NYS Music 20​17

Tag: moe.

  • Revisit moe.downs 11-15 and the Festival’s Return to Snow Ridge

    The third and final chapter in NYS Music’s three part series on moe.down revisits the 11th through 15th festivals. In 2010, the band moved the festival from the grounds of Turin, NY, where they spent the last decade, to a new location at Gelston Castle Estate in Mohawk, New York. For the next two years, moe.down would call this location home.

    moe.down XI

    Line-up: moe. The Black Keys. Nas & Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley. Mike Gordon. Lotus. Grace Potter and The Nocturnals. Punch Brothers. Built to Spill. Tortoise. Ryan Montbleau Band. The Macpodz. The Brew. Monkey Wrench. Orgone. Turbine. Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds.

    moe.

    moe.down XI was the first time a multi-day festival had been held at the Gelston venue. Infrastructure had to be built to pump in water to the campgrounds and crude roads had to be roughly smoothed out to get attendees on site. This first year on the grounds also brought drizzles of rain throughout, as well as a chill, damp air that lingered each day, with touches of sun peaking through here and there.

    The original line-up in 2010 featured Jakob Dylan, but he unfortunately had to back out and was replaced with Grace Potter and The Nocturnals for this year’s events. It’s not very often that artists on the original line-up have to back out, but this year’s schedule change kept the flow going. Who doesn’t love watching Grace Potter literally grace the stage with her beauty, Flying V guitar in hand, and breathy vocals melting into the microphone? Other noteworthy performances over the weekend included sets by Phish bassist Mike Gordon and his solo band, who’s set included Radiohead’s “15 step,” as well as The Brew blowing up the venue with an unexpected cover of Foreigner’s “Juke Box Hero.”

    Host band moe. played on the main stage each day of the festival. The customary kids parade occurred on Saturday, with the stream of kids attending ending up on the main stage while moe. laid down some energetic jams. Each year, a mayor is chosen by the audience. The winner of the annual election of the mayor of moe.down went to Rage Lincoln and his reading of the Headysburg Address.

    Notable sets included the evening Saturday set that opened with “Plane Crash” and then closed out the night, before encore, going back into “Plane Crash,” bringing the night’s performance to a smooth finish.  The last night of the festival, moe. busted out a twisty turny extended “Farmer Ben” that was crammed with nuggets of unexpected surprises. Hints and teases of Rush splashed about through the jam, including touches of “Spirit of Radio,” “Tom Sawyer,” and “Working Man.”

    moe. fan, Mike Quinn, looked back at some of his most unforgettable moments from moe.down and this year in particular brought fond memories. “I’ve been lucky enough to witness some really amazing things at moe.down. I’ve seen friends get engaged (moe.down 11) and then two years later get married at the top of the hill (moe.down 13). I was with my friends when they felt their son in utero kick for the first time at moe.down (11).”

    Check out a smoking “Recreational Chemistry” from 9/4/2010:

    9/3/10 – Gelston Castle Estate – Mohawk, NY
    Set 1: Zed Naught Z>(nh) Time Again>Waiting For The Punchline, Blue Jeans Pizza>(nh) Captain America>Puebla>George, Brent Black>Akimbo

    Encore: Brent Black>Billy Goat

    9/4/10 – Gelston Castle Estate – Mohawk, NY
    Set 1: Skrunk>Lazarus>Spine Of A Dog*, New York City^, St. Augustine>32 Things

    Encore: Y.O.Y.^^

    Set 2: Plane Crash>Hector.’s Pillow>Bring You Down, Daydreaming, Paranoid Android#>Ricky Marten>Time Ed

    Set 3: Seat Of My Pants>(nh) Bearsong>(nh) Runaway Overlude>(nh) Recreational Chemistry, Not Coming Down>Wormwood>Plane Crash

    Encore: Faker

    * w/ Powerhouse ending
    ^ moe.down Kids’ Tent Parade
    ^^ Dedicated to Monkey Wrench (who played on the Buzz Stage right afterwards)
    # Last time played 7/20/07

    9/5/10 – Gelston Castle Estate – Mohawk, NY
    Set 1: Buster>Haze>Yodelittle>McBain, Cornflake Girl>(nh) Timmy Tucker

    Set 2: Moth>Queen Of Everything, Four>Rebubula

    Encore: Deep This Time, Tubing The River Styx>The Pit>Farmer Ben**>Moth

    * Ben jam section: Ben>Spirit Of The Radio (Rush)>Ben>Tom Sawyer (Rush)>Ben>Working Man (Rush)>Powerhouse>Ben

    moe.down XII

    Line-up: moe. The Levon Helm Band (featuring special guest Bob Weir). Ween. TV On The Radio. Slightly Stoopid. Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers. Ozomatli. Railroad Earth. The New Mastersounds. Rubblebucket. Danger Muffin. The Ragbirds. Empire Sound. Band. Gary Clark, Jr.

    This year’s three-day event called into question whether it may even go on. Hurricane Irene rolled through the area just a few days prior, shutting down the flooded thruway. Those concerns were dashed, however, as the thruway opened and the show went on.

    moe.

    Once again, the festival was held at Gelston Castle Estate in Mohawk, NY. One big draw was heavy hitter Bob Weir as special guest with The Levon Helm Band. Gary Clark, Jr., an up and coming artist at that time, was slated to perform, along with well seasoned bands, Ween and Slightly Stoopid. Railroad Earth also made an appearance, and will be returning to this year’s moe.down.

    The weather did have it’s say on some of the schedule during the weekend. The Levon Helm Band was postponed for nearly an hour due to lightning in the area. Fans took shelter under tarps and tents until the storm subsided. When the band finally took to the stage, Bob Weir sat in for their moving set.

    On Saturday, moe. performed back to back sets in the evening, with the encore featuring “Crab Eyes” played on iPads to honor the passing of Steve Jobs. Sunday’s moe. evening sets brought Bob Weir to the stage as he joined in on a jaw dropping triple punch during “The Other One>Smokestack Lightning>The Other One.” The winner of this year’s mayor of moe.down was announced before encore and went to both Bob Weir and Rob’s hair. “Spine of a Dog” and “Seat of My Pants” brought the festival to a close.

    Check out the band performing “Crab Eyes” completely on iPads:

    9/2/11 Gelston Castle Estate – Mohawk, NY
    Set 1: Captain America, Down Boy>(nh) Skrunk>George, Where Does The Time Go?>Dr. Graffenberg, Deep This Time>32 Things

    Encore: Plane Crash

    9/3/11 Gelston Castle Estate – Mohawk, NY
    Set I: Rise>(nh) St. Augustine, She Sends Me, Nebraska^, Puebla>(nh) Mar-Dema>Timmy Tucker, Hi & Lo>Moth

    Set 2: Good Trip>Akimbo, Blue Jeans Pizza, Downward Facing Dog, Tubing the River Styx>The Pit, Haze@>Rebubula@

    Set 3: meat.>Don’t Fuck With Flo>Yodelittle>Lazarus, Four>Buster

    Encore: Crab Eyes**, Bearsong

    * w/ moe.down Kid’s Tent Parade
    @ w/ al. on ’74 double-neck Gibson
    ** w/ band playing on iPads

    9/4/11 Gelston Castle Estate – Mohawk, NY
    Set 1: Rainshine, Happy Hour Hero, Big World>Ricky Marten>The Other One*#>Smokestack Lightning*##>The Other One*#, Stuck Inside of Mobile (with the Memphis Blues Again)@*%, Feel Like A Stranger*%%

    Set 2: Wind It Up, Faker>Billy Goat, Suck A Lemon, Paper Dragon>Recreational Chemistry

    Encore: Mayor of moe.ville Election$, Spine of a Dog>Seat of My Pants

    * w/ Bob Weir
    @ w/ al. on mandolin
    # LTP > 7/17/09
    ## FTP – Chester Burnett, a.k.a. Howlin’ Wolf cover
    % FTP – Bob Dylan cover
    %% FTP – Grateful Dead cover 
    $ w/ Bob Weir (and rob.’s hair) elected mayor

    moe.

    moe.down XIII

    Line-up: moe. Umphrey’s McGee. North Mississippi Allstars Duo. SOJA. Bright Light Social Hour. Timbre Coup. Aqueous. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. Galactic. The Wood Brothers. Marco Benevento. Kyle Hollingsworth. The Everyone Orchestra. Leroy Justice. JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound. Infantree.

    This year’s moe.down was moved back to the original Turin, NY venue at Snow Ridge Ski Resort.  It was also moved up to an earlier date, this time in August. The move back to the original venue, as well as an earlier time slot made for a successful festival, and one of their best to date. Fans were ecstatic to be back on the old stomping grounds and, much to their delight, were able to experience two full sets of moe. each day. 2012 also brought much anticipated camping areas designated for families and sober attendees.

    It just wouldn’t be a moe.down without some rain in the forecast. Occasional showers rolled in on Friday night, but the bands that took to the stage made sure to keep the energy going late into the night. Once again, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals performed, opening up the main stage on the first day. She later joined in with moe. during their cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter.”

    Saturday’s second set by moe. in the evening turned spicy as Galactic joined the group on stage to bust out The Band’s “Up On Cripple Creek,” which was immediately followed by a hefty jam session by both. The double jamming session continued as they flowed into “How Many More Years” with both Vinnie Amico and Jim Loughlin on percussion.

    One attendee, Chris Perrault, recalls the magic of this year’s festival overall. “Musically, I remember standing high up on the hill as the sun was setting, watching everyone groove. As the sun went down, everything became electric or illuminated. The stage. The hula hoops. The glow sticks. But mostly the dancers and the music just changed course from happy daytime music to crunchy ‘oh, you want to get down? Well, then let’s!’ It was fantastic!”

    Sunday’s performances brought a heavy hitting set by Umphrey’s McGee, which included a sit-in by Stanley Jordan. moe.’s evening performance included Umphrey’s McGee joining in for a band switch during a double dose of Pink Floyd covers, performing “Time” and “Breathe.” This year’s mayor of moe.down went to Goldbond. A surprise second set delighted fans as fireworks blew up in the sky, with “Billy Goat>meat.” bringing the event to a close.

