Rob Derhak | ICT magazine

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moe. Side Projects

October 4th, 2010 | No Comments

DISGRACE, EMPIRE SOUND, AMICO-DAVIS DUO,
AND STONE REVIVAL BAND ROUND OUT MOE.
SIDE
PROJECTS

Disgrace is the new side
project from Rob Derhak, Chuck Garvey, and Al Schnier of moe.

The band will hit the road after the Bear Creek Music Festival. Check the websites of the venues for ticketing
information. More dates will be announced soon.

11/15 – Smiths Olde Bar- Atlanta, GA

11/16- Visulite – Charlotte, NC

11/17- Capital Ale House -Richmond, VA

11/18- 8X10 – Baltimore, MD

19- The Stone Pony – Asbury Park, NJ

October also includes the debut of Empire Sound: a brand new project featuring Al Schnier (guitar), Jim
Loughlin (bass), Sam Kininger (sax), Kirk Juhas (keys), & Corey Colmey (drums).
Their instrumental, progressive funk rock is heavy on melodies & deep grooves. The band will be performing
for the first time on October 20 at The Electric Company in Utica, NY

Vinnie Amico will team up with Ronnie Davis aka LeeRon Zydeco to firm the Amico-Davis Duo, performing for
the
first time at Nietzche’s in Buffalo NY on 10/13. Vinnie will also play with the Stone Revival Band in October, and
will
be part of the Art of the Groove
Clinic w/ Gary Kelly on Bass. Click here for
more info.

moe. Release Smash Hits Free “Spine Of Dog” MP3

May 25th, 2010 | No Comments

MOE. RELEASES SMASH HITS VOLUME 1

OFFER FANS FREE “SPINE OF A DOG” MP3

moe.

From modest beginnings in a Buffalo basement over two decades ago to today’s multifaceted success, the members of moe. have never lost sight of the earnest, elemental goals that they aspired to from their very first show: to deliver honest, heartfelt music and to ensure the audience has a good time. 2010 marks the twentieth anniversary of moe.’s frontline of Rob Derhak (bass, vocals), Chuck Garvey (guitar, vocals), and Al Schnier (guitar, keyboards, vocals), who continue to perform together with the addition of drummer Vinnie Amico and percussionist and multi-instrumentalist Jim Loughlin.

“Spine of a Dog” MP3

Pre-order Smash Hits Volume 1 at www.moe.org/store

On June 1, moe. will release Smash Hits, Volume 1 on the band’s Fatboy Records label. The album celebrates moe.’s 20th anniversary and includes newly recorded fan favorites that encompass the band’s entire career.

moe. is also offering a download to an acoustic version of “Lazarus” to those who sign up for the moe. fan mailing list. You can sign up below.

moe. Tour Dates :: moe. News :: moe. Concert Reviews

moe. | 04.17.10 | Denver

April 22nd, 2010 | No Comments

Words by: Ray Bowden | Images by: Larry Hulst

moe. :: 04.17.10 :: Fillmore Auditorium :: Denver, CO

moe. with Kyle Hollingsworth :: 04.17.10 :: Denver

moe. has long been accused of endless noodling, but as any fan of the band would argue, “You either get it or you don’t.”

On Saturday night at Denver’s Fillmore Auditorium, more than 2,000 moe. fans “got it.”

The band hit the stage for the final show of their two-night stint at the Fillmore wearing suits and ties, dressed like stunt doubles from a Martin Scorsese movie, and leapt into three hours of their patented polyrhythmic rock.

The evening’s first set began with a frenetic “Skrunk,” punctuated by Rob Derhak‘s full-frontal bass assault. Following a cheerful wave from Derhak came “Captain America,” which had everyone on the packed floor – including one fire marshal – grooving to the music and singing “You may be right, you may be wrong” during the chorus.

