer Camp and will host a unique 15 hole miniature golf course in honor of Summer Camp Music Festival’s 15th Anniversary. Bonus: the mobile mini golf course will be free to play all weekend! Proceeds from Sunday afternoon will benefit a special Make a Difference Drive. Stop by the Soulshine Tent, cool down in the shade or avoid the rain while hitting some balls. (Daily 10am-6pm)

    7. Aqueous

    Making their return to Summer Camp with two full sets on Thursday and Friday, this Western NY jam has a great summer tour ahead of them and a thriving fan base that Umphrey’s fans have begun to take note of, and for good reason. See the band NYSMusic named their 2013 Band on the Rise. (8:30pm Thursday and 8pm Friday, Camping Stage)

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    6. Family Groove Company

    Chicago has a presence at Summer Camp, and for good reason. The number of bands that have come out of the Windy City in the past 15 years is remarkable, and Summer Camp offers a chance to see some of the best. Family Groove Company is a stellar jam band, offering a complete sound, especially with Janis Wallin rockin the bass. (6pm Thursday, 12pm Saturday, Starshine Stage)

    5. Umphrey’s McGee and GODBONER

    Umphrey’s has played their festival since the beginning, so naturally they are on the list. With The London Session and UMBowl VI in their rearview, expect 4 incredible sets, along with a bonus – Gene Ween joins Umphrey’s for GODBONER! (6pm, 7:45pm & 9:45 pm Friday, 9pm & 11pm, Sunshine Stage)

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    4. Yonder Mountain String Band

    With a lineup recently made official, adding Allie Kral (fiddle) and Jacob Jolliff (mandolin) and new album Black Sheep due out this summer, Yonder’s daytime set at Summer Camp is a must attend, and with a slightly different sound but the same vibe and jamgrassy goodness you love, you’ll want to see where the new lineup takes them. (2:45pm Sunday, Sunshine Stage)

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    3. Future Rock/Daft Rock

    Future Rock is a fantastic electronic trio from Chicago and the fact they are playing two sets insists you see at least one of them – but their third set, as Daft Rock, is the one that is truly intriguing and why they are #3 on the list. A set of Daft Punk from this talented trio is going to be one of the highlights of Summer Camp, guaranteed. (Future Rock – 9:30pm Thursday, 12:30am Saturday – Starshine Stage // Daft Rock 2am Friday, Soulshine Stage)

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    2. Widespread Panic

    The past two years have seen Widespread Panic turning out some of the hottest shows and tours in recent years with a strong connection between Jimmy Herring and Butch Trucks (filling in for Todd Nance on drums) leading to jams that are beyond what the Southern rockers have been known for in previous years. Get floppy with Panic! (7pm & 9pm Sunday, Sunshine Stage)

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    1. Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers/moe with Bruce Hornsby

    Music legend Bruce Hornsby brings The Noisemakers, playing originals and covers with his iconic voice, but his set with moe. will be the most looked forward to set this Summer Camp, simply for the potential of what is in store. A band such as moe. playing along with the piano and voice of Bruce Hornsby is one of the best collaborations to come out of music festivals since Steve Winwood joined Widespread Panic at Bonnaroo 2002. Don’t miss this one! (1:15pm & 3pm Sunday, Moonshine Stage)

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  • Rochester’s Party in the Park 2015 Full Lineup and Information

    One of the most popular musical events in Western New York is the annual Windstream Party in the Park 2015 series in Rochester. The concerts moved back to the picturesque Manhattan Square Park last year – saving people from the infamous “Party in the Parking Lot” downtown.

    Tickets are a wallet friendly $5. Party Packs (for the general public) are available for $35 for tickets to all 9 shows and access to an express entry line – available at the Blue Cross Arena box office. Food trucks, local beer selections, and vendors will be on site every week. Regional bands will be featured on the lower Genesee Brewery “bowl” stage while the headlining acts will play on the ESL main stage in the field next to the skating rink.

    party in the park 2015Things kick off this year with Buffalo’s own moe. coming to town June 18. Jazz legend Taj Mahal comes in on June 25 George Clinton will funk up the place on July 9. Another Buffalo act – Aqueous – will open for the legendary Victor Wooten on July 30. Hometown heroes Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad will close things out on Aug 13. Some top notch regional acts such as Subsoil and Uptown Groove will debut on the big stage as well.