    8/10/12 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY
    Set 1: Plane Crash@ >(nh) Not Coming Down@ > Wormwood > Okayalright, Gimme Shelter*#, Tubing The River Styx > The Pit > Puebla > Timmy Tucker, Letter Home^, Wind It Up

    Set 2: Tailspin## > head., Happy Hour Hero**, McBain > Skrunk > Brent Black

    Encore: Seat Of My Pants^^ >(nh) Akimbo

    @ w/ al. on ’74 Gibson double-neck guitar
    *w/ Grace Potter on vox
    ** w/ Kyle Hollingsworth on keys
    ^ ’97 / Reggae version
    ^^ SDB tease
    # Last time played 3/06/08
    ## Last time played 1/31/11

    8/11/12 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY
    Set 1: Crab Eyes>(nh) Down Boy>(nh) The Bones Of Lazarus, Blue Eyed Son@, Captain America>Waiting For The Punchline, Faker>Moth

    Set 2: Paper Dragon>Dr. Graffenberg, Sticks and Stones, Zed Naught Z>Don’t Fuck With Flo>Zed Naught Z, Up On Cripple Creek*>moe. / Galactic Jam>How Many More Years**, George, Recreational Chemistry

    @ w/ al on electric mandolin
    * w/ Galactic
    ** Galactic w/ Vin & Jim on percussion

    8/12/12 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY
    Set 1: Haze@, It>St. Augustine>Downward Facing Dog, Bring It Back Home*, Spine Of A Dog>Buster

    Set 2: Bullet>Deep This Time, The Road>Kyle’s Song>Kids, Time^>moe. / Umphrey’s band-switch>Breathe

    Encore: Rebubula

    Encore 2: Billy Goat>meat.

    @ w/ al on ’74 Gibson double-neck guitar
    * w/ moe.down Kid’s Tent Parade
    ^ w/ Umphrey’s McGee
    Mayor of moe.ville = Goldbond
    Fireworks went off after Rebubula, and band played a 2nd encore as surprise to fans

    moe.down XIV

    Line-up: moe. Steve Kimock Band. Mike Dillon Band. Conehead Buddha. Pennyshine. Conspirator. Stanley Jordan Trio. Savoy. Floodwood. Dr. Dog. Del McCoury Band. Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe. RAQ. Eastbound Jesus. Wolf! The Stepkids.

    This year’s event was once again held in Turin, NY. The crowd of attendees was much smaller, and more intimate, than usual. Friday’s musical set began on a stylish note, as the Del McCoury Band took to the stage. With perfectly coifed hair and stylish suits, these guys brought nothing but class and bluegrass to the stage. It was a refreshing musical change to the festival without a doubt. moe.’s Friday set included a tip of the hat to Jerry Garcia with a performance of “Casey Jones,” as the anniversary of his death was August 9. For the first time in recent years, the Friday night sky was crystal clear, without a hint of rain in sight.

    moe.

    Saturday’s events brought a lost wandering Beagle puppy to the attention of everyone.  moe. even made an announcement to try and find the owner.  Without any luck finding who the dog belonged to, she was eventually turned over to the local Humane Society, to which she was appropriately named “Moe.Na.” Speaking of moe., their evening set busted out a ridiculously energetic version of “Plane Crash” that included Shannon and Terry Lynch, of Conehead Buddhas, on horns. If that wasn’t enough to blow fans away, second set was basically one of the most insane sets they’ve ever played. Fierce compositions followed one after the other, filled with emotional jams that brought a wave of energy up and down as the melodies ebbed into each other. That set brought down the house, and had fans staring in disbelief at the amazing shreds the band was throwing out to the mountain side.

    Sunday’s musical delights included the Mike Dillon Band, with Carly Meyers of ROAR! crushing a killer trombone as part of the ever rotating cast of musicians in this project. Stanley Jordan, famous for his two-handed tapping guitar style, had fans who’ve never seen him perform watch on in awe and dropped jaws. Speaking of Jordan, he joined moe. during encore with “Rebubula,” after the new mayor of moe.down went to the ditch. “Happy Hour Hero” closed out the year, followed by the annual fireworks display.

    Watch moe.’s entire second set from 8/10/13:

    8/9/13 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY
    Set 1 Big World>Ricky Marten>Bring You Down, Casey Jones, Blue Jeans Pizza>Silver Sun>Mexico

    Set 2: St. Augustine>32 Things, Deal#, Time Ed>Water*>Brent Black%>Mar-DeMa>Time Ed

    Encore: Spine Of A Dog**

    # LTP > 12/02/12
    * w/ Enter Sandman Jam
    % unfinished
    ** w/ Powerhouse ending

    8/10/13 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY
    Set 1: Skrunk>Timmy Tucker, Wind It Up, Godzilla*, Puebla>Tubing The River Styx>The Pit>Plane Crash**

    Set 2: Smoke>Chromatic Nightmare>Smoke>Recreational Chemistry>Akimbo>Tubing The River Styx>Seat Of My Pants>meat.#>Brent Black^

    Encore: Traveling Light##, Dr. Graffenberg

    * w/ Chris Michetti on guitar
    ** w/ Shannon & Terry Lynch on horns
    ^ completes 8/09/13 version
    # unfinished
    ## first time played- (cover – JJ Cale) – dedicated to JJ Cale and Mikey Houser

    8/11/13 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY
    Set 1: Stranger Than Fiction, Suck A Lemon, Crackers, Bearsong*, Billy Goat > CalfironIA >(nh) Y.O.Y.>Buster**

    Set 2: Queen Of Everything, Moth>Hi & Lo>Opium, Yodelittle%>meat.#, The Bones Of Lazarus>George

    Encore: – Rebubula^, Happy Hour Hero^^

    * w/ moe.down Kids Parade & Carly Meyers on trombone
    ** w/ Mike Dillon on percussion
    % w/ Stanley Jordan on guitar
    # completes 8/10/13 version
    – Ditch voted in as mayor. of moe.ville
    ^ w/ Stanley Jordan on guitar & Kenwood Dennard switched out for a period of time with Vin, who played percussion with Jim, before switching back with Kenwood on drums
    ^^ Fireworks were shot afterwards

    moe.down XV

    Line-up: moe. Gogol Bordello, O.A.R., Lotus, Solve, Les Claypool’s Duo De Twang, Jerry Douglas Band, Everyone Orchestra, Twiddle, Floodwood, Aqueous, The Werks, Conehead Buddha, American Babies, Wild Adriatic

    Since 2000, moe. has been hosting this festival for fans, friends and family. This year, the three day festival was especially welcome as the event returned to the original Labor Day weekend date at Snow Ridge in Turin, NY. Not having to go to work on Monday was a big factor for fans, as many did not want to miss the epic fireworks display after the band’s last song on Sunday. The rain held up for most of the weekend, keeping the grounds dry during the day.

    Two bands making debut appearances this year included Twiddle and Wild Adriatic. Both bands are scheduled to appear this year for moe.down XVI. Conehead Buddha, Lotus, and Les Claypool’s Due De Twang gave powerhouse performance sets jam packed with high energy. Lotus took the place of The Rich Robinson Band, who were originally scheduled to perform. The most surprising act of the festival was from Gogol Bordello, an intensely high energy band whose music was a combination of bordello, punk and theatrics all rolled into one.

    moe.’s Saturday evening performance included the members of Conehead Buddha horns joining the group on stage for the majority of the set. moe. put out the call to fans stating that if their Facebook page reached 100,000 likes, they would play a “Voter’s Choice” song during moe.down. They did not disappoint. They brought out the rare instrumental “Canned Pastries,” that had only been played five times previously, making it’s last appearance on the setlist on August 25, 1994. Before the encore of “Rebubula,” the mayor of moe.ville was announced.  This year finally went to Rex Thomson, who had been competing for the mayor for the past few years.

    Check out the encore which wrapped up the last moe.down three years ago:

    8/29/14 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY
    Set 1: meat.*>Dr. Graffenberg>Low, Same Old Story, Chromatic Nightmare, Don’t Fuck With Flo>Timmy Tucker, White Lightning Turpentine, Faker>meat.

    Encore: Spine Of A Dog>Seat Of My Pants

    * w/ Bullet Jam / false start

    8/30/14 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY
    Set 1: Mar-DeMa>(nh) Captain America, Okayalright>(nh) Crab Eyes, This I Know, Billy Goat%, Skrunk>Blue Jeans Pizza>Waiting For The Punchline Reprise>Waiting For The Punchline, Downward Facing Dog

    Set 2: Yodelittle>(nh) Bullet, Nebraska*, Spaz Medicine*, Happy Hour Hero*>Mexico*>Akimbo*>Tenth Avenue Freeze Out*

    Set 3: Silver Sun, Threw It All Away*, Not Coming Down*>Wormwood*>Brittle End*, The Wizard*^, Spanish Moon*>Blond Hair And Blue Eyes*, Late In The Evening*, Plane Crash*

    Encore: Jazz Wank>Hava Negilah>Long Island Girls Rule

    % w/ moe.down Kid’s Tent Parade
    * w/ Conehead Buddha horns: Shannon Lynch on saxaphone, Terry Lynch on trumpet, Shaun Bazylewicz on trombone
    ^ w/ Terry Lynch on vox

    8/31/14 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY
    Set 1: Paper Dragon, Annihilation Blues, Do Or Die, Water>Hector’s Pillow>Four>32 Things, Canned Pastries#
    Set 2: Big World>Rickey Marten>Time Ed>Moth, Puebla>Kyle’s Song

    Encore: Rebubula

    # last time played 8/25/94

  • moe.down 6-10: A Flash Back

    NYS Music continues its review of the history of moe.down, one of the most established and successful summer festivals the state has to offer. We looked at the first 5 moe.downs last week, and here’s a look back at some of the more memorable moments in years 6 through 10, as moe.down set roots down in Turin, NY and became a Labor Day Weekend tradition.

    moe.down VI

    After five increasingly successful years in Turin, moe.down had established itself as one of the premier summer festivals in the Northeast.  It was now not only a “must go” destination for moe.rons but for music fans alike thanks to increasingly diverse lineups that featured more and more nationally prominent acts.  The sixth rendition featured Keller Williams, who was everywhere at that time, The Violent Femmes, Matisyahu and Medeski, Martin & Wood as the lineups continued to be made with a blend of popular acts and those that were favorites of the band.

