Tag: moe.

moe.down Returning in 2017

After a two year hiatus, moe.down is a go for 2017. Last year the band announced that, for the second consecutive year, moe.down would not take place but have never outright dismissed the fact that it would return. Today’s announcement puts the conjecture to rest. moe.down is returning to its original location, Snow Ridge in Turin, NY June 30 – July 2.

The July date marks a departure from previous moe.downs, which traditionally took place over Labor Day weekend, a weekend, as any upstater knows, that can bring weather ranging from excessive heat to cold rain, sometimes over the course of one day. The July date should make for a more pleasant weekend experience for fans.

Past moe.downs have seen the band perform six sets throughout the weekend as well as sets with side projects such as Al and the Transamericans, Ha Ha the Moose and Floodwood. The festival is known for attracting artists typically not seen at jamband festivals. Past performers have included Violent Femmes, They Might Be Giants, Cracker/Camper Van Beethoven and Meat Puppets.

The boys are back at .down… @moedown XVI! 6/30-7/2, 2017! Early Bird tix, VIP & RV passes on sale 12/16 @ 12pET! https://t.co/VOsKiSyGTo pic.twitter.com/c0fLxflaVW

— moe.down (@moedown) December 13, 2016

Early bird tickets, VIP and RV passes for moe.down 16 go on sale Friday, Dec. 16 at noon ET. Three-day general admission tickets are $130 in the early bird allotment. For more information, visit moe.’s website.

December 13, 2016
Let it moe. – A Holiday Celebration

The holiday spirit was alive and well in Port Chester, NY last weekend as New York rock icons moe. treated The Capitol Theatre with its first ever “Famoe.ly Holiday Concert” that saw the band dust off some old holiday covers, debut a few new songs and deliver some good old improvisational rock as only moe. can. The show also served as a benefit for Caritas, a local food bank, befitting of the holiday spirit courtesy of food donations from attendees as well as a raffle for signed posters and tickets to future shows at The Cap. Revelers pre-gamed next door at Garcia’s, a small bar attached to the venue, with libations of their choosing before settling in next door for a unique yet classic moe. show.

The band took the stage to a full crowd on the floor, although the balcony, surprisingly, was a little sparse early on with plenty of open seats to be had. In a nod to the show’s locale, “New York City” opened things up in somewhat standard fashion before bassist Rob Derhak began playing the familiar opening notes of the Peanuts theme song, technically known as “Linus and Lucy.” Their take on the classic Vince Guaraldi jazz song was the first of several tonight previously featured on their 2002 album Seasons Greetings From moe. and hadn’t been played in a live setting for nearly three years. The old school rocker “Head” then followed, replete with wailing vocals as delivered by guitarist Al Schnier, and the high energy number soon faded into a softer groove before teases of the same turned into a full on version of “Zed Naught Z.” This percussion-driven instrumental gave Jim Loughlin a chance to shine on vibes as the composed section was delivered flawlessly before the beat picked up steam again and a delightful almost “Rec Chem”-esque jam ensued, a sign of things to come, before the band roared back into the ending of “Head,” serving as a true first set highlight.

The next holiday song of the night followed with “Oh Hanukkah,” another instrumental number found on the 2002 holiday album that had somewhat of a surf rock feel to it, before a brand new song, “Angel,” was debuted. This one gave Schnier a chance to do his best Bruce Springsteen impression as this song sounded like it could have come directly from The Boss’ catalog and featured some fine complimentary play from fellow guitarist Chuck Garvey. Then, in what has to be considered one of the peak musical moments of the night, moe. ended the first set with an absolutely blistering and thorough “Recreational Chemistry” that, early on, showcased watery bass tones from Derhak and impeccable drum fills via Vinnie Amico before devolving into a dark, dissonant jam that had the whole room spellbound. From these depths, slowly and very surely, the song’s signature guitar-driven finish emerged and delivered a firm exclamation point on a well crafted first set.

“Puebla” started things off to begin the second set and picked up right where things left off with another driving and soaring jam that featured more stellar play from Loughlin on vibes before he took over on vocals himself, a rarity for moe., for “Don’t Wanna Be,” another debut number which had a moody feel to it. It was then time for the holiday spirit to be reintroduced and moe. did so with “Carol of the Bells,” another instrumental not played in several years. This short and sweet cover yielded a jam that had a brief flurry of “Rebubula” teases thrown about before quickly shifting gears and going into “Downward Facing Dog,” a song found on the band’s 2012 release, What Happened to the La Las. Once again, a crisply played composed section gave way to a rather dark and menacing jam filled with both heavy guitar and vocal distortion.

The last of the evening’s debuts followed with “Prestige Worldwide” and seems to fit the classic mold of a moe. song in that it featured stellar guitar interplay between Schnier and Garvey and another heady solo from Loughlin on vibes before giving way to another frenzied improv jam showcasing the cohesiveness this outfit has built up over the course of their 27 year career. It remains to be seen what, if any, connection this song has to the movie Stepbrothers and Brennan and Dale’s international music corporation. And just as they did in the first set, moe. ended the second in classic style with a pairing of old school favorites. “Four” gave Garvey a chance to take lead on vocals and resulted in another jam that started out innocently enough and later ended with feverish guitar licks. Two great sets of music were capped off with a mild segue into longtime crowd favorite “Buster,” before Derhak thanked a fervently appreciative Capitol Theatre crowd.