    The Genesee Brewery stage in the lower bowl area will feature some of Rochester’s best up and coming acts such as Danielle Ponder, Mochester, and Personal Blend.

    PITP is held every Thursday from June 18 to Aug. 13 5-10PM. All ages. Parking available at several nearby garages and the Strong National Museum of Play. Check the website for more info.

    UPDATE: Due to health reasons Taj Mahal had to bow out of this years festivities, replacing him will be Boston’s funkiest band Lettuce! 

    PARTY IN THE PARK MAIN STAGE 2015

    June 18
    ESL Main Stage: moe. w/ Jonathan Scales Fourchestra
    Genesee Brewery Stage: Violet Mary

    June 25
    ESL Main Stage: Lettuce w/ Spirit Family Reunion & Uptown Groove
    Genesee Brewery Stage: Dang! wsg/ Stay the Plow

    July 2
    ESL Main Stage: Fastball w/ Zac Brown Tribute Band & Jumbo Shrimp
    Genesee Brewery Stage: Something Else

    July 9
    ESL Main Stage: George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic w/ Subsoil
    Genesee Brewery Stage: Danielle Ponder & the Tomorrow People

    July 16
    ESL Main Stage: Get the Led Out – The Led Zeppelin Experience w/ Cosco Gladstone and Cosco
    Genesee Brewery Stage: Personal Blend

    July 23
    ESL Main Stage: Jonny Lang w/ The Coup DeVilles & Matthew Correy
    Genesee Brewery Stage: Anonymous Willpower

    July 30
    ESL Main Stage: Victor Wooten w/ Aqueous & Amanda Lee Peers
    Genesee Brewery Stage: Tre Son

    Aug 6
    ESL Main Stage: Dylan Scott w/ The Lacs & Flint Creek
    Genesee Brewery Stage: Kid Kurry

    Aug 13
    ESL Main Stage: Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad w/ Driftwood & Noble Vibes
    Genesee Brewery Stage: Mochester

  • And Your NYS Music March Madness Winner is……

    moe.! It was a close one, but moe. eeked out victory over Eastbound Jesus to take the 2015 NYS Music March Madness crown!

    moe march madnessHow they got there:

    moe., the #1 seed from the Jam/Funk/Reggae region started in the first round beating out #16 Thunderbody by a total of 111-50. From there, the second round saw moe. beat #9 Mister F 130-68, followed by besting #4 Giant Panda 583-378. Moving into the Round of 8, moe. met up with old friends Conehead Buddha, the #6 seed and beat them by a total of 463-345, their closest match yet.

    Moving into the Final Four, moe. met Rock/Metal division winner #10 Wild Adriatic and beat them handily 469-243. It was onto the finals where moe. met Eastbound Jesus, the winner of the Folk/Bluegrass/Americana/Country, who snuck out victory over Jimkata by a total of 391-321. The finals resulted in moe. beating Eastbound Jesus in a squeaker that came down to the last minutes: 659-631

    Congrats to moe. on their victory! This contest is meant to give exposure to all of New York’s excellent bands and venues. Thanks to all our readers and the participating bands for being good sports and having fun with our “madness”. Keep coming back to NYSMusic for coverage of all these great bands and venues – they are all winners to us.

  • NYS Music March Madness – The Championship Round

    Welcome to the sixth and final round of NYS Music’s March Madness! This is the finale of our tournament-style competition that pits jam titans moe. up against northern rockers Eastbound Jesus.

    This year’s 4 brackets were based on genres of music – Funk/Jam/Reggae, Metal/Rock, Bluegrass/Folk/Americana and Indie/EDM. Each bracket has 16 New York bands in their respective region, battling it out to reach the Final Four and claim this year’s title. Bands were chosen based upon their origins in New York and popularity in their respective genres. To look back on the battles, view previous rounds: Round 1 (64 teams), Round 2 (32 teams), Round 3 (16 teams), Round 4 (8 teams), and Round 5 (4 teams).

