On October 29, two bands who got their start in Buffalo, moe. and Aqueous combined forces for only the second time. Watch the rare below moe.queous performance below.
The Town Ballroom show found the two bands donning a musical costume with a theme of ‘animals’ leading to covers of Phish, The Beatles and Pink Floyd, as well as songs from the moe. and Aqueous catalogs that centered around various creatures and critters.
The lineups for the two band combo included Al Schnier and Vinnie Amico from moe., and Mike Gantzer, Evan McPhaden and Rob Houk from Aqueous. David Loss of Aqueous would also make a surprise appearance on vocals of “I Am The Walrus.”
Gantzer said of the collaboration, “It’s a cool full circle thing to intertwine the AQ and moe. worlds so directly-Both bands have history at Town Ballroom and share strong roots being from Buffalo, too. There’s something really connective about that, and I’ve always felt a unique kinship and chemistry when making music or even just hanging with those guys. Much of AQ’s early inspiration came from seeing moe. too, so that should tell you just how truly special this will be!”
Schnier agreed, saying “We love our boys in AQ almost as much as we love Buffalo! Last time we all got together for a moe.queous throw down, it was such an awesome amalgamation of our two bands, and we knew it was something we should definitely do more often.”
photo by Curtis Kruetter
Check out the moe.queous setlist and watch videos from across the evening below.
Set 1: Bearsong > Strange Times > Bearsong, Birds of a Feather > Kitty Chaser > Downward Facing Dog, Marty, I Am The Walrus*
Set 2: Moth > Pigs > Moth, Warren in the Window, Terrapin Station > Four#, Buster#
On the heels of the announcement that guitarist Chuck Garvey will be sitting-in as a “special guest” for their NYE performance, moe. has announced a short run of tour dates for Winter 2023, which will include select performances up and down the east coast.
Beginning with three nights in NY, NJ, and DC in late January, the tour will resume with a 2-night run at the State Theatre in Portland, ME over President’s Day weekend, and an additional 2-night run at the Palace Theatre in Albany on February 24-25, coinciding with “moe.day” in Albany on 2/24. The band has yet to announce plans for Chuck to return to the band on a full-time basis following his sit-in on NYE.
moe. – Chuck Garvey (guitar, vocals), Rob Derhak (bass, vocals), Al Schnier (guitar, vocals), Jim Loughlin (percussion, vibes), Vinnie Amico (drums)
The band made its long-awaited return to Colorado this month, where they played their first three-night run in nearly a year at the Fox Theater in Boulder. On the final night of the run, the band announced that Garvey, who suffered a stroke last November, would sit-in as a “special guest” for a portion of the band’s NYE performance at the Fillmore Philadelphia for the first time in over a year. The announcement came exactly one year to the day since Garvey suffered his stroke, and his return appearance is also especially significant, since the Fillmore Philadelphia was the last venue he performed at on Halloween 2022.
Today marks the one-year anniversary of my worst day ever. I scared my wife, my family, my friends, and many of you who heard of my stroke. Thank you for your well-wishes and your donations, without which my recovery would not have happened. This year has been a really long, difficult one for me, but a rewarding one, in that I learned what a person needs to do to achieve goals. Some are basic, everyday things like speech, and some are more about universal things that I noticed about family, friends, and community that keep us all afloat. So, thank you for your help and your community. I can’t wait to see all of you where the water falls, and the music calls. I will be joining my brothers on stage in Philly, the city of brotherly love.
Chuck Garvey’s note to fans
The band is gearing up for the holidays with a selection of limited-edition merch, currently on-sale via the moe. online store. Offerings include “ugly” t-shirt and crewnecks sold alongside a moe. holiday ornament. For more information, click here.