Not missing out on one last chance to ramp up the holiday spirit, the moe. bassist emerged in full Santa garb for the encore which featured a fantastic cover choice in The Kinks’ “Father Christmas” and one last nod to the holiday album in “We’re A Couple Of Misfits,” the band’s interpretation of Hermey’s and Rudolph’s song of outcast from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. With a fantastic night of music in the books and a very successful food drive accomplished, one can only hope this is the start of a new holiday tradition for Port Chester and The Capitol Theatre, one of the more aesthetically pleasing and intimate venues the metropolitan area has to offer.

moe. ~ 12/03/16 ~ The Capitol Theatre ~ Port Chester, NY

Set 1: New York City, Linus & Lucy#, Head > Zed Naught Z > Head, Oh Hanukah##, Angel^, Recreational Chemistry

Set 2: Puebla > Don’t Wanna Be^^, Carol Of The Bells%, Downward Facing Dog, Prestige Worldwide%%, Four > Buster

Encore: Father Christmas+, We’re A Couple Of Misfits++

# LTP > 12/13/13
## LTP > 12/06/13
^ FTP > (original – al. song)
^^ FTP > (original – jim. song)
% LTP > 12/09/13
%% FTP > (original – rob. song – working title)
+ FTP > (cover – The Kinks)
++ LTP > 12/07/13

December 6, 2016
Let it moe. – A Holiday Celebration at The Capitol Theatre

The holiday spirit was alive and well in Port Chester, NY as New York rock icons moe. treated The Capitol Theatre with its first ever “Famoe.ly Holiday Concert” that saw the band dust off some old holiday covers, debut a few new songs and deliver some good old improvisational rock as only moe. can.

The show also served as a benefit for Caritas, a local food bank, befitting of the holiday spirit courtesy of food donations from attendees as well as a raffle for signed posters and tickets to future shows at The Cap. Revelers pre-gamed next door at Garcia’s, a small bar attached to the venue, with libations of their choosing before settling in next door for a unique yet classic moe. show.

The band took the stage to a full crowd on the floor, although the balcony, surprisingly, was a little sparse early on with plenty of open seats to be had. In a nod to the show’s locale, “New York City” opened things up in somewhat standard fashion before bassist Rob Derhak began playing the familiar opening notes of the Peanuts theme song, technically known as “Linus and Lucy.” Their take on the classic Vince Guaraldi jazz song was the first of several tonight previously featured on their 2002 album Seasons Greetings From moe. and hadn’t been played in a live setting for nearly three years.

The old school rocker “Head” then followed, replete with wailing vocals as delivered by guitarist Al Schnier, and the high energy number soon faded into a softer groove before teases of the same turned into a full on version of “Zed Naught Z.” This percussion-driven instrumental gave Jim Loughlin a chance to shine on vibes as the composed section was delivered flawlessly before the beat picked up steam again and a delightful almost “Rec Chem”-esque jam ensued, a sign of things to come, before the band roared back into the ending of “Head,” serving as a true first set highlight.

The next holiday song of the night followed with “Oh Hanukkah,” another instrumental number found on the 2002 holiday album that had somewhat of a surf rock feel to it, before a brand new song, “Angel,” was debuted. This one gave Schnier a chance to do his best Bruce Springsteen impression as this song sounded like it could have come directly from The Boss’ catalog and featured some fine complimentary play from fellow guitarist Chuck Garvey. Then, in what has to be considered one of the peak musical moments of the night, moe. ended the first set with an absolutely blistering and thorough “Recreational Chemistry” that, early on, showcased watery bass tones from Derhak and impeccable drum fills via Vinnie Amico before devolving into a dark, dissonant jam that had the whole room spellbound. From these depths, slowly and very surely, the song’s signature guitar-driven finish emerged and delivered a firm exclamation point on a well crafted first set.

“Puebla” started things off to begin the second set and picked up right where things left off with another driving and soaring jam that featured more stellar play from Loughlin on vibes before he took over on vocals himself, a rarity for moe., for “Don’t Wanna Be,” another debut number which had a moody feel to it. It was then time for the holiday spirit to be reintroduced and moe. did so with “Carol of the Bells,” another instrumental not played in several years. This short and sweet cover yielded a jam that had a brief flurry of “Rebubula” teases thrown about before quickly shifting gears and going into “Downward Facing Dog,” a song found on the band’s 2012 release, What Happened to the La Las. Once again, a crisply played composed section gave way to a rather dark and menacing jam filled with both heavy guitar and vocal distortion.

The last of the evening’s debuts followed with “Prestige Worldwide” and seems to fit the classic mold of a moe. song in that it featured stellar guitar interplay between Schnier and Garvey and another heady solo from Loughlin on vibes before giving way to another frenzied improv jam showcasing the cohesiveness this outfit has built up over the course of their 27 year career.