    In Round 5 the two matchups presented clear winners – moe., representing the Jam/Funk/Reggae division bested Metal/Rock/Punk division winners Wild Adriatic, while Eastbound Jesus from the Folk/Bluegrass/Americana/Country field beat out EDM/Indie division winner Jimkata. The finals pits two bands, one established and celebrating their 25th year, moe., against new arrivals on the bluegrass scene, Eastbound Jesus.

    Championship Round voting begins Thursday, April 2 and 2pm and ends Friday, April 3 at midnight. Get your votes in before the poll closes!

    The Finals Are finished. Check back for the results Monday, April 6 at noon.

  • NYS Music March Madness 2016 – Final Four

    Welcome to Round 5 or better known as the “Final Four” of NYS Music’s March Madness 2016! This tournament-style competition includes the remaining 4 bands and artists who call New York their home.

    This year’s 4 brackets were based on genres of music – Funk/Jam/Reggae, Metal/Rock, Bluegrass/Folk/Americana and Indie/EDM. Each bracket has 16 New York bands in their respective region, battling it out to reach the Final Four and claim this year’s title. Bands were chosen based upon their origins in New York and popularity in their respective genres. To look back on the battles, view previous rounds: Round 1 (64 teams), Round 2 (32 teams), Round 3 (16 teams), and Round 4 (8 teams).

    In Round 4 we had some close matchups, but ultimately only four survived and started the cross genre matches. Representing the Folk/Bluegrass/Americana/Country category is the 8th seed out of the Albany area, Eastbound Jesus.  They will be going against the winner of the EDM/Indie/Other genre 3) Jimkata.

    In the other matchup, the  Jam/Funk/Reggae genre winner and New York legends and the only 1 seed remaining moe. will be facing up to the winner of the Metal/Rock/Punk division Wild Adriatic.

    Round 5 voting begins Monday, March 30 at Noon and ends on Wednesday April 1st at midnight. Round 6, or the Championships, will begin on April 2nd at noon.

  • moe. Comes Home Again to NYC

    moe. continued to thrill crowds of .rons on their 25th anniversary winter tour as they packed houses and came home again to New York City.

    moe home again

    moe. continued to thrill crowds of .rons on their 25th anniversary winter tour as they packed houses in New York City last weekend.

    The weekend began Thursday night with the band — guitarists Al Schnier and Chuck Garvey, bassist Rob Derhak, drummer Vinnie Amico and percussionist Jim Loughlin — playing an intimate show at Le Poisson Rouge, a 700-capacity club in Greenwich Village.

    Then the boys moved their Friday and Saturday shows to the Best Buy Theater, an arena in the middle of Times Square with a capacity of 2,100. The corridors around the venue formed a bit of a maze, but the theater area made for a great show with a floor section below the stage, a short platform behind that and maybe 20 rows of raised seating behind it

    The Friday night show started with a first set that took its time with each song, extending all but “Annihilation Blues” over 11 minutes. Fans got a not-oft-played “Darkness” that segued into “Bring You Down,” a combo that thrilled the crowd. Annihilation jammed right into a “Meat” that brought the energy up, then down, then built it back up again to end the set on a raging note.

    The second set started with “New York City” — obligatory but so much more meaningful when it’s actually played in the city it was written about — then on “Do or Die” Jim broke out his drum set attached to a chest harness and ventured over to hang out with Vinnie and Al for a bit.

     

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    Members of the crowd throw their hands in the air as they sing along.

    “Kyle’s Song” segued into “Same Old Story,” which has only twice before been segued into. It’s been used more often to segue out of at the end, but the song is high-energy fun any way they play it.

    The final four songs of the set turned up the heat with “Don’t Fear the Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult, then “Spaz Medicine” shifting into “Akimbo” into the ever-epic “Rebubula.” Boobs can occasionally fall into the rut of being a quick-hitter that draws a lot of audience emotion but doesn’t explore much, but this one took plenty of time to chill out before building to a frenzied sing-along at the end.

    After the moe. show, most of the crowd filed out and ventured two blocks down to B.B. King’s, where Ha Ha the Moose was on the loose.moe. home again

    The hilarious moe. side project features Rob, Chuck and Jim wearing luchador masks and capes and taking on the persona of their alter egos, Dr. Guano, Jeff VonKickass and Sludge.

