NYS Music 202​2

Tag: moe.

  • Monkeys On Ecstasy (moe.) Warm up for Summer at Empire Underground

    Performing under the pseudonym Monkeys On Ecstasy, moe. treated 350 lucky fans to a performance at Empire Underground on Thursday, May 12. With guitarist Chuck Garvey on the mend, Suke Cerulo (Schleigho, Lynch) and Nate Wilson (Ghosts of Jupiter, Blue Star Radiation), the now-sextet of musicians warmed up for the summer shows that lie ahead, with a powerful 11-song performance.

    monkeys on ecstasy moe
    photo by Frankie Cavone

    A Monkeys on Ecstasy show provides moe. with the rare chance for a club performance, making for an intimate and intense show, one that diehard moe.rons gravitated to, selling the show out within 24 hours. Hundreds more would stream the show online as well, bringing a little bit of the magic of this show to the masses. Monkeys on Ecstasy shows have been played periodically over the years, allowing for surprise treats for fans, including a 1998 performance in Utica at Captain Trips Rainforest Cafe.

    Fans in the Capital District will recall the August 18, 2005 performance of moe. as The Vinnie Amico Experience, where drummer Vinnie Amico took centerstage at a sweat-stained Revolution Hall.

    monkeys on ecstasy moe
    photo by Frankie Cavone

    For Thursday night, the band began at 8:13pm with fan favorite “Happy Hour Hero” segueing cleanly into “Silver Sun” and then the ever rare “Johnny Lineup.” For 42 minutes, there was not a single break in the action on stage, and prior to a lengthy intro to “Lazarus” did the band finally take a moment to breathe and thank the audience for joining them this evening. Just prior to “Buster,” the beginning of “Rebubula” was teased, before Rob Derhak took the reigns and played the iconic bass intro to “Buster.” The set ended up with “Downward Facing Dog” and a band that was tight and familiar, as two seasoned musicians to provided an ample substitute for Garvey.

    monkeys on ecstasy
    photo by Frankie Cavone

    The four song second set began with the heavy as ever “McBain,” allowing for plenty of improvisation between Wilson and Cerulo and guitarist Al Schnier. A patient fade into “Brent Black” paid off with a significant ‘drums’ portion from Amico and Jim Loughlin, which found its way into Pink Floyd’s “Interstellar Overdrive” and finally the classic moe. jam vehicle, “Recreational Chemistry.” To close the night, the relatively new “Skitchin Buffalo” served as a long encore, the audience pouring out to the alley behind North Pearl Street, having witnessed a rare as ever performance.

    moe. will return to the Capital District on July 6 with a free show at the Empire State Plaza. Full tour dates can be found here. See more photos at Mirth Films.

    Monkeys on Ecstasy – Empire Underground – May 12, 2022

    Set 1: Happy Hour Hero > Silver Sun > Johnny Lineup, Lazarus > Buster* > Downward Facing Dog
    Set 2: Skrunk > Brent Black > Interstellar Overdrive > Recreational Chemistry
    Encore: Skitchin Buffalo

    *Rebubula intro fakeout

  • moe. announce 2022 Summer Tour Dates with Nate Wilson and Suke Cerulo in place of Chuck Garvey

    moe. has announced they will play a handful of tour dates for this summer, joined by Suke Cerulo on guitar and Nate Wilson on keys for a majority of the shows.

    moe tour dates

    The shows were announced as “for the remainder of the year” meaning moe.rons will only have 8 chances to catch moe., following shows at Summer Camp Music Festival in May, and Norfolk Harborfest and City Bisco in June.

    A free show on July 6 in Albany will take place at the Empire State Plaza, with a performance at Levitate in Marshfield, MA the next day, followed by Great South Bay Music Festival in Patchogue. They’ll then return to New York for two shows over Labor Day weekend in Lake George.