It remains to be seen what, if any, connection this song has to the movie Stepbrothers and Brennan and Dale’s international music corporation. And just as they did in the first set, moe. ended the second in classic style with a pairing of old school favorites. “Four” gave Garvey a chance to take lead on vocals and resulted in another jam that started out innocently enough and later ended with feverish guitar licks. Two great sets of music were capped off with a mild segue into longtime crowd favorite “Buster,” before Derhak thanked a fervently appreciative Capitol Theatre crowd.

Not missing out on one last chance to ramp up the holiday spirit, the moe. bassist emerged in full Santa garb for the encore which featured a fantastic cover choice in The Kinks’ “Father Christmas” and one last nod to the holiday album in “We’re A Couple Of Misfits,” the band’s interpretation of Hermey’s and Rudolph’s song of outcast from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. With a fantastic night of music in the books and a very successful food drive accomplished, one can only hope this is the start of a new holiday tradition for Port Chester and The Capitol Theatre, one of the more aesthetically pleasing and intimate venues the metropolitan area has to offer.

moe. ~ 12/03/16 ~ The Capitol Theatre ~ Port Chester, NY

Set 1: New York City, Linus & Lucy#, Head > Zed Naught Z > Head, Oh Hanukah##, Angel^, Recreational Chemistry

Set 2: Puebla > Don’t Wanna Be^^, Carol Of The Bells%, Downward Facing Dog, Prestige Worldwide%%, Four > Buster

Encore: Father Christmas+, We’re A Couple Of Misfits++

# LTP > 12/13/13
## LTP > 12/06/13
^ FTP > (original – al. song)
^^ FTP > (original – jim. song)
% LTP > 12/09/13
%% FTP > (original – rob. song – working title)
+ FTP > (cover – The Kinks)
++ LTP > 12/07/13

December 6, 2016
moe. Treats Philly to a Tarantinoe. Dance Off

Tarantinoe. Halloweenoe. The Fillmore in Philadelphia hosted moe.’s annual halloween bash this past weekend, featuring two back-to-back nights of movie-themed fun. After last years epic Star Wars theme, the band and their crew knocked one out of the park with a celebration based on movies and characters of Hollywood writer/director, Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino‘s gruesomely violent and detailed story writing presented the band and crew with an incredible amount of inspiration for set lists, costumes, and stage design.

Leading into Friday evening, moe. held a special one-hour meet and greet at The Foundry, a smaller venue located above the Fillmore, giving fans a chance to hang out with the band and enjoy some of their signature Saranac Hoppy Hour Hero beer at special pricing, including some specialty cocktails named after a few of moe.’s songs. Shortly after, fans dressed in various character outfits began to fill the venue in anticipation for the party to begin. The stage, subtly dressed with red velvet crowd control rope, stanchion posts, and a popcorn machine gave the appearance of a movie theater. Some lucky guests in the front row were even treated to some buttery popcorn as they patiently waited.

Within moments, Vinnie, Chuck, Jim, Al, and Rob all appeared on stage dressed to impress as the five main Reservoir Dogs, with black suits, sunglasses, and narrow ties. Moe. then kicked off the two-night event with the popular surf tune “Misirlou” the opening song to Pulp Fiction, before playing an alternate version of their own song “Crab Eyes” called “Crazy 88.” The three front men did a miraculous job re-writing lyrics to their own songs to fit the story line of some of Tarantino’s most popular movies. Next up was “Django,” an original score by Al, which he recorded and submitted to the producers of the movie Django Unchained. Although the song was liked and considered for the movie, it never made its way to the final cut. Closing out the first set with a crowd pleasing “Stuck in the Middle” from Reservoir Dogs, the group followed with a simply altered yet hefty version of “meat,” titled “gimp.”

The best surprise of the evening was Vinnie Amico singing “Magic Carpet Ride” which segued into a lyrically altered “Bear Song” before reprising the ending of M.C.R. Dialogue samples from Pulp Fiction were in abundance both nights as “Buster” began with a conversation clip between Jules and Vincent Vega about how filthy dogs and pigs are. The dancing continued as the guys jammed into “Jazz Wank” with a slightly altered but tasty “Four” following before finishing the set with an energetic “Pussy Wagon.”

To everyone’s delight, Al appeared for his usual encore announcements dressed in a sparkly gold dress with matching blonde wig. The dress appeared to look quite uncomfortable as Al suggested that everyone give props to women, he then proceeded to blow the lid off of The Fillmore with “WooHoo” from Kill Bill and “Godzilla” to close out night one.