    They played some old classics to a crowd so boisterous at points that it distracted band members. They also included some popular covers including “Have a Cigar by Pink Floyd and “Don’t You Forget About Me” by Simple Minds, forever etched into our memories by its poignant placement at the end of “The Breakfast Club.”

    They also reprised “Courtesy Flush,” which they debuted in January at moe.’s Tropical Throe.down in Jamaica. They ended the set with “Redneck Trilogy” and “In the Name of Freedom” and during the latter, Guano got an apt response when he questioned the audience what they would do in the name of freedom: “I would throw a music festival, even if no one came and I didn’t make any money,” the moe.ron said, referencing the lack of a moe.down this year.

    moe. home againAfter having a few hours off to romp around the city, moe. was back at it Saturday night. Saturday night’s show at the Best Buy sold out during that day. Highlights of the show included an intense “Runaway Overlude,” “She,” “Billy Goat” segueing into “Head,” plus Shannon and Terry Lynch of the Conehead Buddha horns joining the band on “Not Coming Down,” “Threw It All Away” and “Dr. Graffenburg.”

    The full Conehead Buddha band played a great official after-show in the Lucille’s room of B.B. King’s Saturday night for anyone who somehow had energy left after raging the city that never sleeps.

    moe. heads to Chicago this weekend and south to the Carolinas in April to finish out their winter tour. The band has yet to announce summer tour dates besides a few festivals (SweetWater 420 Fest, Summer Camp, Mountain Jam and All Good, plus the Dear Jerry show celebrating Jerry Garcia in May) but fingers are crossed that they’ll at least spend a weekend at the Saranac Brewery in Utica this June. Keep an eye on NYSMusic.com for moe. news as dates trickle in.

  • moe. Relentlessly Rocks Binghamton

    moe. jumped into their set and did not yield on the throttle the rest of the night at Binghamton’s Forum Performing Arts Theatre on Wednesday, March 11. The midweek throw-down featured two sets of neatly flowing rock produced by masters of the art that left the crowd craving more.

    Jim Houle - moe. -45

    After an opening set by Cabinet, moe. came out to raucous applause from the Binghamton constituency. While the Buffalo-born-band only has one more scheduled Upstate date, it was hinted that another show is in the works. Regardless, they threw the kitchen sink at The Forum, seldom taking a break between mammoth jams. With Guitarist Chuck Garvey, drummer Vinny Amico and bassist Rob Derhak all adorned in silver-sequined jackets to celebrate the band’s 25th anniversary, they kicked the first set off with “Kids.” As band members got their feet underneath them and settled in, the tune picked up momentum and, at some point, unnoticeably transitioned into “Skrunk.”

    “Skrunk” became “ZOZ” from 2008’s album Sticks and Stones which morphed back into “Kids.” Somehow, an hour was gone and having played only four seamlessly segued songs, moe. demonstrated why it has been on top of the jam scene long enough to celebrate a silver anniversary. Time signatures ebbed and flowed and, while the tone stayed mostly bright, there were periods of weirdness dispersed throughout the huge block of music. Percussionist Jim Loughlin captivated the crowd with his dexterity on the xylophones; harmonizing the percussion with Garvey on guitar and Al Schnier on the guitar and/or keys adds an extra layer of richly toned texture unique to moe.  The three got into a deep groove when they returned to “Kids.” After a long ovation, moe. concluded the first set with a cover of “Godzilla” that helped gently return onlookers from the wild musical ride moe. just created.

    Like the first set, the second was a fluid jam that lasted over an hour without ceasing. “The Pit” acted as bookends with an emphatic version of “Four” and energetic rendition of “Happy Hour Hero” as highlights in the middle. Throw in “Seat Of My Pants,” “Tubing the River Styx,” and a couple other tunes, and a 75 minute set was over without a single break to catch one’s breath. Again, seemingly in the blink of an eye, fans cheered boisterously as a tightly packed set flew by.

    Jim Houle - moe.-2

    An encore consisting of moe. original “It” and a cover of “The Weight” featuring members of Cabinet was the finishing touch of a nonstop night of jamming. Between the dual-shredding abilities of Garvey and Schnier, the in-your-face bass proffered by Derhak and the one-two punch on percussion with Amico and Loughlin, moe. torched the Forum Theatre in many ways. The band’s creativity and talent created an incredible evening of rock in Binghamton that won’t soon be forgotten.