A special artist pre-sale will begin Wednesday, November 16th at 10am local time – for details click here. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday, November 18th at 10am local time. For ticketing and show info, please visit moe.org/tour.
moe 2023 Winter Tour Dates
Thursday, January 19 – The Paramount – Huntington, NY Friday, January 20th – 9:30 Club – Washington, D.C. Saturday, January 21st – Wellmont Theater – Montclair, NJ Friday, February 17th – State Theatre – Portland, ME Saturday, February 18th – State Theatre – Portland, ME Friday, February 24th – Palace Theater – Albany, NY Saturday, February 25th – Palace Theater – Albany, NY Thursday, March 9th – Brooklyn Bowl – Nashville, TN Friday, March 10th – Mars Music Hall – Huntsville, AL Saturday, March 11th – Minglewood Hall – Memphis, TN Sunday, March 12th – Vinyl Music Hall – Pensacola, FL Wednesday, March 15th – Music Hall – Charleston, SC Thursday, March 16th – The Plaza Live – Orlando, FL Friday, March 17th – Culture Room – Ft. Lauderdale, FL Saturday, March 18th – Jannus Live – St. Petersburg, FL Sunday, March 19th – PV Concert Hall – Ponte Vedra Beach, FL Tuesday, March 21st – Lincoln Theatre – Raleigh, NC Wednesday, March 22nd – Jefferson Theatre – Charlottesville, VA Thursday, March 23rd – The Orange Peel – Asheville, NC Friday, March 24th – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA Saturday, March 25th – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA
Fans of moe. got a dose of good news about beloved guitarist Chuck Garvey the other night at the band’s show at The Fox Theatre in Boulder, CO. In his customary pre-encore “Al.nouncements,” guitarist Al Schnier read a note from Chuck, who suffered a stroke last November, proclaiming that he would sit-in as a “special guest” for a portion of the band’s NYE performance at the Fillmore Philadelphia for the first time in over a year. As expected, the news was met with much delight.
The announcement came exactly one year to the day since Chuck Garvey suffered his stroke, and his return appearance with moe. is also significant since the Fillmore Philadelphia was the last venue he performed at on Halloween 2022. The band has yet to announce plans for Chuck to return to the band on a full-time basis.
Thank you for your well-wishes and your donations, without which my recovery would not have happened. This year has been a really long, difficult one for me, but a rewarding one, in that I learned what a person needs to do to achieve goals.
~ Chuck Garvey
The NYE performance will include an opening set by the New Haven, CT based 4-piece Eggy, and also feature The Horn Section, a 3-piece horn group featuring former members of Turkuaz, who will be performing with moe. throughout the night. The concert will follow moe.’s appearance at the North Beach Music Festival in Miami Beach, and a handful of Rob & Vinnie shows with BlueStar Radiation through the remainder of 2022.
moequeous, the supergroup featuring members of two influential jam bands who got their starts in the Queen City of Buffalo, will reunite for the second time ever at Buffalo’s Town Ballroom on Saturday, October 29.
The musicians joining forces for this evening of music include moe. guitarist Al Schnier and drummer Vinnie Amico, alongside Aqueous’ guitarist Mike Gantzer, bassist Evan McPhaden and drummer Rob Houk.
It’s a cool full circle thing to intertwine the AQ and moe. worlds so directly-Both bands have history at Town Ballroom and share strong roots being from Buffalo, too. There’s something really connective about that, and I’ve always felt a unique kinship and chemistry when making music or even just hanging with those guys. Much of AQ’s early inspiration came from seeing moe. too, so that should tell you just how truly special this will be!
Mike Gantzer
The Halloween show marks the second performance of the group, the first time featuring Aqueous’ Dave Loss, all of whom joined forces for a set in 2017.
We love our boys in AQ almost as much as we love Buffalo! Last time we all got together for a moe.queous throw down, it was such an awesome amalgamation of our two bands, and we knew it was something we should definitely do more often. And this time it’s perfect – in Buffalo, Halloween weekend, Bills vs. Packers, Town Ballroom!! It doesn’t get much better than this (unless of course, Josh Allen is sitting in).
Al Schnier
Just added earlier in the day, a family friendly Soundcheck Costume Party with moe. and Aqueous will be held from 4:15-6pm, with entry to benefit the American Cancer Society while giving kids a chance to dance to your favorite music!
Entry passes will be first come, first served. Attendees must be from the same household. A majority of the entry passes will go to families able to donate $100 or more. The remaining entry passes will go to families able to donate below $100. The entry request link will go live on October 25 at 4:00 pm EST. Those awarded entry will have 60 minutes to make their donation using the provided link or their entry will be released to the next family, so watch your inbox!