    Sitting out the run is moe. guitarist Chuck Garvey as he continues to recover from a stroke. Chuck is making progress but will need some more time to get back to the stage with his bandmates. moe. hopes you’ll join them for a celebration of life, music and the fa.moe.ly they have built over the past 30 years. An artist pre-sale begins on Wednesday, April 27 at noon at moe.org

    We want to thank our famoe.ly once again for the love and support you’ve shown Chuck over these past five months. He’s continuing to get better day by day, and your thoughts and energy have kept our spirits up. It’s become clear over the past number of years that you can never know what tomorrow will bring, which makes the chance to come together as a community that much more meaningful.

    moe. via Facebook

    Check out the warm up show with Wilson and Cerulo as Monkeys on Ecstasy.

    moe. 2022 Summer Tour Dates

    7/6 – Albany, NY *
    7/7 – Buffalo, NY
    7/9 – Patchogue, NY (Great South Bay Music Festival)
    7/10 – Seaside Heights, NJ
    9/2 – Jay, VT +
    9/3-9/4 – Lake George, NY ^
    9/23-24 – St. Helena, CA

    * Free Show
    + Tickets and lodging packages on-sale the week of 5/2
    ^ Official announcement and on-sale date TBD

  • Watch the Stop moe.tion Animation “All the Way Down”

    Long Island art teacher Brian Baker has released his second stop moe.tion brick film, “All The Way Down,” featuring LEGO versions of moe. and their fans.

    all the way down moe
    Still image from “All The Way Down” by Brian Baker

    Baker’s first stop moe.tion animation, “moe.rons on parade,” captured the spirit of a moe. show in LEGO form. This animation follows moe. on an adventure to visit guitarist Chuck Garvey as they prepare to practice for their upcoming tour. Chuck, as any proper moe.ron knows, spends his free time lording over the underworld in his role as Satan. The project was begun in June of 2021, before recent medical issues have sidelined Chuck, who continues to recover.

    I send this project out into the universe with nothing but love and the best of intentions for his recovery.

    Brian Baker

    Continuing this project gave Baker a chance to build upon “moe.rons on Parade” and also improve on the original. As Baker looked back on his first ever ‘brick film,’ he saw many little things that he could do better, from the timing of the photos to the pacing of the story and the general plot itself. While Baker shared his work is a long throw from being a professional production, ‘All The Way Down” has polish to it that the first one lacked. And still, he continues to find joy in his work, noting “I still get a laugh watching segments for the 100th time.”

    all the way down moe
    Still image from “All The Way Down” by Brian Baker

    Baker began work on “All The Way Down” in June of 2021, and by August he began filming. Using a camera that would focus throughout the whole more than 10,000 picture production, Baker planned more for his second go around.

    I did a lot of research on other brick films and learned how to pull off some different tricks. I learned how to incorporate green screen.  I spent a lot of time practicing walk cycles. I thought of different materials that could be used for effects such as tissue paper and stained glass.  A lot of little challenges and problems arose along the way that I needed to find solutions to, but that’s half the fun.

    Brian Baker

    As the project progressed, ideas evolved and grew as the story took on a life of its own. Going into the last few minutes of screen time, Baker had no idea how to wrap everything up and pull it all back together. While he never considered himself a “storyteller,” he found it tough to keep everything moving forward in an understandable and entertaining way.

    all the way down moe
    Still image from “All The Way Down” by Brian Baker

    Besides a personal challenge and creation for Baker, “All The Way Down” also serves as a great teaching resource for his 9th grade animation class. 

    I am planning to chop this up into smaller “gag” segments that I can use in class to help my students get ideas for their own brickfilms. Students have already started working on learning basic movements like walking and picking up objects. I am hoping some of them can get into some advanced animation techniques. Some students have definitely been bit by the animation bug. It is very rewarding when a student comes in and shows their teacher what they were working on at home over the weekend “just for fun.”

    Baker thanks and gives credit to moe.rons who shared info and lyrics as well as thoughts about their experiences with the band in the past year, as well as friends who helped proofread the story. He looks forward, along with many other moe. fans, seeing the band back on stage this summer at City Bisco in Philadelphia and at the Great South Bay Music Festival in July.

  • Disco Biscuits Announce The Return Of City Bisco

    Philadelphia’s own The Disco Biscuits have announced the return of their two-day City Bisco festival. The mini-fest is scheduled for the weekend of Saturday, June 18 and Sunday, June 19 and will once again be held at TD Pavillion at the Mann. This will be the fifth installment of City Bisco and it marks the 10-year anniversary of the festival since its inception in 2012.