Without missing a beat, the band transitioned into “Akimbo,” showcasing for the first time their ability to change musical direction with whiplash precision. After a brief pause to get everything just exactly right, the audience was rewarded with the Caribbean lilt of “Bring it Back Home,” drummer Vinnie Amico and percussionist extraordinaire Jim Loughlin stirring the pot with their percolating rhythms while guitarist Al Schnier led the jubilant throng through the song’s sing-along chorus.

During the slow transition into “Blue Jeans Pizza,” String Cheese Incident keyboardist and opening act Kyle Hollingsworth, sporting a black and white bovine suit, joined the boys for a trip to “Mexico,” his virtuosity shining through.

Jeff Austin with moe. :: 04.17.10 :: Denver

moe. began its second set sans Hollingsworth with a 15 minute “Water” which bled into “Tailspin,” the audience dancing in tandem with the song’s almost preternatural funk, before bounding into “Wind it Up.” Schnier and fellow guitarist Chuck Garvey simply shredded during the instrumental breaks, wrestling fat chords and piercing leads from their instruments.

Loughlin’s xylophone fills smoothed the jagged edges of the introspective “Letter Home,” before Yonder Mountain String Band‘s Jeff Austin stepped up to the plate with electric mandolin in hand for “Happy Hour Hero,” and “She.”

“Jeff’s a good dude,” Derhak said with a smile while Austin tuned his instrument. “He’s always up for a challenge.”

This musical “challenge” lasted 40 minutes, the band riding the waves of “Happy Hour Hero” while Austin’s mandolin riffs poured over the audience, adding splashes of color before turning the corner into the extended “She.”

After Austin left the stage to prolonged cheers of gratitude, moe. wrapped up its second set with “Seat of My Pants.” Quickly returning to the stage, they summoned their resources for one encore, an epic “Plane Crash,” during which they explored nearly all the genres of music they had touched upon earlier in the evening.

moe. taper and audience member Jim McCreedy, a longtime moe. fan from Boulder, said he has followed moe. for a number of years and called the band’s music “psychedelic rock on steroids. It makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up,” McCreedy said.

Indeed.

var siteRoot=”http://www.jambase.com”;var newPhotoIndex=”4″;$(document).ready( function() { $(“#GalleryWidget”).load(siteRoot+”/Photos/Widget.aspx?galleryID=31″);}); moe. | The Fillmore Auditorium | Denver, CO moe. perform at The Fillmore in Denver with special guests Kyle Hollingsworth of The String Cheese Incident and Jeff Austin of Yonder Mountain String Band… View Photos

moe. :: 04.17.10 :: Fillmore Auditorium :: Denver, CO

Set I: Skrunk, Captain America > Akimbo, Bring It Back Home > Blue Jeans Pizza* > Mexico*

Set II: Water > Tailspin, Wind it up, Letter Home^ > Happy Hour Hero^ > She^, Seat Of My Pants

Encore: Plane Crash

* w/ Kyle Hollingsworth

^ w/ Jeff Austin

moe. Tour Dates :: moe. News :: moe. Concert Reviews

JamBase | Colorado

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moe. | 01.22.10 | NYC

January 28th, 2010 | No Comments

Words & Images by: Jarrod Dicker

moe. :: 01.22.10 :: Roseland Ballroom :: New York, NY

moe. :: 01.22 :: Roseland Ballroom

“Thank you, NYC, and welcome to the show,” Rob Derhak announced while smiling after the conclusion of moe.‘s second selection of the evening, “Bearsong.”

“We are extremely pumped to be here, thank you all for coming and supporting WHY [World Hunger Year],” continued Derhak. “We have a lot of guests coming out tonight and a lot of fun in store. We’re here to have a good time, but the cause is what it’s all about. So, even though we’re all enjoying ourselves up onstage and you’re all dancin’ in the crowd, just know that the money that’s spent on this show will be feeding a lot of people.”

Cheers filled the Roseland Ballroom on what was truly an evening to remember. moe.’s New York City homecoming served somewhat as a “jam band prom” for all ye’ faithful in attendance, attracting fans and performers from all over the musical spectrum.