    Night one of the festival only calls for one moe. set, and while this year would be no different, it was definitely cover heavy with versions of “Stairway to Heaven,” “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” and “All Along the Watchtower,” the latter of which featured Keller Williams sitting in. Setlists courtesy of Phantasy Tour.

    moe.down

    9/2/05 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY

    Set 1: Jazz Wank> Rebubula*> Cornflake Girl> Recreational Chemistry, Wind it up, Salt Creek, Stairway To Heaven Jam^> All along the Watchtower^, Faker> Moth> The Pit> Brent Black> Moth
    Encore: The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down

    * unfinished
    ^ with Keller Williams

    The following day’s opening sat saw guitarist Al Schnier’s children get involved and ended appropriately enough with a rousing rendition of “Kids.” Other highlights included a “Timmy Tucker” that was stretched across two sets and a full on instrument switch with Japanese band Big Frog.  The band switch continued a recent tradition of sorts as the same thing had been done in years past with other headliners like The Disco Biscuits and Galactic, showing just how gracious the festival hosts are in sharing the spotlight at their festival.

    9/3/05 • Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY

    Set 1: Spine Of A Dog> Buster, Shanna Robe*, Ayla Schnier solo^, She, Crab Eyes, Hi and Lo> Timmy Tucker&> Kids
     
    Set 2: New York City, Head> Timmy Tucker&+, Happy Hour Hero%> Rise> Karma Police> Head
     
    Set 3: Not Coming Down> Wormwood> St. Augustine> 32 Things$, The Road> Kyle’s Song, Akimbo
    Encore: Time, Sensory Deprivation Bank
     
    * with Ben Schnier
    ^ Ayla Schnier solo on piano
    & unfinished
    &+ finished
    % with complete band switch with Big Frog
    $ with members of Dread Clampett

    moe.down VI was closed out in style with a show that featured the band’s first ever take on The Grateful Dead classic “Terrapin Station” before steering back into a “Rebubula” that was left unfinished from the day before.  As if that weren’t enough, the encore ended with a superb version of “Meat” that gave way to a brilliant fireworks display that left everyone gazing at the sky as the band completed another stellar chapter in the book of moe.down.

    9/4/2005 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY
    Set 1: The Ghost Of Ralph’s Mom, She Sends Me, Tailspin> Californ IA> Bullet> Big World

    Set 2: Y.O.Y.> Down Boy, McBain, Four> Dr. Graffenberg> Terrapin Station*> Rebubula^
    Encore: Tijuana Donkey Show, Meat&

    * first time played
    ^ completed from friday night
    & with fireworks

    Here’s a clip of the aforementioned “Meat” which closed things out.

    moe.down VII

    The seventh rendition of moe.down had a Phish-y vibe to it with three of the four members appearing on the bill.  Bassist Mike Gordon played with his side project Ramble Dove while Page McConnell and Jon Fishman also lent their talents on keys and drums, respectively, to the festivities.  Naturally, rumors of guitarist Trey Anastasio appearing as well swirled about as 2006 was right in the middle of the band’s near five year hiatus – an event that undoubtedly fostered some of the festival and band’s growth.  This year also featured a band skyrocketing in national popularity in Umphrey’s McGee, an up and coming act in Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Ziggy Marley and Yolk, a legendary NY band with roots in Binghamton.

    moe. opened up their portion of the weekend with a ripping cover of Blue Oyster Cult’s “Godzilla” and later brought out McConnell to assist on two of the band’s more classic numbers in “Buster” and “Mexico” as well as “Blue Jeans Pizza,” a fairly new one at the time.

    9/1/06 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY
    Set 1: Godzilla> Spine Of A Dog> Plane Crash> Buster*, Mexico*, Blue Jeans Pizza*, Good Trip> Wind it up
    Encore: Meat
    * with Page McConnell

    The hosts enlisted some more help the following day with two separate Umphrey’s McGee sit ins. First, Jake Cinninger (guitar) and Kris Meyers (drums) came out and assisted on “Faker” which cooled things down after a monster 2nd set “George” that was accentuated by some brilliant disco ball lighting effects.  Later in the set, guitarist Brendan Bayliss came out for the staple “Rebubula,” just as he had done a few summers earlier at the first Bonnaroo during moe.’s epic late night set – an event that, arguably, entrenched both of these bands on the national stage.

    9/2/06 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY

     
    Set 1: Not Coming Down> Wormwood> The Ghost Of Ralph’s Mom, Akimbo, Lazarus*, 32 Things, Tailspin> Timmy Tucker
     
    Set 2: Head> George, Faker^> Water> Rebubula&
     
    Set 3: Crab Eyes, Bullet> Big World, The Road> Don’t Fuck With Flo$> The Pit> Godzilla
    Encore: Karma Police> Head
     
    * with Stephen Perkins
    ^ with Jake Cinninger, Steven Perkins, and Kris Meyers
    & with Brendan Bayliss
    $ with Andrew Bellivia and Willie Waldman

    Sunday saw two more moe. classics get the special guest treatment as pedal steel guitar virtuoso Gordon Stone joined in for “New York City” and “Waiting for the Punchline” in a first set that was a highlighted by a “Moth” that nearly bookended the whole thing.

    The Rolling Stones classic “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” served as a more than tasty treat in the 2nd set and the weekend was capped off with a rip roaring “Recreational Chemistry” that closed the book on the 7th moe.down.

    9/3/06 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY
    Set 1: Moth> New York City*, Down Boy, Waiting For The Punchline*, Y.O.Y.> Moth> Brent Black
     
    Set 2: Jazz Wank> Dr. Graffenberg^> Can’t You Hear Me Knocking> Plane Crash, Brittle End, Seat Of My Pants
    Encore: Recreational Chemistry
     
    * with Gordon Stone
    ^ with Willie Waldman

    Check out this 2006 promo for moe.down.  It gives a great view as to the surroundings and communal vibe that this festival cultivates so well.  And if that’s not enough, it also contains a baby faced Al Schnier and a tasty outro jam from a live version of “The Road.”

    moe.down VIII

    By 2007, the festival had become a well oiled machine and was not only producing a string of memorable Labor Day Weekends one after the other, but also showing the ability to adapt on the fly.  Ryan Adams was scheduled to be one of the headliners  at moe.down 8 but had to cancel.  Instead of replacing him with a local or unknown artist, the festival was able to score Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction fame and his side project Satellite Party.  This continued the precedent set last year when Stephen Perkins, drummer for Jane’s Addiction, appeared with his band Banyan in addition to sitting in with moe. on a take of “Lazarus.”

    This year showcased a really impressive array of musical selections. There was the classic hip-hop/R&B stylings of The Roots, 90s jam band Strangefolk, alternative legends The Meat Puppets, a young electronica influenced band called Lotus and Medeski Martin Scofield & Wood all on the same bill. As moe.down continued to grow in popularity, it seemed to produce festival lineups with more and more depth each year.

    8/31/07 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY
    Set 1: Stranger Than Fiction, Bearsong, Bullet> Tailspin, Kyle’s Song, Opium> lyleloveit., She> 32 Things
    Encore: Don’t Do It*, She Sends Me
    * First time played.

    Saturday’s sets at moe.down 8 exemplified everything the festival had become, beginning with a “Buster” opener that saw a parade of kids marching on and around the stage.  Just as it had grown in popularity and musical talent, each year there seemed to be more designated areas and activities scheduled for children, showing that the festival could also cater to families as well. And in keeping with other moe.down traditions, Saturday also had a full band switch with the Meat Puppets in the middle of “Big World” and a captivating sit in from Perry Farrell on a cover of the Jane’s Addiction tune “Ocean Size.”

    9/1/07 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY

    Set 1: Buster*, The Road, Shoot First^, Down Boy, The Ghost Of Ralph’s Mom, So Long&, Mexico%
     
    Set 2: Lazarus> Skrunk, Ocean Size$, Okayalright> Wind it up, Plane Crash
     
    Set 3: Big World> Meat Puppets Jam#> Big World, McBain> George, Faker> Timmy Tucker
    Encore: Spine Of A Dog@> Spaz Medicine
     
    * with The Kid Zone Buster parade lining the front of the stage.
    ^ with Rob on upright bass, Al on acoustic guitar
    & with Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun (Pink Floyd), Al on acoustic guitar.
    % with Curt Kirkwood (Meat Puppets) on guitar
    $ First time played. w/ Perry Farrell on vocals
    # moe. / meat puppets band switch
    @ with Al solo intro

    Closing out the festival this year featured more of the same with a beautiful ending to the opening set with a cover of “The Weight” that saw various members of Uncle Earl and The Brakes give this classic number an acoustic feel.  Later in the evening, another band member switch of sorts took place as moe.’s crew members each took over an instrument on a cover of “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere” before yet another spectacular fireworks display set from atop the hill sent everybody home.

    9/2/07 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY

    Set 1: Crab Eyes, Hi and Lo> Kids, The Pit> Meat, The Weight*

    Set 2: Blue Jeans Pizza> Recreational Chemistry^, Not Coming Down> Wormwood> St. Augustine> Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere%$> Rebubula

    Encore: Akimbo, Letter Home#
     
    * with KC Groves, Kristin Andreassen, Abigail Washburn, Bryn Davies of Uncle Earl on backing vocals, Rayna Gellert of Uncle Earl on fiddle, and Zach Djanikian of The Brakes on vocals.
    ^ with Chuck on bass guitar and Rob on guitar for part
    % with Jeff Waful on Chuck’s guitar and vocals, Frank Robbins on Al’s guitar, Hector Jimenez on bass and vocals, Steve Young on keyboards, Cass Libbers on drums, and Ken “Skip” Richman on percussion
    $ first time played (Neil Young & Crazy Horse)
    # Fireworks followed “Letter Home” with Rainboe. singing “The Star Spangled Banner” and “God Bless America”
     

    moe.down IX

    With moe.down now firmly entrenched as a summer festival staple, the 2008 version offered a lineup chock full of easy listening with acts like The Levon Helm Band that, naturally, did a bunch of popular The Band covers, The Sparrow Quartet featuring Abigail Washburn (back from last year) and Bela Fleck, Cornmeal and Yonder Mountain String Band.  For the non-acoustic fans, groups like U-Melt, American Babies and The Benevento Russo Duo offered their various takes on improvisational rock.  And Presidents of the United States of America seemed to fit the early 90s/alternative band slot this year and wowed the crowd with a fun Sunday afternoon set under a blazing hot sun.