    City Bisco

    This year’s bill also features performances from electronic duo Bob Moses, renowned DJ Shiba San and moe. It’s a promising sign for the jamband mainstay as it marks another scheduled gig for the band as guitarist Chuck Garvey continues to rehabilitate from a recent stroke. moe. is also slated to perform at their own Summer Camp music festival in Chillicothe, IL from May 27-29.

    Other acts scheduled this year include fellow electronica icons The New Deal, TAUK, LP Giobbi and Township Rebellion with the Disco Biscuits capping off each night with two sets of music.

    Presale tickets for the event will be available with the code CITYBISCO starting March 23 at 10 a.m. EST with the general on-sale beginning March 25 at 12 p.m. EST. Tickets can be purchased here.

  • moe and Friends Rock Roseland Ballroom for Tsunami Relief: February 10, 2005

    Today marks the anniversary of the heralded moe. Tsunami Benefit show at Roseland Ballroom in New York City, which gathered a host of notable to musicians to raise money for a good cause. A terrible earthquake and a resulting tsunami devastated the area near Sumatra, Indonesia as the year 2004 came to a close. moe. decided to do what they do best in order to lend assistance and brought some friends along for the ride. Together with a matching donation from Dave Matthews, nearly $150,000 was raised for the relief cause. Those in attendance this evening certainly got their money’s worth with a show featuring some traditional moe. songs, a whole lot of covers, and a mesmerizing 35-minute jam that nearly brought the house down.

    moe. Roseland

    Bassist Rob Derhak greets the crowd at the start of the show and thanks them all for “supporting a great cause.” And then instantly, the familiar pre-“Rebubula” noodling ensues and moe. opens the Roseland show with one of their signature songs, setting a lively tone early. No special guests needed for this one. Those begin with John Medeski and violinist Sam Bush coming out for a spirited take on “Mexico.” Medeski, ever the keys virtuoso, helps drive the pace of this one through the roof with some triumphant fills on organ that helps build a steadily escalating and emotional jam. Bush then exits and Medeski remains on for “Plane Crash,” again providing some extra rich sonic texture to another moe. staple before taking lead on the jam that ensues.

    With three standout moe. songs now out of the way, the cover parade begins with a take on the legendary blues song “Got My Mojo Working,” popularized by the great Muddy Waters in the late ’50s. Guitarist Al Schnier deftly replaces “Louisiana” in the lyrics with “New York City” which does not go unnoticed by the crowd. Despite an uptempo, jazzy start the “Mojo” jam quickly devolves into a harrowing, psychedelic journey with Medeski again helping forge the path forward before the song rounds back into form.

    moe. Roseland

    Sam Bush then reemerges with a mandolin and has the Roseland stage to himself for a cover of the Lowell George-penned “Sailing Shoes,” a song he recently got to play with Little Feat in Jamaica according to him. By song’s end, he’s got most of the crowd engaged in a back-and-forth singalong. Bush then offers his thanks to both the crowd and moe. before the latter rejoins him on stage for one of his own songs, “Same Old River.” It’s a perky, bluegrass-y number that would fit perfectly in any stringed band show, with Bush ripping off a fierce mandolin solo in the middle.

    One more special guest, “who needs no introduction” per Al, enters the first set fray and Trey Anastasio joins everyone on stage for an electric cover of “Crossroads” with both he and Bush handling vocals. An already tight jam doubles in speed about midway through as the first set comes to a rousing finish.

    The second set picks up right where the last one left off, except Bush is now replaced by Jennifer Hartswick on vocals and Ray Paczkowski on keys with moe. serving as the backing band for “Night Speaks To A Woman,” an early Trey Anastasio Band staple with which both newcomers are very familiar. There’s not much lost with this version with Trey throwing down a scintillating solo in a jam that starts fiercely, breaks down into some loose improv, and then steadily builds back up to a joyous peak.

    Derhak then takes another moment to thank tonight’s patrons and mentions that Dave Matthews has offered to match whatever amount of money is raised this evening. Then it’s back to the moe. catalog with “Spine Of A Dog” with the crowd ably assisting on the opening lyrics. The “Dog” jam then meshes incredibly seamlessly into the opening of “Buster” and moe. and friends take off with another longtime fan favorite.