Night two exceeded expectations with better attendance, more costumes, and higher energy than the previous show. Front of House Sound Engineer Steve Young and the crew, did a smashing job on creating a visually and purposeful set which included a chopped up Cadillac, separated into two pieces. Repainted and polished, the front and back of the caddy lit up with color-changing LED lights while the headlights and brakes lit up in sync with different sections of the songs. Stuffed with a cooler full of beverages for the band, the trunk provided some fun entertainment. A camera linked to the video screen on stage hid behind the cooler capturing moments of the guys smiling, waving, and showing off their beer cans to the crowd. The immensely thought out detail also included personalized “moe.ron” license plates with moe. stickers neatly stuck to the bumper, two walls designed like Jack Rabbit Slims restaurant and Crown Pawn Shop from Pulp Fiction, and a window cutout that displayed the bands’ extra guitars like they were for sale. It was a job well done, for sure!

The first set began with “Battle Without Honor Or Humanity” from Kill Bill and without huddle, the group blasted into a power-driven “Annihilation Blues.” Bringing back the cool surf energy, the group played out The Centurions’ “Bullwinkle Part II”. Chuck cleverly changed “Shoot First” into “Shot Marvin,” before they rocketed through “CalifornIA,” and closed out the set with a thrilling “Head” turned into “ear.”

After leaving enough time to mingle, have a drink and hit the bathroom, the house lights dimmed and a hilarious video montage of the band acting out a murderous gangster scene entertained the audience until moe. emerged to the stage with new costumes, appearing as if they just committed the slaying backstage. While Jim and Rob simply added masks to their black suits, Chuck morphed into Jules Winniefield, Vinnie into Vincent Vega, and Al into Jackie Brown (once again wearing a dress). But the dress didn’t stop Al from firing on all cylinders that night, especially while singing “Girl You’ll Be a Woman Soon” to the solos in during the “Vinnie Vega” and “Budd.”

The funkiest dance number of the evening was “Jungle Boogie” which featured a collage of Samuel L. Jackson samples, interestingly timed by Jim. A laid-back instrumental jam helped the band lead into “Watching Pulp Fiction,” finishing up the last segue of the night. Starting with an audio clip from the movie, moe. rounded up the second set with “Kill Bill,” the altered version of “Billy Goat.”

For the last hurrah of the weekend, contestants for their “dance off” twisted around stage as the band played “You Never Can Tell,” to remake the iconic Jack Rabbit Slim’s dance scene. Audience cheered to whom they thought was the best, thus eliminating one pair at a time to become the winners of the grand prize, a band-signed bowling pin and their own table at the side of the stage to enjoy the last song. Moe. then finished off strong with a lengthy rocking “Recreational Chemistry” before thanking everyone they possibly could for making the weekend so special, especially the fans.

See the band-made video clip from the show on their Facebook page.

Friday Set – 10/28/16

I: Misirlou*, Crazy 88^, Cissy Strut, Django#, Stuck In The Middle**, gimp.^^

II: Magic Carpet Ride*** > Wolf Song^^^ > Magic Carpet Ride***, Buster > Jazz Wank > Four > Pussy Wagon^^^^

Enc: Woo Hoo****, Godzilla

* FTP (cover – Dick Dale) > Pulp Fiction
^ alternate lyrics Crab Eyes
# FTP (original – al. song)
** FTP (cover – Stealers Wheel) > Reservoir Dogs
^^- alternate version of meat.
*** FTP (cover – Steppenwolf) > Reservoir Dogs
^^^ alternate lyrics for Bearsong
^^^^ alternate lytics for Paper Dragon
**** FTP (cover – 5.6.7.8.’s) > Kill Bill

[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”189″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_pro_horizontal_filmstrip” image_crop=”0″ image_pan=”1″ show_playback_controls=”1″ show_captions=”0″ caption_class=”caption_overlay_bottom” caption_height=”70″ aspect_ratio=”1.5″ width=”100″ width_unit=”%” transition=”fade” transition_speed=”1″ slideshow_speed=”5″ border_size=”0″ border_color=”#ffffff” override_thumbnail_settings=”1″ thumbnail_width=”120″ thumbnail_height=”90″ thumbnail_crop=”0″ ngg_triggers_display=”always” order_by=”pid” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

Saturday Set – 10/29/16

I: Battle Without Honor Or Humanity* >(nh) Annihilation Blues, Bullwinkle Part II**, Shot Marvin^ > CalifornIA > ear.^^

II: Girl You’ll Be A Woman Soon***, Vinny Vega^^^ > Rumble**** > Budd^^^^ > Jungle Boogie% > Watching Pulp Fiction#, Kill Bill#

Enc: You Never Can Tell%%, Recreational Chemistry

* FTP (cover – Tomoyasu Hotel) > Kill Bill
** FTP (cover – The Centurions) > Pulp Fiction
^ alternate lyrics to Shoot First
^^ alternate lyrics to head.
*** FTP (cover – Neil Diamond) > Pulp Fiction
^^^ alternate lyrics to Timmy Tucker
**** FTP (cover – Link Wray & His Ray Man) > Pulp Fiction
^^^^ alternate lyrics to Bring You Down
% FTP (Kool & The Gang) > Pulp Fiction
# alternate lyrics to Stranger Than Fiction
## alternate lyrics to Billy Goat
%% FTP (cover – Chuck Berry) > Pulp Fiction}