Entry requests can be made here. Entry passes to the family friendly Soundcheck Costume Party does not include the moe.queous evening show. You do not need tickets to the moe.queous evening show to attend this event.
Tickets for moequeous are on sale now. Find tickets here.
Returning in 2022 to the south shore of Long Island was the Great South Bay Music Festival, featuring four days of artists on multiple stages. Attending on Saturday, July 9, artists included Aqueous, Galactic, Joe Russoâs Almost Dead, Tedeschi Trucks Band, moe. and Escaper, among many others over the long weekend.
Saturday kicked off with Aqueous on the main stage, who are taking a light 2022 to focus on family time, something well deserved for the Buffalo band. Brooklyn’s Escaper played an incredible set at the Clamshell Bandshell featuring Lespecial bassist Luke Bemand. With boats around the shore and some making their way to hear the music via kayak, the New Orleans sound of Galactic proved to be funky as always.
moe. played an outstanding set of music giving way to an evening sunset, on the heels of shows in Albany, Buffalo and at Levitate Music Festival. Joined by Suke Cerulo on guitar and Nate Wilson on keys (both in place of a recovering Chuck Garvey), the band shared their honed sound, including an ode to the Allman Brothers in a set closing “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.” Listen to the show here.
moe. Setlist: Plane Crash, LL3, Mar De Ma-> Jam->Tailspin, NYC, Skrunk > In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed
JRAD closed up the night with a firey, jam filled set. Russo and his bandmates are back in New York in late August at SPAC, with many more fall tour dates planned in the Northeast.
Great South Bay Music Festival has become a staple of summers in Long Island for the past decade. We look forward to the 2023 installment and all the music in store.
New York jam icons moe. continued their recent revival on Thursday, July 7 with a headlining gig in their old hometown of Buffalo. As part of the Seneca Casinos Outer Harbor Concert Series, moe. played at the Lakeside Event Lawn in the outer harbor. With founding member Chuck Garvey still on the sidelines, Suke Cerulo filled in on guitar while Nate Wilson was also added on keys for this tour.
moe. kept it fairly old school this evening, in the community in which it grew up as a band. A “Kyle’s Song” > “Seat Of My Pants” got the evening started off right. The first set also offered up the newer composition “Prestige Worldwide” before “Time Ed” later closed out the set.
An even older tune “Johnny Lineup” opened up the second set, followed close behind by other legendary moe. tunes like “Timmy Tucker” and “Sensory Depravation Bank.” A powerhouse combination of “Recreational Chemistry” > “Meat” to close out the set preceded the all too fitting “Skitchin’ Buffalo” encore.
moe. Outer Harbor Drive – Buffalo, NY 7/7/22
Set 1: Kyle’s Song > Seat Of My Pants, Haze, Prestige Worldwide > Rickey Marten > Time Ed
Set 2: Johnny Lineup > Timmy Tucker, Sensory Depravation Bank, Meat > Recreational Chemistry > Meat
Making the most of an unfortunate and potentially volatile situation, a free moe. concert at the Empire State Plaza in Albany was music to the ears of disappointed Deadheads and plenty of moe.rons on Wednesday, July 6. With many fans already on the road when late afternoon news broke that Dead and Company had suddenly cancelled their show at SPAC, live music lovers didn’t have to look very far to find their fix.
With beloved Buffalo improv icons moe. already scheduled to kick off Albany’s ‘Summer at the Plaza’ concert series on the same night, what was once thought to be tough choice for the competing fanbase suddenly seemed like a blessing a disguise. For the moe.rons, there was never a debate on where to be, but to the dedicated Deadheads still hoping to dance, turning the bus around and detouring it to the Empire State Plaza became an obvious no-brainer.