    This opening 1-2 punch gets a well deserved roar of approval from the Roseland crowd before moe. yields the floor for another cover. This time it’s “Boogie On Reggae Woman,” the Stevie Wonder song that is no stranger to a live Phish show with Anastasio handling lead vocals accordingly. Another lively jam ensues, this time with Paczkowski eagerly showing off his chops that helps drive the momentum. Towards the end, the music gets very percussion-heavy before falling out into full fledged “Drums” section, giving Jim Loughlin and drummer Vinnie Amico a chance to do the same.

    Afterwards, Trey then reemerges with only himself and an acoustic guitar for a pair of Phish tunes. For Phish heads, this must have been like an oasis in the desert with the band’s forgettable “final” shows at Coventry having taken place about six months earlier and it being years before they would reunite again. The crowd has no problem at all assisting on the “can I live while I’m young” lyric to “Chalkdust Torture” before adding their collective voice to the traditional opening of “Wilson.”

    The second set then comes to a gigantic finish with one last banger in “meat.” that sees Medeski, Bush and Trey all lend a hand. What results is a 35-minute plus monster jam where everyone gets a chance to solo and shine. The jam starts out in traditional metal-esque fashion, before breaking down into a definitive bluegrass sequence with Bush leading the charge, before passing the baton to Medeski who helps steer it in another direction entirely. It eventually winds down into a near-ambient section with Loughlin chiming in on vibes and a plethora of effects emanating from Medeski’s rig. It’s a whirlwind cavalcade of sound that serves as the crux of the second set, if not the show itself, and is well worth a listen.

    One last pair of covers serves as the encore for this benefit show, starting with Frank Zappa’s “Peaches En Regalia,” another song that’s no stranger to a Phish show with Loughlin on vibes giving this one a proper feel. Anastasio and Hartswick then team up one last time on vocals for “After Midnight.” Extra special attention is given to the “gonna let it all hang out” which moe. and friends certainly did this evening, and for a noble cause no less.

    You can listen to and relive this memorable gig here or see below.

    moe. Tsunami Relief Benefit Show Roseland Ballroom – New York, NY 2/10/05

    Set 1: Rebubula, Mexico*, Plane Crash^, Got My Mojo Working^, Sailing Shoes**, Same Old River^^, Crossroads#

    Set 2: Night Speaks To A Woman$%, Spine Of A Dog$ > Buster$, Boogie On Reggae Woman$%>Drums, Chalkdust Torture$$, Wilson$$, meat.*$

    E: Peaches En Regalia*$>After Midnight*$%

    * with John Medeski on keys, Sam Bush on Violin
    ^ with John Medeski on keys
    ** Sam Bush solo
    ^^ with Sam Bush on mandolin
    # with Sam Bush on mandolin, Trey Anastasio on guitar
    $ with Trey Anastasio on guitar
    $$ Trey Anastasio solo acoustic
    % with Jennifer Hartswick
    and Ray Paczowski keyboard most of SET II

    moe. Roseland

  • 2022 Summer Camp Music Festival Announces Final Lineup, Schedule

    Summer Camp Music Festival has announced the second round of performers for the 2022 edition of the Midwest fest. Headliners include Smashing Pumpkins, Little Feat (performing their classic album, Waiting For Columbus), Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, STS9, Zeds Dead, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, as well as host bands moe. and Umphrey’s McGee. The festival will take place from May 25 -29, 2021 at the Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, Illinois. 

    2022 Summer Camp

    Summer Camp Music Festival first took place back in 2001 and brought about 1,000 patrons to enjoy over 15 bands on two stages during the 2-day event at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, IL. Over the years the festival has transformed the grounds annually, making it possible to welcome more fans, more fun and way more music. The festivities take place across Memorial Day Weekend and multiple stages, different genres, and even camping.  