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  • moe. to Play Binghamton’s Forum Theatre

    The jam band titans that comprise moe. will play their first show in Binghamton since 1996 on Wednesday, March 11. A mainstay on the circuit for the past quarter century, moe. celebrates its silver anniversary in 2015. The group formed at the University at Buffalo in 1989 and has not slowed down since

    Wednesday night’s show at the Forum Theatre in Binghamton kicks off a four night New York run. Following the Upstate gig, moe. heads to New York City for three nights, including Friday and Saturday night performances at the Best Buy Theater. The Western New York natives show the Empire State plenty of love; they have hosted fifteen straight moe.downs in Turin, NY and recently rang in 2015 at Albany’s Palace Theater. The Binghamton show on March 11 is moe.’s only scheduled Upstate show on the calendar besides a Thursday night headlining set at Mountain Jam 11.

    Special guests Cabinet kick off the evening of music at 7:30. Tickets can be purchased here.

  • Fans React to the moe.down Hiatus

    Reactions ranging from hope for the future to anger for the decision were felt from moe.rons early last week when the band-centric festival called off the 16th installment slated for late August/early September 2015. As one of the few festivals that focus on one band and their curated lineup, making it 15 years is no small feat and is likely the longest stretch for a music festival to run with one band serving as host. Here’s hoping after the dust settles, moe.down 16 is on the calendar in 2016.

    moe.down hiatus

    moe.rons on Facebook took it especially hard, with reactions ranging from sad, (“It’s not just a band and a crowd. It’s a way of life. It’s community and famoe.ly. It’s music, love, and laughter. It is my favorite time of the year.”), to hopeful (“I hope they’ve got a monster summer tour in store for us at least.”) , to ways to remedy the lack of three days of moe. in Upstate New York (“moe. should play three nights with the Disco Biscuits at a festival in Upstate New York (revamped Camp Bisco??)”). While fans are settling in with the news, we’ll see what moe. has in store when they share summer plans in the coming months.

    Twitter handled it a little differently…

    Wow, no #moedown this year. I am so grateful that I was able to enjoy 10 incredible moe.downs with my music family. It was my first festival (’02), along with Liz + Adelina (thanks P!) and we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We had canned food but no can opener, a tent without all the proper poles and no flashlights (!!!), but we had wigs, hats, iron on tanks we designed, and glow sticks. It was the same weekend that I accidentally bought tickets to see Aerosmith at the Boston Tweeter Center instead of the one in NJ, so we road tripped to MA, stayed with a friend of a friend that we never met, Addy got cut off at a Boston Red Socks game, saw Aerosmith, and then it was off to our first music festival. Even after I moved to Florida, I flew black north and made it to 10 in a row. I missed the last 3 working at Catskill Chill but it will always have a special place in my heart. So many memories from Labor Day weekend and so many friends I would have never met….it’s hard to even begin to put how special it was into words. Thank you, Moe! @moetheband @moechukg @alschnier #moe

    A photo posted by Destiny Beck (Spang) (@destinyspang) on

  • Looking at 25: An Interview with moe.’s Chuck Garvey on the Band’s Early Years

    moe. turns 25 this winter and continue to be one of the biggest acts to come out of Upstate New York and have a strong legacy and influence on bands following in their footsteps a generation later. Chuck Garvey, guitarist for moe., took some time to reminisce on the formative years of moe. in Buffalo and Albany, discuss relationships with 90s jam bands and the struggles the band had early on, something bands getting their start today can identify with.

    chuck garvey
    Photo by Tom Sgroi

    Pete Mason: Take us back to the first show you played as ‘Five Guys Named Moe’. What memories linger 25 years later?

    Chuck Garvey: For the first proper bar gig, we opened for a Buffalo band called Monkey Wrench at the dive-y bar called Broadway Joe’s that all the SUNY Buffalo area bands played. The guys in ‘Wrench are awesome dudes and even though we were different styles, neither of us cared. It was a bunch of their friends and a couple of ours in the “audience”, drinking cheep beer and soaking up the ambiance. We played a mix of covers and a couple of our own fledgling compositions and it was a lot of fun. After that, we just wanted to do more.