     
    8/29/08 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY
    Set 1: Spaz Medicine, Blue Jeans Pizza, Funky Reuben*, Letter Home> Okayalright, Darkness> Shoot First^> The Road> Rebubula
    Encore: Sensory Deprivation Bank
     
    * Last time played 02/15/92 (1552 shows)
    ^ with Bela Fleck

    The guest appearances this weekend fell right in line with the country feel to this year’s bill with Bela Fleck lending his talents to “Shoot First” and Jeff Austin from YMSB fitting in perfectly on “Bring You Down.”  One of the weekend’s other memorable sets was delivered by Cornmeal who played an engaging set of bluegrass and uptempo folk tunes with Allie Kral, now of YMSB, on fiddle.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ9I5-_s7gI

    8/30/08 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY

    Set 1: Bring It Back Home, Bearsong, All Roads Lead to Home*, Captain America^> Waiting For The Punchline, Brent Black#

    Set 2: Defrost@> Crab Eyes, Sticks and Stones*, Deep This Time*, The Pit, Bullet> Bring You Down$
     
    Set 3: Buster> Second Cousins&> Runaway Overlude> She*%, Voodoo Child> Seat Of My Pants
     
    Encore: Spine Of A Dog> Yankee Doodle+
    * with Nadine LaFond on vocals
    ^ with Kids tent parade coming on stage
    # with Marco Benevento on keyboards and Joe Russo on drums
    @ last time played 01/22/97 (1228 shows)
    $ with Jeff Austin on mandolin
    & First time played and on stage setlist as “ShitLy”
    % band segue with Fishbone
    + last time played 03/18/99 (947 shows)

    For the hardcore moe. fans, there were bust outs galore at moe.down 9.  Songs like “Funky Reuben” and “Defrost” that hadn’t been played since the 90s made appearances.  It seemed as if the entire moe.playbook was an option this weekend.  While plenty of songs from the recently released Sticks and Stones album also got some play, standout versions of old school hits like “Sensory Deprivation Bank,” “Recreational Chemistry” and a rollicking third set opener of “Buster” from Saturday night really made their mark this year.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeHrYNV1PwI

    Sunday was not lacking in special moe.ments either as Cornmeal made another appearance and helped close out the first set set with their version of ‘jamgrass’ on a blistering “32 Things” that closed out the first set.  And the second set saw Shannon and Terry Lynch of Conehead Buddha lend some brass support on “Happy Hour Hero.”  Not to be outdone by the previous days’ offerings of bustouts, the second set also contained a “Roll >Armageddon Jig>Strychnine Waltz” sequence that hadn’t been seen in more than 7 years.  But, by far, the most unexpected performance of the weekend may have been the last one as the entire band played around one mic and sent moe.down 9 attendees away for another year with their heads up thanks to the Monty Python sing-a-long classic, “Always Look on the Bright of Life,” replete with responsive whistling from another year’s worth of tired yet satiated fans.

    8/31/08 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY
     
    Set 1: Tailspin> Timmy Tucker> Understand, Queen of Everything, Down Boy, Macintyre Range*^> 32 Things^
     
    Set 2: George> Happy Hour Hero$> Recreational Chemistry, New York City> George> Roll#> Armageddon Jig#> Strychnine Waltz#> Plane Crash
     
    Encore: Wind it up, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life@&
    * without Rob
    ^ with members of Cornmeal
    $ with Shannon Lynch on saxophone and Terry Lynch on trumpet
    # last time played 4/22/01 (710 shows)
    @ first time played (Monty Python). Chuck on guitar and Jim on tambourine. Entire band around one mic, Rob singing lead.
    & second encore (after fireworks)

    moe.down X

    As a testament to the tireless work put in by moe.’s management team and the bond created with Snow Ridge over the years, 2009 marked the 10th year of the festival, all at the same location.  And perhaps no previous lineup offered such a diverse selection of musical artists.  Not too many other festivals could promote a bill that had acts like Ani DiFranco alongside ones like Method Man and Redman.  And in a rare treat for any East Coast show, the festival was able to lure out California-based rock outfit CAKE who delighted the Saturday night crowd with a set of classic hits.  Fledgling bands at the time like The Heavy Pets and The New Mastersounds both increased their exposure thanks to sets at the smaller stage on site.  And like any other moe.down, the hosts were everywhere and playing with everyone.

    moe. brought out something of a new trick this year as well.  Each day, their performances began with one member on stage beginning a song before slowly being joined by everyone else one by one. Vinnie Amico got things started on night one with an opening drum solo before being joined by the rest of the band in a set that delivered such staples as “New York City,” “Hi and Lo” and “Four.”

    9/4/09 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY
     
    Set 1: Buster*> New York City, Big World> Hi and Lo> Tubing The River Styx> The Pit, The Seed^, Spine Of A Dog$> Waiting For The Punchline$, Four$> Buster$
    Encore: McBain
     
    * Vinny drum solo > Jim > Rob > Al > Chuck to start Buster
    ^ first time played (new moe. song)
    $ with Kirk Juhaus

    MVP honors for the weekend could have easily been given to Sam Bush who not only played an afternoon set with his band, but lent his violin prowess and infectious energy on sit ins with moe. on songs like “Tambourine” and a rocking “Meat” that closed out Saturday’s second set.  Perhaps no song befits moe.down’s rapid ascension into the top tier of the summer music festival hierarchy better than “Where Does the Time Go?” from the final set of night two.

    moe.down sam bush

    9/5/09 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY
    Set 1: Mexico*, Crab Eyes, Tambourine^, 32 Things%, Deep This Time> Brent Black
    Set 2: Zed Nought Z&> Skrunk> Akimbo, Queen of Everything, Lazarus> George, Meat#
    Set 3: Dr. Graffenberg, Understand> Okayalright, Where Does the Time Go?> Plane Crash, Captain America> Recreational Chemistry@
    Encore: Wind it up
     
    * Al solo > Chuck > Vinny > Jim > Rob > jam (kids parade) prior to the start
    ^ with Sam Bush on vilolin w/ bow
    % with Sam Bush on minature gutiar
    & Jim malletkat solo > Vinny > Rob > Chuck > Al prior to the start
    # with Sam Bush on violin
    @ with Suke Cerulo

    As the sun set on yet another year of magic in Turin, NY, expectations were that the festival would continue to motor along on its current pace and continue the tradition it had firmly established at Snow Ridge Ski Resort.  As we’ll see in the upcoming part 3 of NYS Music’s moe.down review, this would not necessarily be the case.  However, even though the venue may change, it’s clear that the spirit and the elements that make this festival special never will.

    9/6/09 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY
    Set 1: Shoot First*> Bearsong, Borderline^, Bullet> Hector’s Pillow> Ricky Marten> Second Cousins> Runaway Overlude, She$
    Set 2: Timmy Tucker, Seat Of My Pants> Sensory Deprivation Bank@, Happy Hour Hero@, Not Coming Down@> Wormwood@> St. Augustine@, The Road@
    Encore: Rebubula@
     
    *Chuck solo > Vinny > Jim > Rob > Al prior to the start
    ^first time played (moe. song)
    $ with Jake, Brendan, & Andy from Umphrey’s McGee
    @ with Nate Wilson on keys

  • Throwdown at moe.down: A look back at the Festival’s Origins

    This week we begin a three-part series looking at the history of moe.down, one of the longest running music festivals in New York State history. The first part of the series looks at moe.downs 1 through 5.

    moe. is New York’s jam band, plain and simple. The five-piece started in New York and they have played throughout New York quite often in their 25+ year career.

    They began hosting a weekend long festival in Central New York starting in 2000, and this July 4-6 will be the 16th iteration of the formerly-Labor Day weekend festival many fans hold near and dear.

    The first moe.down, at Snow Ridge Ski Resort in Turin, featured a hodgepodge of musical talent including, of course, moe., Martin Sexton, Les Claypool, David Grisman and Charlie Hunter, among others. Fans of moe. were thrilled to get three nights of their favorite band, and a bunch of other guests.

    Phil, a moe. fan who attended the first four moe.downs, said he loved every single second.

    “Well, One was special because it was … one,” he said. “Didn’t really know what to expect.”

    Phil said he had seen moe. three times prior, but was stoked to spend a weekend with them and a cavalcade of other artists. In a sense, it was a learning experience for everyone involved.

    “The first year was small, and the staff didn’t really know what was going on,” he said.

    moe.down 2, in 2001, expanded the lineup to jammier heights, featuring Donna the Buffalo and the Disco Biscuits, which were both big hits with some in attendance.

    Jeff Titmus, a 2002 Plattsburgh State graduate, grew up with moe. in his repertoire of music, attending, he says, the first 11 moe.down festivals.

    “I vividly remember the second festival because I had just heard the Disco Biscuits and I was quite intrigued to see them live,” he said. “Events of that night got a little hazy. Me and my friends may have raged a little too hard and I remember something that stuck with me. A security guard approached us, and we assumed he was going to tell us to stop doing what we were doing, but instead he came and simply told us he hopes we’re enjoying the festivities and to be safe. Some festival security can be a bit, uh, dickish, but never at a down. Very fan friendly.”

    In an interview a few years ago with the Post Standard newspaper in Syracuse, guitarist Chuck Garvey summed up the group’s thoughts on the long running family friendly vibe that moe. presents.

    “We’ve got all our families there and friends from across the country who come to hang out,” said Garvey. “I’ve got five sisters, my parents, all my nieces and nephews, and the other guys have the same. It’s a big party for us.”

    With the advent of social media and the growth of cell phones turning the media landscape upside down, it has become very easy to schedule meetups, find friends and gather any information you need at the tip of your fingers. It wasn’t always that way, though, especially in the early days of moe.down.

    “Before the Facebook, and Phantasy Tour, there was the “L” – a listserv group,” Phil said. “Many of us old timers met on the “L.” In any event, we’d make it a point for all of us to gather for a group picture. And at the group picture, we’d swap CDs, beers, etc.”

    In 2002, moe. added some more Central New York flavor to the lineup, adding Syracuse blues wizards Los Blancos to the bill.

    moe.down 4 featured some pop flavor added to the jammy recipe, as They Might be Giants and The Flaming Lips were added. Yonder Mountain String Band and a young Umphrey’s McGee were on the bill, as was Antigone Rising. It was also the first year that guitarist Al Schnier performed with his solo band Al and the Transamericans.

    “Honestly, the lineup in 2003 was my least favorite they’ve ever done,” moe. super fan Jacqueline Finnerty said. “But how great is it that it can be a weak lineup but we still get three nights of the best band on earth to look forward to?”