[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”190″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_pro_horizontal_filmstrip” image_crop=”0″ image_pan=”1″ show_playback_controls=”1″ show_captions=”0″ caption_class=”caption_overlay_bottom” caption_height=”70″ aspect_ratio=”1.5″ width=”100″ width_unit=”%” transition=”fade” transition_speed=”1″ slideshow_speed=”5″ border_size=”0″ border_color=”#ffffff” override_thumbnail_settings=”1″ thumbnail_width=”120″ thumbnail_height=”90″ thumbnail_crop=”0″ ngg_triggers_display=”always” order_by=”pid” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

November 3, 2016
Buffalo Scores Big with Two Nights of moe. at Town Ballroom

It had been well over a year since moe. graced the Town Ballroom stage, when they arrived at Buffalo this past weekend. With their annual 2-night stay, fans were happy to have the band “home” again and this time with a last minute opening act Floodwood, featuring Vinnie Amico, Tony Markellis, Jason Barady, Nick Piccininni, and Chris Eves. Floodwood picked, kicked, and hollered with delight to a sold out anxious crowd, which included an original debut by Eves, titled “Green and Blue” featuring some warm vocals and smooth fiddle. This top-notch group flooded the room with enough hip-swinging rhythms to warm up any venue in western New York.

Night one started off rocking with “Rainshine,” a straight-forward rock song, not played enough in rotation. Without “huddle,” Rob led the group into “Jazz Wank,” segueing into a more than an hour long “Buster” sandwich including a seamlessly paired “Lazarus > George” and Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb.” Garvey captivated listeners with his silver-tongued vocals as Schnier lead out the solo with lust and emotion. Since their late-night tribute set at The Peach Fest, the guys have been working more Floyd tunes into their sets for the Fall tour.

Second set sluggishly took off with “Lost Along the Way,” picking up momentum during the instrumental section. The crowded Town Ballroom was then treated to a thick tasty “MEAT” sandwich, doubling up for the evening. The peak of the evening was surely this mamma-jamma, stuffed with tight-fitted solos from each member during “Akimbo” and “Silver Sun.” Topping off the night, Loughlin delivered radiant vocals on Frank Zappa’s “Cosmik Debris,” a tune first debuted at last years Halloween show in Philly.

Sparing little time and energy on Saturday, moe. returned to the stage of the Ballroom and hit-the-deck running with “Blue Jeans Pizza.” Chuck took it upon himself to set fire during the jam, enough to slap a consistent smile on Rob’s face for the duration. Al’s fun piano chops held together an interesting yet playful segue jam before switching to guitar for “Mexico,” which led into Merle Haggard‘s “Mama Tried.” Having only played that twice as a band (Once in 1997 and again last April), the majority of the audience sang along and danced their cares away. Acknowledging the culminating energy, Garvey simply stated “Round 2.”

Next, came a massive “Opium” containing plenty of sustained twang-ish slide guitar work, carried over by Chuck from the previous tune. A lengthy version allowed Vinnie to change up drumming styles, easing his way into “Understand.” Garvey took to the voice box for an honorable rendition of David Bowie’s “Fame” followed by “Same Old Story” to round off the first set.

Commencing the second set with “In the Flesh,” moe. proved how much they’re enjoying playing Pink Floyd as well as utilizing Jim’s voice. Given the opportunity, the ensemble intensely kicked up the energy with “Spaz Medicine.” Next came the last “sandwich” of the weekend with “Yodelittle > Down Boy > Yodelittle” featuring some notable lighting work by Pulse Lighting‘s own Justin Casey, who’s been having too much fun with the Clay Paky B-Eyes and Chauvet Rogue R1 FX-B series lights. After a brief pause, Garvey worked up some slide guitar again for “Shoot First” before segueing into an impressive “Billy Goat > Kids.”

Just before moe. took to the stage one last time, Schnier proceeded with the nightly “Al.nouncements” tradition. Unable to resist, he riled up the Buffalo crowd asking “So, here’s the question, are we gonna win tomorrow?” referring to the Bills vs. New England Patriots game on Sunday. With some New England fans scattered throughout the audience and on stage as well, the response was a little heated tho undeniably entertaining as Al had to explain that Bills Nation lasts year-long. moe. finished up their two-night “hometown” run with “Not Coming Down” and “Spine of a Dog,” giving Buffalo another win of the weekend.

Friday Night Photos by Tim Merrill

[ngg_images gallery_ids=”134″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_pro_slideshow”]

Saturday Night Photos by Jim Houle

[ngg_images gallery_ids=”136″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_pro_slideshow”]

October 4, 2016
MTV Live teams with nugs.net for Weekly Jam Series

Jam fans looking for a live fix at home will soon be able to get it via MTV Live beginning Oct. 2. The recently re-branded cable channel (formerly Palladia) has teamed up with nugs.net for a weekly series of live music from the nugs vaults called nugs.net Live Stash.

According to Jambase, the premiere episode airs this Sunday night and features a performance from the Disco Biscuits at their Camp Bisco festival this July. Each week’s broadcast will feature shows from the nugs.net vaults.