Publicized as a WHY benefit performance, the band announced on their website that the charitable contributions would be allocated accordingly to assist Haiti after the devastating earthquake that shocked that country on January 12.

The crowd eagerly awaited the Buffalo natives to hit the stage, as well as anticipating the much-publicized guests that were scheduled to appear on the benefit’s bill. The evening’s ensemble consisted of Butch Trucks (Allman Brothers), Jeff Austin (Yonder Mountain String Band), saxophonist David Sanborn, Marco Benevento, Danny Barnes (Bad Livers) and, of course, Rob, Chuck, Al, Jim and Vinnie.

Danny Barnes w/ moe. :: 01.22 :: Roseland Ballroom

The evening, which marked the kick off of moe.’s 20th anniversary tour, began with Headseed favorite “Timmy Tucker,” performed with extreme velocity. The crowd took well to the familiar introductory track, and further applauded the in-depth jam session that inevitably followed.

“Tucker” fed into “Bearsong,” which exhibited yet another unbelievable shred session, highlighting what makes moe. moe. – the high peak and plateau riding grooves that give up little if any energy throughout.

The band then welcomed their first two guests of the night, Danny Barnes on banjo and Marco Benevento on keys, for the infamous moe. tune “Captain America,” followed by Barnes’ “Caveman,” where Jeff Austin came out to contribute mandolin.

There was talk leading up the show that the presence of all these different players onstage together might produce a confusing, jumbled mess since the entire group as a whole have never all played with one another simultaneously. As soon as “Captain America” and “Cavemen” were played, all those concerns went right out the door.

Jeff Austin w/ moe. :: 01.22 :: Roseland Ballroom

“Nebraska” was next up in the first set, followed by “Happy Hour Hero.” moe. invited David Sanborn and Butch Trucks up to assist on “Hero,” hinting with Trucks’ presence at some classic Allman tunes to come. Sanborn’s saxophone mirrored the drum and guitar lines throughout “Hero,” creating a fresh – and possibly better – version than the original with the beautiful saxophone infusion.

At the conclusion of “Hero,” Derhak grabbed the mic and said, “We got a singer? Yes.” The bass line started and Jeff Austin took hold of the microphone. The Allman Brothers’ “Whipping Post” ensued, creating absolute musical mayhem (in a good way). It is hard for guitarists (even Al and Chuck) to mimic the hammering of Duane and Dickey, and even Warren and Derek. However, the band adopted the song rather well in terms of providing a complimentary and thorough version of the gem.

Returning from set break, the group (accompanied by Benevento and Trucks) went right into Dickey Betts’ “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.” Marco on keys was unbelievable throughout, venturing beyond back beats to engage with the wide variety of musicians onstage.

“Shoot First” came and went, followed by “Waiting for the Punchline.” During “Waiting,” Al adjusted the verse to compliment his new ‘supergroup’ bandmates: “Jeff Austin told me about the likes of you.” A hoedown jam arrived after the verses, and Rob yelled, “Jeff Austin and Danny Barnes, everybody – separated at birth!” The fusion of moe., Barnes and Austin was unbelievable, especially during this track, which fit the musicians’ instruments rather well.

moe. :: 01.22 :: Roseland Ballroom

After “Waiting,” Al said, “Mr. Marco, everybody. It’s our pleasure to get to play with Marco finally, and we get to do it with style. We’re going to play one of Marco’s songs now. He made a really cool video for this song that you can see on YouTube. It’s called ‘The Real Morning Party’ and it’s awesome!”

“The Real Morning Party” was followed by “Shake Your Hips.” Then, Austin grabbed the mic again, “So, I gotta say something. When I was first riding around playing music I met the moe. guys and they were just so nice to me. That was ten years ago and they’re still so great to me now. It’s just a pleasure to be playing with these guys. They’re just the best. So, give it up for this great band we got up here! And they wanted to learn one of my songs so we’ll play it right now.”