    Snow Ridge in Turin has a special place in the band’s heart, according to Garvey.

    “We grew up out there. Most of us skied at Snow Ridge when we were kids,” Garvey told the Post Standard. “We wanted to bring a cool festival to the area, and no one else was doing it at the time.”

    Year five of moe.down featured a shift to a bigger lineup. Phish’s Mike Gordon played with the Benevento Russo Duo, H.O.R.D.E. Tour veterans Blues Traveler played a bouncy show and acts like Leftover Salmon, Michael Franti and Spearhead and Trainwreck were also on the bill.

    The first five years of moe.down saw some soaring heights from the band, lineups and the audience. In talking with a small percentage of moe.’s loyal followers, it became very clear that this time was integral in the band growing its insanely loyal following.

    In the following five incarnations, the band fiddled with some things, and kept others the same. Check back next week for part two, featuring an in depth look at moe.down 6 through 10.

    moe.down setlists courtesy of the Internet Archive

    moe.down 1, September 1 through 3, 2000

    9/1/00 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    With Kirk Huhas of freebeerandchicken on keyboards.

    Jim solo > Bring It Back Home*, Nebraska*, Akimbo, Can’t Seem To Find, Plane Crash, Bring You Down > Brent Black, Understand, Seat Of My Pants > Sensory Deprivation Bank

    E: Tambourine**, Down By The River

    * With Martin Sexton on tambourine. ** Al, Chuck, and Kirk on tambourines.

    9/2/00 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    With Kirk Huhas of freebeerandchicken on keyboards.

    1: Al solo > Head, New York City, Hi and Lo > Moth*, Recreational Chemistry*# > Wildwood Weed*#^ > Sweet Emotion*#^ > Tommy The Cat*#^

    2: Vinnie solo > Water, Captain America, Fathead rap** > Johnny Lineup**##, Opium^^, Mexico@

    E: Meat@%

    * With Jay Lane of Ratdog on percussion. # With Les Claypool on bass and vocals. ^ First time played. ** With members of Fathead. ## First verse only. ^^ With a member of Fathead on keyboards. @ With the saxophonist from Fathead. % With Emilio from Nyquil on violin.

    9/3/00 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    With Kirk Huhas of freebeerandchicken on keyboards.

    1: Rob solo > Timmy Tucker*, Blue Eyed Son, Spine Of A Dog > Yodelittle

    2: Chuck solo > Four > Buster, Rise, St. Augustine, Rebubula**

    E: Time Again#, San Ber’dino

    * With Joe Craven of the David Grisman Quintet on percussion. With “Gil’s Theme“. ** With “I Know You Rider” (traditional) tease. # Jim on bass, Rob on washboard. Fireworks display during “San Ber’dino”

    mow.down 2, August 31 through September 2, 2001

    8/31/01 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    Moth > Lazarus > Bring You Down > Brent Black > St. Augustine > Time Ed > Moth

    E: Don’t Fear The Reaper

    9/1/01 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin,NY

    1: Captain America, San Ber’dino* > Happy Hour Hero**, Spaz Medicine, Good Guys and Bad Guys#, Suck The Head## > Gummin’ Your Nub##^, Plane Crash^^

    2: Spine Of A Dog% > Buster, Livin’ Again > Timmy Tucker

    E: Voodoo Lady%%

    * With members of Project/Object. ** With Gibb Droll on guitar. # With Cracker Van Beethoven. (David Lowry on vocals, Johnny Hickman on mandolin, Victor Krummacher on acoustic guitar, and Jonathan Siegel on violin.) ## With The Radiators. Last “Suck The Head” 2/7/99. ^ First time played. ^^ With Ed Volker on keyboards. % With “Funkytown” (Lipps, Inc.) tease. %% Jim on drums, Vinnie on percussion.

    9/2/01 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    1: Understand, Nebraska, Hi and Lo > Kyle, The Faker > Kids

    2: New York City, Rise > Recreational Chemistry*, Meat** > Bullet > Rebubula

    E: Bring It Back Home

    * With “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” (Iron Butterfly) tease. ** With Jim Lomonaco of Yolk on bass.

    moe.down 3, August 30 through September 1, 2002

    8/30/02 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    Meat*, 32 Things, Spine Of A Dog > Buster**, Understand, The Ghost of Ralph’s Mom, Hi and Lo > Brent Black

    E: Godzilla

    * With Jon Fishman on drums and Jamie Masefield on mandolin. ** With “Gin and Juice” (Snoop Doggy Dogg) tease.

    8/31/02 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    Set I, afternoon set.

    1: Akimbo, Not Coming Down > Okayalright, Mexico, New York City, Bring It Back Home

    2: St. Augustine, Shoot First, Crab Eyes, Tambourine, Captain America* > Recreational Chemistry

    3: Seat Of My Pants** > Sensory Deprivation Bank**#, Gone, Bullet## > Kyle^ > Kids

    E: Timmy Tucker > Gin and Juice^^ > Timmy Tucker

    * With “Don’t Fuck With Flo” tease. ** Jim on drums, Vinnie on percussion. # With Seth Yacovone on guitar. ## With “Timmy Tucker” tease. ^ With Govinda of the Grapes on flute. ^^ First time played.

    9/1/02 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    1: Head, Nebraska, It, Cornflake Girl > Happy Hour Hero, Moth > moe./Galactic Jam* > Galactic/moe. Jam* > Moth

    2: Opium** > Rebubula, Rise, Plane Crash

    E: Don’t Fuck With Flo, Bodhisattva

    * With Galactic. ** With “China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider” (Grateful Dead) tease.

    moe.down 4, August 29 through 31, 2003

    8/29/03 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    Buster* > Spaz Medicine > Not Coming Down > Wormwood > Okayalright, Shoot First, New York City**, Understand, 32 Things, Cornflake Girl > Recreational Chemistry#

    E: San Ber’dino

    * With Jim Donovan of Rusted Root on percussion. ** With Antigone Rising. # With Steve Drizos of Dexter Grove on percussion.

    8/30/03 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    1: Akimbo, Captain America > Rise, Money > Time Ed > McBain*

    2: Four** > Plane Crash, Gone > She Sends Me > St. Augustine# > Brent Black > drumz

    3: Jam > Rebubula##

    E: Spine Of A Dog > Four reprise

    * First time played. ** With “Us and Them” (Pink Floyd) tease. # With “Gil’s Theme.” With “Dancing Days” (Led Zeppelin) tease. ” ## With “Big World”, “So Long”, “Gil’s Theme”, “Brent Black”, “McBain”, and “Spaz Medicine” teases.

    8/31/03 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    1: Bring It Back Home, Nebraska, Hi and Lo > Timmy Tucker* > Opium*

    2: McBain**, The Faker > Kids, It, Kyle > Meat

    E: Johnny Lineup

    * With Nate Wilson on keyboards. ** With “Crosseyed and Painless” (Talking Heads) tease.

    moe.down 5, September 3 through 4, 2004

    9/3/04 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    Kyle’s Song > Kids, New York City, Shoot First, Spaz Medicine > Crab Eyes, Buster > Four Sticks (Led Zeppelin) > Take Five > Buster, Letter Home, Tailspin* > Meat**

    E: St. Augustine

    9/4/04 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    Lost Along the Way, Seat of My Pants, Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’, Summer o i > Understand, Dr. Graffenberg > Rebubula*

    She Sends Me, Akimbo, Brent Black1> Timmy Tucker

    Mountain Song> Not Coming Down> Wormwood> Okayalright> Happy Hour Hero> Sensory Deprivation Bank> Recreational Chemistry

    E: Tambourine, Hi and Lo> Big World, Enter Sandman

    9/5/04 Snow Ridge Ski Area Turin, NY

    Plane Crash> Where Does the Time Go?> Yodelittle, Captain America> Mexico, Bearsong

    Faker> Moth, McBain> George1, Mayor of moe.ville> Mayor of moe.ville jam2, Y.O.Y.> Plane Crash

    E: Nebraska, Spine Of A Dog

  • Summer Camp Music Festival Returns for 17th Installment this weekend

    Music Festival season gets underway across the country in May, and Summer Camp Music Festival has made a mark for being a destination event in the Midwest. Umphrey’s McGee, moe., Trey Anastasio Band, Pretty Lights Live and dozens more can be seen this weekend, May 25-28 at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, IL. New York State artists Aqueous, Break Science, Eric Krasno Band, Escort, Turkuaz, Intrepid Travelers, Wild Adriatic, and of course moe., will perform at the four-day festival, now in its 17th year.

    Summer Camp has a lot going on, making it tough to see it all, but far from overwhelming like mega-concerts and nowhere near the dumpster fire that is/was Fyre Festival. Check out the full schedule here, or create your own on the Summer Camp app (highly recommended).

    Listen to your Counselors!

    You should listen to your counselors. Seriously, these are the pros who know Summer Camp inside and out. They’re the best resource for Scampers of all ages and experience levels. Read the handbook, which covers virtually every detail and question about the festival, and if you still have questions, join the Facebook group where you can find answers to virtually any question that may arise over the weekend.

    When it comes to camping, unless you’re in an RV, NYS Music recommends the field between Sunshine and Camping (Area D in the map above). Why? Because you are proximate to five stages—Sunshine, Starshine, Vibe Tent, Camping and Soulshine Tent (very underrated, even late at night)—and although there is no shade, you’ll love being able to catch a set of music while chilling between sets of music. The Woods are a solid option as well if you have a smaller set up, but fear not—the sprawling area in the woods is one of the coolest areas to walk through at any festival, night or day.

    And while you are at Summer Camp, Make a Difference! there are so many ways to leave Three Sisters Park better than how you found it; clean up trash, cigarette butts, bring a reusable water bottle, recycle your waste and check out the Soulshine Tent to find ways to bring some of that positive energy from Summer Camp back home with you.

    Then, of course, what do you do when you want to relive a little bit of Summer Camp from your youth? You participate in Field Day! Yes, Field Day is an annual tradition at Summer Camp, one that has a rightful place in the history of the festival. Started in 2011, the annual event takes the cake as the most unique and most fun non-musical component of Summer Camp. Sign up online, and the first 100 get a free team bandana on Friday from noon–1 p.m. at the Vibe Tent. Come back Saturday at 3 p.m. and participate in capture the flag, arm wrestling, spelling bee, banana eating contest and much more, with a Champions ceremony at noon Sunday. Field Day is open to all, the smack talk is free and it has become a growing event everyone should check out, whether as spectator or participant.