    The current announced line up includes moe., Umphrey’s McGee, The Smashing Pumpkins, Zeds Dead, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Little Feat, STS9, NGHTMRE, Liquid Stranger, Big Wild, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Shpongle (Simon Posford Live Set), Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Whethan, Cory Wong, Cherub, Malaa, Moon Taxi, Peekaboo, Manic Focus, OPIUO, Kasbo, Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass ft. The Hillbenders, The Infamous Stringdusters, Leftover Salmon, Yonder Mountain String Band, The Motet, Victor Wooten, Here Come the Mummies, Cory Henry, Andy Frasco & The U.N, TAUK, and Everyone Orchestra.

    Additional artists, in alphabetical order include 1788-L, Aqueous, Big Something, Daily Bread, Death Kings, Dirt Monkey, Doom Flamingo, Dopapod, DRAMA, Ghost Light, Jantsen, lespecial, Maddy O’Neal, Maggie Rose, Magic Beans, The Main Squeeze, Mersiv, Monophonics, Moore Kismet, Mungion, Sammy Rae & The Friends, Saxsquatch, SoDown, Steady Flow, SUSTO, The Werks and Wreckno,

    And more artists in alphabetical order: A Hundred Drums, Aaron Kamm & The One Drops, BLVK JVCK, Caleb Johnson, Canabliss, Chicago Farmer & The Fieldnotes, The Claudettes, Cofresi, Con Brio, Couch, DOGMA, Dogs In A Pile, Family Groove Company, Goodnight, Texas, The Horn Section, James Maslow x Eugene Ugorski, Kick The Cat, Kitchen Dwellers, Little Stranger, Neighbor, The North 41, Old Shoe, Ravenscoon, Sun Stereo, TK & The Holy Know-Nothings and, Yam Yam

    Further artists include, in alphabetial order, APO10, Biomassive, Brainchild, BUTTA’, Dizgo, Eggy, Fauvely, Formerly The Fox, Kuh Nives, Miles Over Mountains, Stan P Band, Still Shine, Tand, Trash Angel (Emo Set), The Tripp Brothers, Vintage Pistol and Zoofunkyou, with even more bands to be announced.

    The latest round of artists announced for Summer Camp 2022 include Big Gigantic, SNBRN, returning fan favorite DJ Paul (Three Six Mafia), Magic City Hippies, and a slew of other great artists set to perform this Memorial Day Weekend.

    Tickets are on sale now including a variety of ticketing options. There are 3-Day GA Passes, Thursday Pre-Party Passes, VIP Upgrades, & RV / Car Camping Spots. Convenient Payment Plans are offered for those who need a little extra time to purchase their festival ticket. The plans are broken up into multiple installments to offer manageable monthly payments. To learn more about all Summer Camp Ticket Options, click here.

    For more information on the 2022 Summer Camp Music Festival visit their website.

  • Rob Derhak of moe. releases solo album “Songs For Other People”

    Rob Derhak, bassist for moe. on Tuesday released a surprise solo album titled Songs For Other People, on Bandcamp. A project that came together over the pandemic while touring was paused, the eight track LP includes compositions commissioned by fans.

    rob derhak
    Album art and design by Becca Childs Derhak

    Performing all vocals, as well as guitars, bass, keyboards and drum programming, Derhak is joined only by his daughter Emma, who performs backing vocals on “Beautiful Mess.” Emma recently joined moe. on stage at The Capitol Theatre on December 11.

    Rob Derhak shared the following about Songs For Other People:

    This album is a collection of songs that I wrote and recorded during moe.’s time off the road during the pandemic. It was an experiment in song writing for me. They were commissioned pieces, in which fans provided the initial catalyst, and subject matter. I put some of the proceeds in my pocket, and the rest into a fund that was set up for our road crew. I learned a ton doing this, and found out that I enjoyed writing in a “Tin Pan Alley” style. I also found that writing and recording everything by myself is an insane amount of work, and in the the end, because I’m a perfectionist, I found that I probably made about 5 or 6 bucks an hour. I found that the feeling I got from writing and recording in my little studio space was beyond satisfaction. I seriously hope you appreciate the album, as much as I do. It is a departure from the music I write for moe. and is not a collection of jams or serious instrumental pieces. These are all fairly simple songs that are written from the heart, for other folks. They’re a combo of mine, and their experiences, and processed through my weird brain. Enjoy.

    Rob Derhak

    Listen to Songs For Other People below and pick it up on Bandcamp.