Austin offered lead vocals on moe.’s cover of Yonder’s “East Nashville Easter.” Benevento remained with the group through “Blue Jeans Pizza,” and then Butch came back out for the set closing “Mexico.”

All guests stepped back on the stage and assembled for the grand finale of this outrageous and unbelievable event. The guitar began, and it took the crowd less than two seconds to figure out the encore. It seemed fitting at this special event that the group closed with one from The Last Waltz. “The Weight” was performed exceptionally well, rotating vocals between members of moe., Austin and Barnes.

“Thank you very much NYC,” Rob graciously pronounced at the end of “The Weight.” “Have a great night everybody. Thank you for coming out. Let’s give a hand for the WHY Band, Marco Benevento on keyboards, Danny Barnes on banjo, Jeff Austin on mandolin and vocals, Mr. Butch Trucks on drums, Mr. David Sanborn, and the rest of you guys for making this all possible. Give yourselves a hand. Have a great night. We’ll see y’all tomorrow night.”

moe. :: 01.22.10 :: Roseland Ballroom :: New York, NY
Set I: Timmy Tucker > Bearsong, Captain America, Caveman, Nebraska, Happy Hour Hero, Whipping Post

Set II: In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed, Shoot First, Waiting For The Punchline, The Real Morning Party, Shake Your Hips, East Nashville Easter, Blue Jeans Pizza, Mexico

E: The Weight

moe. is on tour now; dates available here.

JamBase | Big Apple
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moe. | 10.31.09 | Albany, NY

November 4th, 2009 | No Comments

Words by: Bill Clifford | Images by: Heather Ainsworth

moe. :: 10.31.09 :: The Washington Avenue Armory :: Albany, NY

Al Schnier – moe. :: 10.31 :: Albany, NY

moe. always goes the extra mile for its fans. This Halloween was no different, as the band held its Democracy Rules themed Halloween party in New York’s capital city. The evening’s setlist was chosen by fans through an online poll and was a tightly kept secret until the performance. There were a few well-worn moe. classics as well as an older moe. original that hasn’t been heard in several years, but the real tricks and treats came with the surprise covers, several of which were first time plays for the band.

moe. opened fittingly with “TGORM” (The Ghost Of Ralph’s Mom). It was a high speed, high energy romp that sparked the packed crowd into a dancing frenzy, with many still making there way into the venue. The thundering bass crush of the Blue Oyster Cult classic “Godzilla” chased everyone into The Armory, a former basketball arena, and the gymnasium floor was a sea of bobbing heads and pumping fists. Guitarist Al Schnier‘s vocals echoed off the walls and shell shaped arena ceiling, while Rob Derhak‘s looming bass and percussionist Jim Loughlin‘s rhythmic bongos hovered in the dark dissonance.

The first surprise bust out of the night saw Loughlin, still sporting his skull mask, step to the front of the stage to rap on “Farmer Ben,” which the band last performed in 2005. The rumbling funk got the crowd moving and the mid-song teases of “Frankenstein” > “Werewolves of London” > “Munsters Theme” drew huge cheers and had many singing along.

moe. :: 10.31 :: Albany, NY

Schnier continues to impress as a multi-instrumentalist. On Paul Simon‘s “You Can Call Me Al,” he held his own on trumpet with a jazzy interlude, which drew a huge ovation. Derhak’s bellowing alto and the slower tempo turned the Hanna Montana/Miley Cyrus pop nugget “We Got The Party” into a moody and ominous flashback for many of the younger fans, while “George” was the first real jam vehicle of the night, with some pretty serious guitar dueling from Chuck Garvey and Schnier.

The set one closer was a trippy reading of Pink Floyd‘s “Echoes.” Dark, atmospheric and psychedelic, this mantra was well suited to musicians of moe.’s caliber. The dual vocals of Garvey and Derhak were eerily evocative of Waters/Gilmore. Lighting director Jason Huffer made use of each and every tube available, splashing vivid violets, reds, cobalt blues, and gorgeous greens not only on the stage but also around the entire arena. Paper mache trees on the stage and a harrowing backdrop of a fog-flooded forest complemented the hallucinatory vibe, which finally ended in a caterwauling din of ecstatic feedback as the band left the stage.