The show airs at 9:00 p.m. each Sunday and according to the Jambase post, Widespread Panic will be visiting living rooms across the country on Oct. 9 in a show taken from the band’s July visit to Red Rocks.

Further examination of the trailer (shown below) reveals clips from Dead and Company, Phil and Friends and moe.

September 28, 2016
Just Say YES: Everyone Orchestra Gathers in Syracuse

On Thursday night at the Westcott Theater, Matt Butler and Everyone Orchestra concocted a musical potion that had us all under a spell.   Butler played the role of lead hypnotist as he memorized not only the crowd, but also the band that he so craftily pulled together for this outstanding evening of sonic surprises.

Binghamton-based three-piece, Several Sons, opened the blissful trifecta of acts with their mellow harmonies and soulful unplugged sound. Their performance featured Bradford Allen on cajón drum for the entirety of the performance, which created a backyard fire-pit vibe. Kevin Ludwig took over the lead vocals and rhythm guitar, paving the way for Jack Bucher to display his bluesy chops on lead guitar. The mostly instrumental set list was capped off by a folk rock original, “Moonshine,” paying tribute to the act of getting drunk with friends. What a way to send us off into a set break.

Located just a couple of cities to the left of Syracuse is the blue-collar, “Bills Mafia” community of Buffalo, NY. Football probably holds the title for most discussed topic of conversation on a Saturday night, but I can guarantee that the local groove-rock quartet, Aqueous, is definitely on the minds of many Western New Yorkers. Their appropriately named, “2016 Random Company Tour,” fits the bill perfectly as the entire room anxiously awaits their arrival to the stage.    As they entered to DMX’s “Party Up (Up In Here)” blaring on the speakers, we hoped they were about to make us lose our minds (sorry, I went there) and lose our minds we did.

“Strange Times” was first up and allowed Mike Gantzer and Dave Loss to share the spotlight on vocals and guitar solos. The two methodically went line-for-line on this lyrically appealing tune before dropping into a sludgy, greasy transition. Evan McPhaden pounded away on bass to symbolically clean up the jam goo.   Solid improvising segued into “The Median” off the 2014 album, Cycles. Rob Houk’s drumming showcased their genre blending skills by combining elements of progressive rock and reggae with a hint of electronica. There was one point towards the end of “Median” where it almost sounded like a completely different piece, but long time fan, Mitch (the guy on the rail whose head seemed to explode note to note), explained that this phenomenon is common during one of their juiciest originals.   Loss then seamlessly goes back and forth from guitar to keys while Gatzner pans for gold on lead guitar during the third and final song of the set, “Don’t Do It.” The crowd was definitely thirsty for more after the brief second act, but with Everyone Orchestra being served as an entrée, just about the entire room decided to take a break outside to work up an even stronger appetite.

Butler appeared on stage with his 7-piece mixture of talent to specify the guidelines of the show. He would be writing notes to the band and the crowd on his simple yet effective white board while signaling to all of us via hand gestures, screams resembling words and Hulk Hogan-like crowd controls. Realistically, Butler runs the show like a drag race in the movie Grease, “Rules are, there ain’t no rules.” The ceremony began with Butler warming up the fingers of the esteemed group of musicians as they delivered a tight and funky beat that got the room dancing immediately. Eric Yates deserves the first MVP award of the night due to his funky banjo plucking while Ryan Montbleau deserves a shout out for creating the lyrics, “What do I see in my sight? Westcott Theater on a Thursday night.” Rob Derhak’s bass was bumping along with Emanuel Washington’s drumbeat when Butler asked the crowd to throw an idea at Montbleau for additional lyrics. The best we could up with was “sexy night” which morphed into an entire band-crowd, call-response of “Ugly, sexy night, yeah!”

After a brief stretch of weirdness, the conductor brought us all back down to planet Earth and asked Yates to pick away on the banjo during a fast-paced, unusual and unplanned cover of Bob Dylan’s “Buckets of Rain.” The Westcott was transformed into an old-timey honky-tonk as the band turned the Dylan cover into something reminiscent of Johnny Cash in his prime. Montbleau and Yates had a dueling guitar-banjo section before turning the spotlight to moe.’s Al Schnier for a signature guitar solo. Syracuse’s own Adam Gold from Sophistafunk kicked off the next piece with a heavy yet buttery organ solo. Butler did an amazing job of hazing the Everyone Orchestra freshmen as each member of Sophistafunk joined the group for the first time on Thursday. The conductor wrote, “This is Part A” on the iPad while scribbling up directions on his whiteboard for only the band’s eyes to see. Tommy Weeks took over to deliver a spectacular sax solo before returning to Gold for a spacey synth solo. The baton was passed back to Montbleau for an Everyone Orchestra modification of his original “Dead Set” which features the lyrics “Observe your mind, and stop your thinking” which is good advice for a band expected to go with their gut on these improvised reconstructions.