    PM: What did you enjoy the most from your time as a band in Buffalo? The least?

    CG: The good: Cheap beer, live music, unhealthy but yummy fried food with blue cheese, art, social fun and the summers.
    The bad: Lake effect snow and high wind without the possibility anything closing, crime, rodents, shifty landlords and their crappy properties.

    Photo by Tom Sgroi

    PM: How did playing the I-90 circuit as you were starting out contribute to the growth of the fan base and lead to larger gigs?

    CG: There are many small and large college towns that a band can play, helping to spread the word while honing a live set of music that people might actually like. We also traded gigs with other bands, slept on friend’s and stranger’s floors, generally making connections and trying to convert fans, one set at a time. Playing shows with bands like Monkey Wrench and Scary Chicken in Buffalo, as well as FreeBeerAndChicken and The Ominous Seapods from Albany was fun and we shared growing fan bases.

    PM: Why move to Albany after Buffalo? Why not look west or go right to New York City or Boston?

    CG: We planned on moving to the Greater New York Area, but only made it as far as Western Avenue in Albany. We knew people there and it was far less expensive, so we stayed for a while! This was also a time when we were beginning to tour all over the damn country, relentlessly, ruthlessly, so paying rent in NYC while living in a van and truck stops would have been a waste. Maybe that’s one thing we did correctly!

    chuck garvey
    Photo by Tom Sgroi

    PM: What were some of the biggest struggles and obstacles the band faced in the early years?

    CG: Poverty, cleanliness, good health, booking, keeping gas in the van, trying to not get ripped off – all the stuff that touring bands struggle with if they are paying dues.

    PM: How important was promoter Greg Bell when you came to Albany?

    CG: He was one of those guys that loved the music, loved to promote and hang out – a true music fan who helped us by being as interested as we were in the whole thing. He still does it for the right reasons. That kind of involvement is always the best. When you are a true fan and not just a businessman, people will listen a little more intently. That goes a long way whether you’re blogging, promoting, chatting with friends. Unsolicited advertising from a source that is trustworthy goes very far. Greg is like any good music fan: he wants to tell you about what he likes and get you into his new band, the new find, etc.

    chuck garvey
    Photo by Tom Sgroi

    S21PM: What did you enjoy the most from your time in Albany? The least?

    CG: Personally, I enjoyed it because I was near family. We had friends in town when we were not touring and we wrote & rehearsed a lot of music there. We were broke, but everything was simple and we were working really hard, so it felt good, regardless. The only thing I didn’t totally love was our house that the band, FOH engineer and Manager lived in. Parts of it were charming, then there was the waterfall of mold that came into the living room over a built in bookcase in the corner. It was so dark and weird that no one got into the house, even when we left the front door wide open for weeks while on the road.

    PM: How has the relationship you formed with Conehead Buddha in the 90s stayed strong over 20 years?

    CG: CB was a band that we knew – along with Yolk, Lynch and others – and kept contact with through Jim and Vinnie. Jim has played in bands with different assemblages of musicians, sometimes playing drums or bass, as he did with Lynch. Shannon and Terry have played with us for years. Greg Bell is also instrumental in keeping all of us musicians in touch by putting together great shows, as well as having laid the groundwork for our scene in the Albany area.

    PM: Was there any time early on that you wanted to call it quits?

    CG: Only when all our guitars were stolen in Columbus, Ohio. And when our van died on the way to a show at the Wetlands. And when we ran out of money trying to get home, stranded on the Thruway. And when some drunk whacko came into Broadway Joe’s with a gun. And when we almost wrecked and died in our camper trying to get to Chicago in the snow.

    Oh, wait. None of those things made me want to quit! Never!

    PM: Is there a chance we could see Ha Ha the Moose perform at Bellstock?

    CG: Is that an invitation? If they do come, they won’t leave till the cops come and the liquor’s gone.

    Chuck has previously written about the early history of moe., including lineup changes and events in the first decade of the band’s existence. Read more here and check out the rest of ‘s coverage on moe.’s 25th anniversary including reviews of Town Ballroom shows and Tropical Throe.down.

    Special thanks to Schultzy, AFF and Kyle for contributions to this interview.

    https://youtu.be/YIwLkvOZ-qA