“I can remember the warm summer nights, drinking cold Gennys, yeah we’d get so tight.” – Lyrics from “Blue Jeans Pizza”
Set in the shadows of the state capitol building and in a sea of tie dye t-shirts, it was more than just the hippies who showed up on this picture-perfect summer evening. Instead, a pleasantly diverse crowd of all ages, genders, colors, hair styles and musical aptitudes packed into the plaza shortly after happy hour. There were kids running around with cotton candy and snow cones, old friends catching up while waiting in the massive beer line, people playing frisbee and walking their dogs, local artists hustling for a buck. All of it helping to create a family friendly, carnival-like vibe bustling with energy and as word got around that moe. was in town, the crowd only seemed to grow larger as the evening went on.
Dead and Company fans flocked from SPAC to the Empire State Plaza after the bands surprise cancellation.
The entire performance felt drenched in nostalgia. While it was a beautiful and surreal scene come showtime, the road to getting there has been long and full of curveballs. You see, while moe is largely considered a “Buffalo band,” die-hard Albany fans still like to consider the guys “homegrown.” Playing some of their earliest shows at legendary local dives like the former Valentine’s off New Scotland Ave, some members of the band even lived in Albany before truckin’ up to Buffalo. Their impact on local culture over the years so significant, that back in 2018 Albany’s mayor, Kathy Sheehan, officially declared February 24th as “moe. Day” in the city. While little has been made of that fact since then, judging by the amount of people who packed into the plaza for this rare (and free) moe. show, it’s clear that the local love has never wavered. Seeing core members Rob Derhak (bass), Al Schnier (guitar), Vinny Amicio (drums), and Jim Loughlin (percussion) sharing smiles together while taking it all in, you couldn’t help but feel proud of the “happy hour heroes” on stage.
From the thought-provoking summer anthem “Blue Jeans Pizza” opener, to a jammed out 16 minute version of “The Road,” to old-school moe. staples like “Head,” 2001’s “So Long” and an always appreciated “Mexico” set closer, much of the talk during intermission wasn’t about the guys playing on stage, but rather who wasn’t on stage. The conversation was all about Chuck and how much he is missed. For many in attendance, it was their first time seeing the band without moe.’s founding guitarist, virtuoso Chuck Garvey, who has been on the sidelines recovering from a serious stroke since in November of last year. In a truly sentimental moment towards the end of the show, Al read a “get well soon” note from a fan named Nicole, then lead the entire crowd in a “Chuck, Chuck, Chuck” chant.
moe. performing with Suke Cerulo and Nate Wilson at the Empire State Plaza 7/6/22
Stepping up to the plate in Garvey’s absence, the band has enlisted not one, but two world-class players; Suke Cerulo of Schleigho on guitar and keyboard/multi instrumentalist Nate Wilson from Percy Hill. While guitarist Al Schnier handled most of the heavy lifting and soloing during the first set, the improvisation during the second set went long and deep and really allowed Cerulo and Wilson to show what they’re made of. While Cerulo’s headless guitar will take some getting used to, he’s seems to be a natural fit, while Wilson on the other hand, adds a completely new dynamic and versatility to the moe. sound, complete with funk infused keyboards and a flute that plays incredibly well off Jim Loughlin’s xylophone sounds.
Coming out of the gates for the second set with a near 20 minute version of Lazarus, the band would effortlessly segue into a particularly funky 18 minute rendition of “George.” After a brief pause, the band would launch into a massive “McBain” sandwich that saw them jam into a “Starship Troopers”>”Tubing the River Styx” and eventually find their way back into “The Pit.” The true highlight and easily the long jam of the name night came next with the set closing 26 minute moe classic “Brent Black” which brough everyone at the Empire State Plaza to their feet in a standing ovation. With the hard curfew now rapidly approaching, the band would return to the stage for fan favorite “Bear Song” as an encore.
If you liked the setlist of this show, you can thank a kind man by the name of John King. If you didn’t like it, well, blame cancer. Based on King’s generous donation to the American Caner Society, the band gave him the unique opportunity to write the setlist. Considering many of the people who were there went into the night expecting to hear Dead and Company, I think it’s safe to say Mr. King knocked it out of the park in a big way. Before exiting the stage, bass player Rob Derhak addressed the crowd one final time saying, “We had an awesome time, we hope you guys did as well. Thank you so much for coming out. Seriously though, we really do love Albany. We have are own day here in February, it’s moe. day, so you can’t beat that, thank you. Me and some of the guys are gonna be down at The Hollow tonight with Blue Star Radiation, so shameless plug. Goodnight.”