    The Field Day staff shared a little insight into why you should take part in Field Day:

    The number-one reason why people should sign up is because of the amount of awesome people you’ll meet doing so, especially myself Ashley Pardy. What keeps me coming back is all of the memories, and the Red Team wins. I mean would you leave a team that has won almost every year?” – Ashley Pardy

    “You will meet amazing people, laugh your ass off and drink free beer. Participating in one of the many cool activities at Summer Camp will make your festival experience unique beyond just seeing shows.”
    – Jessica Coughlin

    “Bragging rights.” –  Elizabeth Cox

    What memories of past years keep these wonderful staff keep coming back, year after year?

    I come back year after year because the people are so amazing. Favorite memory is Sheppy nearly getting arrested by some serious looking state troopers for defacing an American flag, while simultaneously being hoisted on our shoulders raising the red flag after yet another contested victory.”
    – Anthony Piccirilli (Shep talked his way out of it and the cop came to our keg party.)

    “Mud Tug-o-War, Drunken Spelling Bees, Sheppy drunken walks with the cup.” – Elizabeth Cox

    “Drunken Spelling Bees.” – Anthony Piccirilli

    And while sunrise kickball isn’t an official activity, it has been the unofficial opening ceremony of the games for six years now. This is one of the highlights of Summer Camp; at 5:30 a.m. come to the Sunshine Stage for a game of kickball with faithful fans led by Ryan Stasik. There will be trampolines, bacon at second base and no apparent rules; it is the most beautiful and absurd shit-show ever witnessed, and one worth staying up for!

    There you have it; NYS Music gives you the ins and outs of Summer Camp 2017. Make sure to follow us all weekend on Twitter and Instagram to live vicariously if you can’t make the trip to the Midwest.

  • Formula 5 Gets By with a Little Help From Their Friends During ‘All Points North’ Album Release Party

    Capital Region jammers Formula 5 pulled out all the stops for their final All Points North album release party in Saratoga Springs in front of a full crowd of familiar faces and an exponentially growing fan base. After premiering the album in its entirety in New Haven with Relative Souls, the foursome decided to team up with the New Paltz-rooted The Other Brothers to serve up slices of true NY funk and soul on a Saturday night with a dirty laundry list of reasons to celebrate.

    From 8pm-10pm, fans rolled through the Putnam Den doors to enjoy the likes of a free keg with The Other Brothers set slated to rock at 9 pm. With a 15-song set, the six-piece of Chris Owens (vocals), Brandon Bera (drums), Gabe Marquez (keys), John Morrison (Guitar), Jared Nelson (Percussion) and Jordan Mendelson (Bass) kicked off the night with their rock and roll origins, soulful captivation and soaring vocals. Having convened in 2012 at SUNY New Paltz, the group is in the midst of preparing their first studio album, Jones. Having played shows for a few years and acting as seasoned veterans on the Rock and Roll Resort lineup, it’s a bit surprising that they’re only releasing their first album. At the same time, it allows you to get in on the ground level and perhaps grow with a band you’ve never had the pleasure of seeing or listening to before.

    From first impression, you could tell The Other Brothers’ sound and Owens’ powerhouse vocals provided a pleasing contrast to Formula 5 and what was to follow. As their set unraveled, each song found the front man, dressed in pale pink, rocking his hips back, forth and around town and further exploring his vault of dance moves. During a fun reggae-fusion tune, “These Cycles,” Owens’ charisma and onstage conversation demanded your attention–all that was left to do was listen and sway along with him. He often took the audience through anecdotes of how song titles came to be and strange one-off experiences that helped shape their musical contributions. It was hard not to keep your eyes locked on Nelson as his hands transitioned through tapping the congas and tossing a shaker, tambourine and rain stick for high points of the set, which also included Mendelson, sporting a Iron Maiden hockey jersey, impressively hitting quick tempo switches and odd time signatures on “Your Machine.” “Hit You Up” brought out the first guest of the night, Wavy Cunningham, to ease smooth tunes and a bit of rap into the set while the ending track of the night, “Levee for Free” had all fans on foot and Formula 5’s Joe Davis (also sporting pink) delivering tasty licks on guitar.

    The eclectic group of six will open up for Vulfpeck’s Theo Katzman on April 19 at the famed Capitol Theatre in Portchester, NY.  Looks like all is pointing North not only for Formula 5 but for these New Paltz natives as well.

    The Other Brothers Set List:

    Sleep Yo, Good Thing, The Man, Don’t Mean A Thing, Love Recedes, These Cycles, K2 in the Bathroom, New Friends, Can I Get It?, Why You Are, Hit You Up*, Game Show Radio, Your Machine, Bound, Levee for Free*

    * Wavy Cunningham

    $ Joe Davis from Formula 5 on guitar

    After a short introduction from a sincerely grateful and proud band manager, Pete Mason, Formula 5 immediately launched into their double header with transcending energy and multicolored lights boasting “F” and  “5” from the top corners of the stage.

    set the tone for their Saturday night gig with kinetic energy that only kept building. While fans may have heard the newer tunes from recent gigs and even more recent album release teases, it was the first time listening to the entire album in a live setting, lending their ears to Formula 5’s natural creativity and improvisation. Bassist James Woods sported a slight smirk all night, which could be attributed to a number of things, but we’ll just pin it on the electric energy and a “load-off” feeling of finally offering the band’s new studio album to the world. The merch table was freshly stocked with musical material both new and old, freshly crafted Trout Waters pins and newly designed T-shirts available for longtime fans and those just discovering their music.

    Having transformed a Kickstarter goal into reality, Joe, Matt, and James long awaited the night’s celebrations after pouring endless amounts of effort into their third studio album which follows their self titled debut album, April 2014’s Edging on Catastrophe and one live album, Live Five Vol. 1. The quartet implemented some classic strategies as well as newfound ways to draw a dancing crowd to their Putnam Den gig. Joe and Matt dedicated a few hours of their day to Albany’s own Madison Avenue Ben and Jerry’s shop on free cone day to dish out tasty frozen treats to Albany locals, hand out fliers for the album release show and spin their newest record to listening ears and the hungry humans attached to them–talk about a marketing triple threat. 

    Set one presented All Points North front to back, with friends Phil Chow on trumpet and Bryan Brundige of The Chronicles on trombone during “It Goes” paired with a loud exclamation of “I love horn-ula 5!” from the depths of the crowd. Not only did Brundige lend a helping horn on stage, he handles audio engineering at OverIt Media and aided the guys through their All Points North journey in the studio. A long set break brought set two, chock full of covers, a “Tweezer” tease and a loaded surprise sit in. Following a jam and “Booher’s Pass,” moe.’s own Vinnie Amico took to the drum kit during “Pedro” to sit in for the group’s drummer. The two seamlessly transitioned on and off stage while the drummer tried to use his surroundings to aid the beat to try and smoothly dip back behind the moe. veteran. Amico’s presence was unplanned, making the surprise sit in all the more sweet. The seasoned drummer happened to be hanging in the Saratoga venue before wandering into the back room and admitting  he was a Formula 5 fan and excited to see their set. From there, an organic sit in blossomed to cap off an already exceptional night.

    Next up was a double header of covers with Don Henley’s “Dirty Laundry” and Steely Dan’s “Hey Nineteen,” band and fan favorites alike. Appropriately closing out a night of well deserved festivities and completing a pretty solid song cover trifecta, the night was wrapped up into a funky package with a Phish phavorite, “Run Like An Antelope.” Keeping the momentum rolling the next day, the guys announced their participation at The Werk Out Music and Arts Festival alongside Dopapod, Emancipator, BIG Something, Spafford and more. They’ll keep the grooves going with a continued Spring 2017 tour as summertime bliss will bring Formula 5 tunes not only to the festival circuit but directly to phans during the Madison Square Garden Baker’s Dozen run.

    Formula 5 Set List:

    Set I: (“All Points North”)

    Come Along, Sad Bed*, Trout Waters, Pt. I & II, It Goes…^, Excalibur, The Birch Tree^, Q&A, Do Tell^, Figure Out A Feeling^

    Set II:

    Jam -> Booher’s Pass, Pedro$, Dirty Laundry$, Hey Nineteen!

    E: Run Like An Antelope~

    *Unfinished

    ^ Phil Chow on trumpet, Bryan Brundige on Trombone

    $ Unfinished, Vinnie Amico of Moe. on drums

    $Don Henley cover

    ! Steely Dan cover

    ~ Phish cover

  • Foolin’ Around with moe. at The Paramount

    On Saturday, April 1, at The Paramount, Buffalo-based moe. took April Fools’ Day to the next level by sonically messing with the minds of everyone in attendance.  The die-hard moe.rons in the crowd knew that an inevitable prank was coming in some form, but the anticipation led to an even more exciting Saturday night show.  Opening with “Defrost” the boys did not wait to get the venue dancing.  The historically rare instrumental was the third appearance of “Defrost” in 2017 and it was frequently played in 2016, leading fans to assume that this oldie-but-goodie is not just getting a dusting, but being taken off the shelf permanently.

    Moe. brought out the heavy hitters early with a transition into an epic “Brent Black” in just the second slot.  Al Schnier and Rob Derhak chiseled the signature song into form while Chuck Garvey used his guitar pick to work on the intricacies.  Garvey celebrated his birthday on Thursday night in New Jersey, and on stage he has been having his cake and eating it too during the entire 3-show run.  “Lost Along The Way” gave the already sweaty crowd a much needed breather which was followed by “Blue Jeans Pizza” off the decade old album, The Conch.  One of the more lovey-dovey moe. originals, “Pizza” found Schnier switching from guitar to minimoog allowing Garvey to take full leadership of the solo to the delight of the crowd.  The only annoying aspect of this part of the set was the crowd chatter being at an all-time high.  While I felt that the energy from “Brent Black” never went away throughout the entire set, there are times to talk and times to STFU.