Aqueous guitarist Mike Gantzer returned to the stage and the applause grew when Butler informed us that it was his birthday. “Soft” was written on the whiteboard as Gantzer took over with a silky guitar riff. The crowd participation was at an all time high as we yelled “Birthday” to celebrate the joyous occasion. The band was fully in sync at this point in the performance and it was evident through the design of a new smash hit “Hotel Party” which Montbleau creatively developed before our eyes.   “There’s ice in the bathtub” and “Everyone’s invited” were only some of the outstanding sporadic lyrics sung by Montbleau which brought a collective smile to the room. Gantzer channeled the energy of Jerry Garcia, with a liquid fuzz distortion on his incredible solo before Gold killed the keys on Butler’s command. After the Holiday Inn jungle boogie, the show wrapped up in an epic formation of nine band members with the addition of David Loss from Aqueous and the return of Eric Yates on banjo. The conductor looked more like a mad scientist as he circled the stage giving each and every member one last time to shine. The evening was capped off with birthday boy Gantzer’s in-your-face knockout solo.

Butler thanked the crowd and noted that after 15 years of asking members of different bands to come together so that he can live his dream, they keep showing up and they keep showing up! There is no question that this traveling circus of insane talent brought the goods to Syracuse on Thursday. Some bands spend years touring and writing music together to find out what it is that makes them unique. Matt Butler pulls the rabbit out of his hat night after night by creating the magic rather than searching for it. He is a composer, a communicator, and a connector all in one while leaving his mark on music through his whiteboard, iPad and multitude of invisible air instruments.   When asked to join the Everyone Orchestra in the future, just say, “Yes” and strap in for a truly special ride.

Aqueous Setlist: Strange Times> The Median, Don’t Do It

Everyone Orchestra Setlist (To the best of my ability): Funky Intro, Jam (Ugly Sexy Night), Buckets of Rain*, Part A Jam> Dead Set**, Gatzner’s Birthday Jam, Hotel Party Jam, Set Closing Jam

*Bob Dylan Cover (Blood on the Tracks)

** Ryan Montbleau Cover (For Higher)

September 20, 2016
Hobbled moe. Peps Energetic Saranac Crowd

It’s a Central New York institution put on by New York’s jam band. For the second consecutive evening, moe., complete with an injured bassist, shook the Saranac Brewery to its hoppy core on Saturday with two sets filled with guitar-driven improvisation, fun set lists and even a few unconventional covers.

Bassist Rob Derhak was in a seat for the entire show, laid up with a leg injury, which did not limit him in any way, as he was as animated as ever in the band’s annual residency in Utica. If Friday’s show was more laid back, then Saturday’s was a lesson in in-your-face rock and roll.

And warming up the rowdy crowd was funk band Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. PPPP laid down a straightforward set filled with danceable and rhythmic numbers. Out of the gate, “Seat Of My Pants” featured a big solo each from guitarists Al Schnier and Chuck Garvey, which were catapulted by the backing beats of drummer Vinnie Amico. “Big World”>”Ricky Marten”>”Spine Of A Dog”>”Not Coming Down”>”Wormwood”>”Okayalright” took up the next hour or so. While there wasn’t a section of the groove that stands out as supreme, the songs flowed together, allowing moe. to display the tight musicianship they’re loved for. “McBain” featured a short outro jam that crescendo-ed the crowd into happy oblivion just before setbreak.

In 2015, Saranac released a moe.-themed beer, aptly titled Hoppy Hour Hero, a strong IPA that was the featured beverage of the night. (Amico discussed this and a range of other topics with NYSMusic back in May). Without hesitation, moe. began playing “Happy Hour Hero,” which exulted a huge road from the attendees.

“Bearsong” began and amidst the noodling emerged an unusual treat: House of Pain’s iconic hit “Jump Around.” It’s expected for moe. to throw in covers here and there, but I was among many who didn’t see this coming. The crowd sang every word of the anthemic chorus, before the band veered into “Tailspin.”

“Opium” then bled into “lylelovit.” With the curfew approaching, and the guitars dueling, Schnier began “Downward Facng Dog,” eliciting a huge applause, and closed out the energetic and overall very good set with “32 Things.”

“Buster” brought the 2016 Saranac run to a close and gave the moe.ron famoe.ly nothing but smiles and happiness. The band thanked the crowd and exited, and everyone in my area began hugging and embracing.

Now that the band has found a legitimate home in CNY, it begs the question: Is moe. ever bringing moe.down back? Amico has said it will be back, so now we just have to wait. But two nights at Saranac every summer is a pretty great consolation.

07/30/2016 • Saranac Brewery • Utica, NY
Summer Tour 2016

Set 1: Seat Of My Pants>,Big World > Ricky Marten > Spine Of A Dog > Not Coming Down > Wormwood > Okayalright McBain

Set 2: Happy Hour Hero, Bearsong > Jump Around > Tailspin >, Opium > lylelovit.>, Downward Facing Dog >, 32 Things

Encore: Buster

August 6, 2016
moe. Brings More Than Tasty Brews to Saranac On Friday July 30, 2016

Some families, if they’re lucky, have reunions every year or so. If you’re a moe.ron, its whenever moe. the band is able to park it and throw down for a couple of days. Last weekend, the boys dropped into their old stomping grounds of Utica for two nights of their annual stint at the Saranac Brewery, over July 30-31, 2016; bringing a wave of openers and late night shows, along with their own bust-outs and full throttle psychedelic rock to 830 Varick St.