Moe. | July 6, 2022 | Albany, NY | Empire State Plaza (Free Show)
Set 1: Blue Jeans Pizza, The Road, Head, So Long, Mexico
Set 2: Lazarus > George , McBain> Starship Troop Jam > Tubing the Rive Styx* > The Pit> Brent Black
Encore: Al.nouements, Chuck Chant, Bear Song * with Nate Wilson on flute
Pulling double duty, the fun wasn’t over yet this evening. Directly following moe.’s performance, fans in the know headed further downtown to The Hollow where Guthrie/Bell Productions was hosting an evening with Blue Star Radiation, the side-project which also features moe. drummer Vinnie Amico and bassist Rob Derhak, plus keyboard/multi instrumentalist Nate Wilson and virtuoso guitarist Tim Palmieri of Kung Fu, The Breakfast and most recently Lotus fame.
As you might expect with the pedigree of the players involved, this show was quite the party. A veritable “all-star” band of improvisational, jam band musicians that all share an affinity for classic rock, the show saw everything from highly danceable funk grooves, to tasteful blues-based crooning, to bombastic, over-the-top soloing. It was perhaps no surprise that guitarist Tim Palmieri stole the show however, as he was the only member of Blue Star Radiation that was completely fresh having not played at the Plaza earlier in the night.
Always the consummate showman, Palmieri’s incendiary shredding was on full display from the beginning, almost daring his bandmates to try and keep up. Derhak, who could be seen grinning ear to ear most of the show, was up to the challenge, and even would go head-to-head with Palmieri in an instrumental duel that would send the Hollow howling.
While there appeared to be no formal setlist, obvious highlights included covers of moe. classics like “Opium” and “Mar De Ma” as well as “Biblical Proportions” and an exquisite rendition of the Jethro Tull classic “Locomotive Breath.” Sensing there was something special going on here, about half way through the night, promoter Greg Bell casually worked his way through the crowd to the front of the stage to ask the guys how they felt about playing a second set. Derhak would leave it up the audience, holding his arms out and asking “What do you folks think?” After the resounding cheer, Blue Star Radiation would go on to play all the way till about 1am. While this project is still relatively new, BSR shows are quickly becoming “can’t miss” affairs.
New Yorkers will get their next chance to see the band soon, as Blue Star Radiation makes their NYC debut at the Cutting Room on Friday, July 22. As for moe.’s next New York engagement, the band is set return to beautiful Lake George the first weekend of September for two headlining nights at the Adirondack Independence Music Festival.
Blue Star Radiation | July 6, 2022 | Albany, NY | The Hollow
After nearly a two-year hiatus, the Great South Bay Music Festival returns this year to Shorefront Park from July 7 through July 10 with over 60 performers across three stages.
The four-day music and arts festival was previously postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic and is excited to return for its 14th anniversary. Known as Long Island’s largest and longest-running festival, GSB has entertained audiences and families for years.
Acts span multiple genres including classic and contemporary rock, blues, indie, jam, pop, Americana, country, reggae, and funk. Alongside multiple drinks and wine tents, craft markets, and food courts, the festival returns back and is bigger than ever.
On Thursday, July 7, indie-rockers Grouplove and Manchester Orchestra will co-headline on the festival’s main stage. On Friday, July 8, reggae band Rebelution will take the stage to headline with Steel Pulse supporting.
Typically, the third day of the festival is known as “Jam Day,” but 2022 brings something new. Headlining the main stage will be Joe Russo’s Almost Dead – one of the Grateful Dead’s most popular tributes. Returning to the festival includes moe., Galactic, and guitarist Brandon “Taz” Niederauer as well as the Weight Band and Aqueous.
On Sunday, July 10, the closing acts for the highly-anticipated festival include The Tedeschi Trucks Band and the “Wheels of Soul Tour” which features a two-hour set and the festival is their only metro NY summer appearance. Los Lobos, and Gabe Dixon and his Band will also grace the main stage for the last day of the festival.