    Jim Loughlin lead the tribal transition into “Bring It Back Home” as Schnier jumped back onto his guitar for some added flare.  Loughlin remained in the spotlight while Derhak and Vinnie Amico tag teamed the next tune, “Billy Goat” off the most recent release studio release, No Guts, No Glory.  The surfer-rock jam found on the Smash Hits release, “Tailspin,” got the crowd spinning around again.  The very impressive first set was praised throughout the break as moe. spanned their entire career in just seven songs.

    moe at the paramountThe April Fools’ prank ensued as soon as the 5-piece reentered the stage for the second set.  Over the 28-year career of moe., many different rumors have been spread describing the origin of the band’s name.  One rumor was that moe. is a simple acronym for “monkeys on ecstasy” and on April 1, 2017, the monkey was brought to life in one of the stranger moe.ments I have seen a long time.   As members began tuning up for the start of the second half of the evening a person dressed in a monkey costume with giant headphones appeared next to Amico’s drum kit, fist-pumping to what sounded like a mashup of “Plane Crash” and Beastie Boys’ “Brass Monkey.”  The odd display transformed the rock venue into an electronic dance club and judging by the smile on Derhak’s face, even the band got a kick out of the gag.  The prankster monkey seemed to fall into his own trap as he slipped and fell while trying to get off the stage.  They covered it up nicely as the “too f**kin’ high” primate took off the giant headphones and put them on Derhak’s head before exiting the stage.  Was the slip a set up or did the gag lead to an injury?  The world may never know.

    moe at the paramountAfter the shenanigans ensued, “Rainshine> Understand” got the show back on track.   As the light two-song combo fizzled out, a reggae-influenced intro to “Time Ed” got the room swaying back and forth.  The band had a few laughs during the line, “Born a monkey from the sky (monkey, monkey)” before Loughlin returned to business as usual during his flying trapeze percussion section.  Throughout the song, he switched back and forth from bongos to MalletKat to xylophone in harmonious fashion.  The final segue of the set occurred during a strung-out “Haze” into one of their more euphoric songs off Dither, “So Long.”  Every jam band has their own repertoire of songs that cuts to the core of their loyal fan base and mellows out the room.  “So Long” is a chameleon of sorts because while it can act as the fluffy cloud to space out the heavier songs, it can also get pretty intense on its own, which is exactly what happened on Saturday night.

    Schnier came out as he usually does before the encore to read some fan shout-outs.  On certain nights he has no problem deciphering what the writers are trying to say, but in Huntington after a night of debauchery, he seemed to struggle through the chicken scratch handwriting.  There was some light banter from Loughlin as he announced the next song was one that he wrote.  The dark lyrics and southern-rocking Widespread Panic-esque sound of “Don’t Wanna Be” is not really my cup of tea and with little head nodding in the crowd, I felt like there had to be one more crowd-pleaser to end the incredible weekend of moe. in the Northeast.  Sure enough, “New York City” was served as the entrée of the encore and considering many fans came to The Paramount on a train from the Big Apple, the famoe.us tune was well received.

    The boys will play four sold-out shows at The Sinclair before departing for the South to cover some ground in warmer territories.  The recently added set entitled “phil.moe.” at Lock’n was the latest news from the band, and from now until the special dead-inspired set, they will headline Summer Camp and the return of Moe.Down.  The bright future and booked calendar gives the moe.rons hope that while the band may be up for a good time and a few pranks, they are in no way ready to cool it down.

    moe. – 4.1.17 – The Paramount – Long Island, NY

    Set 1: Defrost > Brent Black, Lost Along The Way > Blue Jeans Pizza > Bring It Back Home, Billy Goat > Tailspin

    Set 2: Rainshine > Understand, Time Ed, She, > Sensory Deprivation Bank, George, Haze > So Long

    Encore: Don’t Wanna Be, New York City

    moe at the paramount

  • Moe. Tour Springs Up in the Northeast

    One of New York’s most popular homegrown jam bands will embark on their 2017 Spring Tour with a brief Northeastern run this week.  moe. hits the road on Thursday, March 30th at The Wellmont Theatre in New Jersey for the first time since 2012.  The 5-piece will close out the month on Friday the 31st at the College Street Music Hall in New Haven, CT before celebrating April Fool’s Day at The Paramount in Huntington, NY on Saturday.

    All three of these venues are easily drivable or trainable from NYC, where fans have been clustered since the band’s origin over 20 years ago.  Speaking of cities where moe.ron’s like to dance, the short and sweet Northeast run will end with a four-night residency at The Sinclair in Cambridge, MA. The max capacity at this Harvard Square establishment is only 525 people making it a space normally reserved for up-and-coming bands, not veteran acts capable of packing much larger venues. If you were lucky enough to score tickets to one of these four sold-out shows from April 5th-April 8th, you are in for a real treat!

    Moe. will head south in April for a handful of shows before they kick off their annual festival season with headlining performances at Summer Camp in May and the return of Moe.Down at the end of June.  Another well-known jam band from the Northeast will host a “Baker’s Dozen” run in July at Madison Square Garden and Moe. already has extra special plans for a late-night celebration on the opening night.  They are “coming home again” to New York City on July 21st for an after party at the PlayStation Theater that is not to be missed.

    “Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s Party!’” -Robin Williams

  • 2017 Syracuse Area Music Awards Weekend Concludes with Sold Out Ceremony

    The Syracuse Area Music Awards, affectionately known as the SAMMYS, wrapped up its 25th edition Friday, March 3, 2017 at the Palace Theater in Syracuse with a brief performance from freshly inducted Hall of Famers moe.

    Ahead of Saturday night’s show at the F Shed, moe. closed out the two-night affair with a three song set of “Tailspin,” “Spine of a Dog” and “Buster.” Friday night’s awards ceremony, hosted by veteran Syracuse DJ and staunch supporter of the local scene, Dave Frisina, featured awards in 18 categories, including three People’s Choice categories, and performances by four Syracuse area bands, reflecting the broad range of styles and talent found in and around the Salt City.

    The SAMMYS is the brainchild of Frank Malfitano and now under the care of Liz Nowak. In 1993 Malfitano created the celebration of area music for an event at the Landmark Theatre. The event changed venues several times over the years before finally settling on the grand old Palace Theater on James Street in the Eastwood district.

    The festivities began with the Hall of Fame dinner Thursday night, upstairs at the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. The Dinosaur has been one of Syracuse’s premier music venues since opening on Willow Street in 1990 and was a fitting venue for the honors and stories that filled the room.

    This year’s inductees were Mohawk Valley via Buffalo jamband moe., pioneering new wave singer/guitarist Meegan Voss, 70s blues rock artists Jukin’ Bone and singer-songwriter Paul Case. Also being honored were Anthony and Patricia DeAngelis for Music Educators of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Vincent Falcone. It was a night that had the feel of a class reunion. Hugs and excited shouts from people who haven’t seen each other in years mingled with stories of years’ past in venues no longer around.

    The inductions and awards ceremonies were hosted by Dave Frisina, a 1994 SAMMYS Hall of Fame inductee, long-time Syracuse radio personality, champion of local music and self-professed band dad. His son, Mike is a member of Syracuse-based band Simplelife. Most, if not all, of those in the room have dealt with him in some way throughout their career. A man like Frisina is what every music town needs. He is local music’s strongest advocate and has the platform for it at his current station 105.9 The Rebel.

    Induction and acceptance speeches were filled with anecdotes and inside jokes. Though, most in attendance, were on the inside of those jokes. Memories of broken down vans, vanished venues and bad decisions peppered the speeches. It was the talk of well-worn musicians who have dedicated their craft not to become famous, but simply to play. To the outsider, it was a look at a scarcely seen side of the working musician.

    The first honor of the night was for Educators of the Year. Husband and wife, Anthony and Patricia DeAngelis, two area music teachers were honored for their decades of influence on local musicians at Syracuse University, Colgate University, LeMoyne College, the Lyncourt School and Onondaga Community College. They were inducted by their well-spoken and surprisingly laid-back granddaughter Olivia.

    Voss was inducted by her husband and band-mate in the Verbs, drummer Steve Jordan. In her acceptance speech, she pleaded to “Save the clubs.” Case, visibly touched at the recognition for his long career avoided revealing too much of past days on the road, “My kids are in the room.” He lavished praise on fellow musicians in the room, including Jukin’ Bone member Joe Whiting as well as the master of ceremonies.

    Case, sporting a black tux and pronounced the Best Dressed in the Room by Frisina, closed his acceptance speech saying, “You get up. You drive to the gig. You set up. You play your ass off.  You tear down.  You drive a million miles home, week after week, month after month, decade after decade. You do it for the music.” He then dedicated his award to the late Bob Fleming of the Mossback Mule Band, who passed away in September.

    Accepting for Jukin’ Bone was Whiting, Mark Doyle and John DeMaso. Discussing the problems of being a young band, Whiting offered a piece of advice, “I would recommend not signing contracts under the influence of anything distilled or brewed, made in a laboratory or passed around and smoked,” eliciting loud laughter from the audience.

    The final inductee of the night was moe. Al Schnier spoke first in accepting the honor, speaking of all the Syracuse area venues spent taking in shows as a fledgling musician. Schnier lauded promoters such as Chuck Chao of Creative Concerts, who inducted the band, thanking them for shaping who they became as musicians:

    We came here as kids to see concerts Chuck (Chao) was promoting. They made us fans. Whether it was Driving Sideways or the Todd Hobin Band or the New York Flyers or 805; these were the bands we looked up to as kids. They could have been the Allman Brothers or the Grateful Dead; they were the same to us. You guys were rock stars.

    Drummer Vinnie Amico attributed the band’s style to its Upstate New York roots, “We all wear our hearts on our sleeves. We all kind of have this style, this thing we do, because of where we’re from. We’re blue collar, baby. We work hard, we play our music that way. There’s an edge to our music and that’s a testament to Upstate New York.”

    “The Oddities of the World” – the SAMMYS Hall of Fame Class of 2017

    On Friday, 54 artists were nominated among 13 Syracuse Area Music Awards categories. Sprinkled in among the awards were performances by several of the Syracuse area’s finest musicians, representing genres ranging from blues rock to country, rap, alt-rock and jam. There is definitely a varied and vibrant scene in Central New York.

    Emcee Dave Frisina kept the event lively and loose, often interacting with presenters and winners as they approached the microphone. Best Jam Band winner, Joe Driscoll, affectionately referred to the host as a jedi to laughter from the crowd.

    The performances throughout the night revealed the depth of talent in the area. The Ripcords opened the night accompanied by the Boneyard Horns. They ripped through three bluesy/tex-mex style songs, kicking off the night in a celebratory fashion. Unfortunately, just as they seemed to be letting loose, their set was over. You can get a taste of what the Ripcords have to offer at their ReverbNation page here.