With Ryan Montbleau opening the first night, fans were treated to a full band which, in typical Montbleau fashion, kicked off the weekend with sulky vibes mixed with high intensity big band sounds encapsulated within a small ensemble.

People who know what a Montbleau Band show is capable of were buzzing over his electricity and for those who only thought they knew, were served a healthy dose of wild female vocals, buttery trombone, crazy fingered keys, and the smooth charm of the talented singer-songwriter.

With gray skies, high heat and humidity hovering, a crowd with a propensity for partying gave moe. full-bellied cheers as the first set began with the classic ,”Timmy Tucker,” a sign that things were off to a great start. “Timmy” sneakily segued into the bouncy “Threw It All Away” followed by another segue back into “Timmy.”

A quick hello and welcome to Utica from bassist Rob Derhak led into the cautionary, in-your-face monster, “Don’t Fuck With Flo” followed by “CIA.” Fans were then treated to two covers, “Fame” by the late David Bowie, and Steely Dan’s “Bodhisattava,” with Ryan Montbleau, accompanied by his female vocalists, sitting in on the performance. The two covers showcased guitarist Chuck Garvey’s vocal abilities and classic rock chops to help close out a stellar first set.

The second set began with a bang, as drummer Vinnie Amico rolled off the opening beats to “Water,” followed by the instrumental ditty “Hector’s Pillow;” the first two songs of a six-song segue. The beloved “Bring You Down” began patiently, but the jam soon grew to heights the song is known to reach. Yet each time the beauty of it is expanded upon as guitarist Al Schnier soloed his way into the songs closing lines, “be with me, be with me,” all while checking off stats as the first time played in the city as well as at the brewery.

The last half of the segues included the epic “Silver Sun”. The Pink Floyd inspired tune quickly turned into a beast as it transitioned into the Grateful Dead’s “The Other One,” using the same quadraphonic sound implemented earlier in the summer by the bands front-of-house engineer, Steve Young. Heads were spinning as sound echoed from the towering brewery back onto the fully loaded crowd and segued back into “Silver Sun.”

The night was completed with “Mar De Ma,” an Amico-penned instrumental honoring his wife and daughters, “Y.O.Y,”, and “Plane Crash.”

Much to many fan’s pleasure, the band strayed from the setlist and chose “Sensory Deprivation Bank” for the encore. Attendees were then unleashed into the streets to take part in the late night acts offered throughout Varick Street.

moe – Saranac Brewery, Utica, NY – July 30, 2016

Set I: Timmy Tucker > Threw It All Away > Timmy Tucker, Don’t Fuck With Flo > CalifornIA > (n.h.) Fame, Bodhisattava

Set II: Water > Hector’s Pillow > Bring You Down, Silver Sun > The Other One > Silver Sun, Mar-DeMa (n.h.) Y.O.Y., Plane Crash

Enc: Sensory Deprivation Bank

August 5, 2016
Peach Music Fest Returns to Montage Mountain, Gregg Allman Cancels

In just one week, The Peach Music Festival will return to Montage Mountain in Scranton, PA for their fifth annual four-day celebration. The festival is slated for August 11 – 14. Jamband fans from all over the country will head up the mountain for headliners Trey Anastasio Band and The String Cheese Incident. Due to illness, Gregg Allman canceled his tour including his headlining performances at Peach Fest. Allman was scheduled to play his own set as well as one with SCI known as “The Gregg Allman Incident. At this time it is unclear what the festival plans to do for a replacement.

Originally an Allman Brother’s Band festival, the spirit of ABB will live on with Warren Haynes’ appearance in Gov’t Mule as well as “Wake Up with Warren Haynes.” In addition, Les Brers is scheduled to perform at Peach Festival, created by Butch Trucks, founding member of the ABB.

Festival goers can take advantage of the mountain for camping as well as the on-site waterpark to cool off. The site features three stages including The Pavillion at Montage Mountain, a unique and beautiful venue.

In addition to the headlining acts, other anticipated performances include The Claypool Lennon Delirium, two sets of moe., Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Railroad Earth, two sets of Dark Star Orchestra, Anders Osborne and more.

Late night sets will sprawl across three stages including a special Pink Floyd set from moe. and a two-hour set with Umphrey’s McGee. The Floozies, Cabinet, Flux Capacitor and a Pink Floyd set by Electron will all tear up the after midnight scene.

New this year, and in line what Front Gate Tickets did for Camp Bisco hosted at Montage Mountain in July, ticket holders were sent chipped wrist bands over the traditional cloth bracelets.

Tickets for the Peach Music Festival are available at www.thepeachmusicfestival.com

August 5, 2016