Part of the Great South Bay Music Festival’s goal is to feature up-and-coming artists across multiple genres. This year, the festival will present over 30 talented, original artists for their audiences to enjoy. New artists for this year include Quarter House, Oogee Wawa, Samsara, and Whatever We Are.
Ticket prices can be purchased here and children 10 and under are free. GSB will continue to donate $1 from every ticket sold to the GSB-Stony Brook Cancer Center Fund with over a quarter of a million dollars raised to date.
Festival Times:
Thursday, July 7: Doors at 3:00 pm, music until 10pm
Friday, July 8: Doors at 3:00PM, music until 11pm
Saturday July 9: Doors at 1:00pm, music until 11pm
The Adirondack Independent Music Festival will once again take place in Lake George at the unofficial end of summer on Labor Day weekend. The festival will return to the Charles R. Wood Festival Commons and take place Friday, September 2 through Sunday, September 4.
Pink Talking Fish
This year’s headliners are moe. who are playing four sets over two nights and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong who will play two sets as well, returning to the festival for the first time since 2019.
In addition to lots of great music, the festival will also feature a variety of food and craft vendors as well a great view of the fireworks at Lake George on Saturday evening. $175 General Admission Weekend (3-day) tickets are on sale now at the Adirondack Music Festival website. There is also a special VIP option available, which includes admission to all three days, a meal each night, free snacks, half-priced adult beverages, $2 water / soft drinks, a private viewing area (with private bar) and access to private bathrooms.
Also featured on this year’s bill are Dopapod, Pink Talking Fish, Badfish: A Tribute to Sublime, Ryan Montbleau Band, lespecial, Dogs in a Pile, Neighbor, Hayley Jane & The Primates and Freekbass & The Bump Assembly (featuring former members of Turkuaz).
Music in the Festival Commons will begin at 1pm on Friday and 12:00pm on Saturday and Sunday and run continuously across two side-by-side stages until 11pm each night. The event is open to attendees of all ages and children 12 and under are free.
Chuck Garvey shared a health update this week on Podcrash as he continues to recover from a stroke he suffered in November 2021.
A new podcast from the band, Podcrash features all members addressing all things moe. In the new episode, Harvey shared that he was first and foremost ‘getting some speech going on’ as the most important part of recovery. Garvey went on to say “I just wanted to talk. When I woke up I just wanted to see everyone that I’ve ever known.”
It was great to see you guys, but I couldn’t say what I wanted to say so that was hard. Working on the speech is because I want to talk to everybody and now all the stuff … getting back on my feet was a big thing so I could get out of a chair was the next thing. And then the next thing was getting my hand to work so I could play.
Chuck Garvey
“Working on everything to get the fine motor skills on my hand is really big because I want to play again,” explained Chuck. “I want to play with the band. I want all the fun things that we can do with music is … I want to try that again.”
Chuck Garvey will miss moe.’s upcoming shows this summer, including at Summer Camp Music Festival this weekend, with Suke Cerulo (Schleigho) and Nate Wilson (Assembly of Dust, Percy Hill) filling in. Discover how their recent Monkeys on Ecstasy show at Empire Underground in Albany unfolded.
moe. 2022 Summer Tour Thurs, May 26 – Sun, May 29 – Chillicothe, IL – Summer Camp Music Fest Fri, June 10 – Norfolk, VA – HarborFest Sat, June 18 – Philadelphia, PA – City Bisco 2022 Wed, July 6 – Albany, NY – Empire State Plaza Concert Series Thurs, July 7 – Buffalo, NY – Buffalo Outer Harbor Fri, July 8 – Marshfield, MA – Levitate Music Festival Sat, July 9 – Patchogue, NY – Great South Bay Music Festival Sun, July 10 – Seaside Heights, NJ – Live at the Heights, The Beach Stage Fri, September 2 – Jay, VT – Jay Peak Resort Sat, September 3 – Sun, September 4 – Lake George, NY – Adirondack Music Festival^ Fri, September 23 – Sat, September 24 – St. Helena, CA – Blue Note at the Charles Krug Winery