    Best R&B recipient Alani Skye had several family members in attendance and received perhaps the most vocal and joyous reception to a win. Her win for Don’t Forget About Me was never in question for the vocalist as she accepted the award.

    A performance by rap artist Curtis “Tall Bucks” McDowell and the Brownskin Band followed. The rhythm section of the Brownskin band mixed equal parts jazz and funk behind McDowell’s rhymes. A guest appearance by Syracuse rapper Real Tall for the song “Solar Radiation” had elements of early ’90s era Leaders of the New School collective.

    The reality of life as a working musician came to light when Lauren Mettler was awarded the SAMMY for Best Folk. After an awkward pause waiting for the recipient to make her way to the stage, her brother made his way up to accept. In his speech, he stated how he had just texted her and she was still on her way to the theater. So, as any good brother would do, he stalled for time as she made her way down the aisle, peeling her coat off as she ran towards the stage.

    Mettler mentioned how she had just gotten out of work and was trying to get to the theater as quickly as possible, even though she never thought she’d win. Such is life for those looking to make a go of it in the music industry. Everyday jobs sometimes throw hurdles at you along the way. Mettler was genuinely surprised and pleased with her award.

    One of the night’s cutest moments came when the award for Best Hip Hop/Rap was awarded to World Be Free for the album Nigg@$ to Gods. He was on the West Coast touring and couldn’t attend the ceremony. As his family accepted the award on his behalf, his young son took a turn on the microphone as his dad’s public relations manager, exclaiming, “My dad has CDs for ten dollars!”

    Country artists Chris Taylor of the Custom Taylor Band plead with the audience to get up and dance along to their performance. A funky “Keep Me in Mind” slowly drew the audience to its feet and a rousing rendition of the Charlie Daniels Band’s “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” easily won over the crowd.

    The Brian Bourke Award for Best New Artist was awarded to Funk ‘n Waffles regulars, reggae-soul band Root Shock. This presentation seemed to be the biggest crowd pleaser of the night as fellow musicians and fans alike rose to cheer their win.

    Previous Bourke Award winner, the Spring Street Family Band took over the Palace with their high energy alt-rock performance that even had a band member’s dad jumping up on stage to take video with his phone. Their performance brought the audience to the stage, turning what was a somber awards ceremony into a full-fledged rawk show with a funk-metal-alt sound reminiscent of Rage Against the Machine or Faith No More.

    The ceremonies concluded with the awarding of the People’s Choice SAMMYS. Over 110,000 online votes were tallied in categories of Best Band, Best Live Venue and Best Festival or Music Series. The New York State Fair wrapped up the venue and festival categories with their representative thanking all of the venues in the area for supporting the live music that becomes a part of the fair each year.

    The award for Best Band went to Cortland-area country band, Small Town Shade, who also won the SAMMY for Best Country Performance for the EP Ring it Up. 

    moe. wrapped the SAMMYS with a lively three-song set that included “Tailspin,” “Spine of a Dog” > “Buster.” Schnier commented about the lack of curfew at the venue and suggested they keep playing until they are thrown off the stage. To the disappointment of many, Schnier apparently as well, the lights came on at the end of “Buster,” bringing a close to the two-day celebration of Syracuse area music for another year.

    Best Jazz: Second Line Syracuse, Second Line Syracuse
    Best Other Category: Syracuse Society for New Music, Music Here & Now
    Best Folk: Lauren Mettler, Patchwork
    Best Jam Band: Joe Driscoll & Sekou Kouyate, Monistic Theory
    Best R & B: Alani Skye, Don’t Forget About Me
    Best Pop: The Jess Novak Band, Inches From The Sun
    Best Americana: Driftwood, City Lights
    Best Blues: Tas Cru, Simmered and Stewed
    Best Hard Rock: Breaking Solace – Shatter the Silence
    Best Alternative: Bell & Sgroi, Bell & Sgroi
    Best Rock: King Chro and the Talismen, King Chro and the Talismen
    Best Hip-Hop/Rap: World Be Free, Nigg@$ To Gods
    Best Singer/Songwriter: Alanna Boudreau, Champion
    Best Country: Small Town Shade, Ring It Up EP

    Brian Bourke Award for Best New Artist: Root Shock

    People’s Choice Awards were conducted in an online poll for three categories. Over 110,000 votes were tallied. The winners were:

    Favorite Band: Small Town Shade
    Favorite venue to see live music: Chevy Court at the New York State Fair
    Favorite festival or music series: The Great New York State Fair

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  • moe. Packs the F Shed for Another Hometown Throe.down

    moe. closed out its Syracuse residency Saturday, March 4, with a scorching show at the F Shed. A show that featured a hot first set, a second set “Kids” sandwich and three-song encore.

    The above referenced residency had moe. spending a few days in town being feted by the Syracuse Area Music Awards as inductees into that organization’s Hall of Fame, along with a three song performance at Friday’s award ceremony.  Saturday was the culmination of a great weekend of music in the Salt City.

    The frigid night began with guitarist Chuck Garvey’s monotone greeting, “Welcome to the hockey rink. Are you ready to rock? I said, ‘Are you ready to rock?’ I can’t hear you. Are you ready to rock?” As he fiddled with the tuning knobs of his Fender Stratocaster, he proclaimed, “I’m not quite ready to rock.” The lackluster delivery of a standard arena rock tone gave an ironic insight to the night’s proceedings. moe. – and Garvey – were, in fact, ready to rock.

    The F Shed is one of the more unique venues on the live music circuit, as it is literally a shed. Located in the Regional Market on Syracuse’s north side, the market provides not only a venue for live music, but a year-round location for farmer’s markets and flea markets. Garvey’s hockey rink reference isn’t a far stretch. One could easily see a set of dasher boards and red and blue lines being a part of this facility. With outside temperatures hovering in the zero range, the indoor temps seemed just slightly warmer upon entry. Thoughts of an impending hockey game weren’t a far stretch.

    The show opened with a boom, boom, boom, as the band busted into “Crab Eyes” from Wormwood. The song had a heavy Garvey/Jim Loughlin presence, which set the tone for the remainder of the night. The band dipped into its early 2000s catalog of songs featuring Garvey’s vocals and Loughlin’s percussion often.

    The first set was segue after segue as the band whirled through “Threw It All Away” and a rare moe., version 1.0 run-through of “Funky Reuben” before seamlessly moving back into “Crab Eyes.” The nearly all-segued first set continued with Garvey leading the way out of a spacey “Silver Sun.” “Akimbo” closed the solid first set, finally allowing the near capacity crowd to catch its breath.

    Following an extended setbreak, the band kicked into a low-key “Moth” to usher in the second set. moe. kept it mellow as Rob Derhak’s familiar bass intro to “Kyle’s Song” segued out of “Moth.” Garvey’s mid-song solo kicked up the pace with the crowd following suit.

    Throughout the night, the lights incorporated the industrial sized ceiling fans into the scenery, creating a scene reminiscent of Willy Wonka’s ‘Fizzy Lifting Drink.’

    The opening notes of “Kids” ripped open a box of crazy that resulted in a “Kids” sandwich to wrap up the second set. “Down Boy” set a funky tone into “Hector’s Pillow” and “Bring You Down” before settling back into “Kids.”

    After a quick break, Al Schnier returned with his usual slate of al.nouncements. Offering a cheers to the crowd with a can of Utica Club, Schnier ran through engagement announcements and show numbers from various fans as well as a tease of moe.down’s return to Snow Ridge Ski Area this summer.

    An energetic encore began with the slow swirling build up of “Wind It Up,” with Loughlin’s mallets working overtime. The closing chorus turned into a sing-along as lights lit up the inside of the shed. The crowd-pleasing “Nebraska” followed with nearly all in attendance joining in.

    moe. has often used classic rock staples as show closers. Tonight was one of those times. The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” has been tackled by many but moe. seemed particularly equipped to replicate the synthesizer opening using Loughlin’s malletkat and guest violinist Nick Picciccini from Floodwood tackling the signature solo with ease.

    “Baba O’Riley” ended the night on a high note. The entire night capped off a three-day celebration of moe. as hometown heroes following the band’s induction into the Syracuse Area Music Awards (SAMMYS) Hall of Fame on Thursday and a performance at the awards ceremony on Friday.

    Seeing moe. perform in their home area creates a great homey vibe that reveals a fondness of their roots as a blue collar jamband from Central New York. At this point in their storied career, moe. is playing with  an energy that is still infectious to the long-timers yet finds them gaining new fans along the way. The return of moe.down to its original location in the Tug Hill can only add to what could end up being the peak year in the band’s career.

    Setlist:

    Set I: Crab Eyes > Threw It All Away > Funky Reuben > Crab Eyes, Captain America > Rise > Silver Sun > Akimbo

    Set II: Moth > Kyle’s Song > Kids > Down Boy > Hector’s Pillow > Bring You Down > Kids

    Encore: Wind It Up, Nebraska, Baba O’Riley*

    * with Nick Piccininni (Floodwood) on violin

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  • Catskill Chill Takes Hiatus in 2017

    Catskill Chill festival lovers received a disappointing announcement that the fest is going on hiatus for 2017. Fans have been waiting for an announcement on 2017’s Catskill Chill Festival since the stage lights extinguished on 2016’s festival Sept. 25. Hoping for a lineup and date announcement for 2017, fans received the opposite news instead. Festival lovers can only hope the festival returns in 2018.

    After seven years, Catskill Chill will take a hiatus in 2017. In a post to fans on social media, the Chillfam team reflected on how the festival brought people together and the one of a kind atmosphere that the festival created. The Chillfam team also thanked everyone from fans, vendors, bands/artist, volunteers, venues, promoters and media, who have supported the festival since its inception in September 2010.

    One thing the festival promoters did not state in the post was why the festival would not take place, just stating that they needed to take a step back and that they will be be announcing Chillfam parties throughout the northeast real soon.

    Many jamband favorites have played the festival throughout the years including Mike Gordon, George Clinton & Parliamant/Funkadelic, Greensky Bluegrass, Lettuce, moe., Twiddle, Dopapod, Kung Fu, Nth Power, Papadosio, and Pink Talking Fish to name a few.

    Below is the festival’s statement issued through Facebook regarding the hiatus:

    https://www.facebook.com/CatskillChill/posts/1592016847493442

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