The long, improvisational jams continued throughout the second set. With Phish spending the weekend out west, moe. procured a little bit of the sticky, green stuff and offered to share their “Stash” with fans. Garvey took on the lead vocals and handled them with confidence. An arena of fans sang along on the chorus and took delight in clapping to the breaks. While in this case it was not a spot-on rendition of the jam classic, Loughlin’s malletKAT made a fine addition to this long time favorite.

moe. :: 10.31 :: Albany, NY

A little moe. does a body good, and they followed up “Stash” with their own jam rocket, “Meat.” It was hard driving arena rock, with Schnier’s searing guitar tearing through the air. It mellowed and meandered under the lead of Loughlin’s malletKAT, and then gently eased into The Grateful Dead‘s “Eyes Of The World.” Schnier’s nasal twang couldn’t ever be mistaken for the graceful Garcia, but it was easy to close your eyes and get lost listening to the duel guitars of Schnier and Garvey. The lovely ebb of “Eyes” moved effortlessly into a reprisal of “Echoes.”

Ardent moe. fans argue that there are songs the band plays far too often, but what would a moe. performance be without “the queen of the briny deep”? For anyone who decided to walk outside for some fresh air or a smoke during “Rebubula,” you might have missed what made this evening’s performance truly special, as the song morphed into The Grateful Dead’s “Dark Star” then reprised “Rebubula.” Again, dead on (pardon the pun) arrangements and renditions weren’t really the point here. We heard Garvey’s interpretation of Bob Weir’s guitar; he’s truly a guitar virtuoso, whether performing his own material or someone else’s. And to witness such a timeless song work so beautifully with their own compositions speaks volumes about moe.’s collective talent.

With Schnier on acoustic guitar and Garvey on vocals, fans were treated to a sweet, “Fuck Her Gently,” a Tenacious D cover, as the first part of the encore. There was absolute catharsis in singing along with an arena of fans to this sweet ode. An extended run through their “Don’t Fuck With Flo” and “Crab Eyes” brought the show to a close with several moe. classics.

The Amory, a poorly ventilated gymnasium not designed with acoustics in mind, may not have been the ideal venue, but when all is said and done, moe. gave power to the people by putting the setlist in the hands of its fans on Halloween. Several choices were to be expected, but they gave us plenty of surprises as well. moe. kept it close to home this Halloween, and all us East Coast moe.rons couldn’t have been happier.

moe. :: 10.31.09 :: The Washington Avenue Armory :: Albany, NY

Set I: TGORM, Godzilla (Blue Oyster Cult cover), Farmer Ben, You Can Call Me Al (Paul Simon cover), We Got the Party (Miley Cyrus cover), George, Echoes (Pink Floyd cover)

Set II:
Stash (Phish cover), Meat, Eyes Of the World (Grateful Dead cover) > Echoes (Pink Floyd cover), Rebubula > Dark Star (Grateful Dead cover) > Rebubula

Encore: Fuck Her Gently (Tenacious D), Don’t Fuck With Flo, Crab Eyes, Al.nouncements

Download or stream this show at archive.org.

Continue reading for more images of moe. on Halloween…

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moe. Inducted Into Buffalo Music Hall of Fame

October 14th, 2009 | No Comments

moe. Inducted Into Buffalo Music Hall of Fame

moe.

moe. was inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame last Thursday. The band performed its classic tune “Akimbo,” which was written early in the band’s career in Buffalo, NY. moe.’s Chuck Garvey, Rob Derhak and Vinnie Amico jammed with fellow inductee, Hammond B3 specialist Dr. Lonnie Smith at an after party held at The Lafayette Tap Room.

Earlier this week, moe. announced that they are not planning a New Year’s Eve show with a statement explaining: “We have decided to spend the holidays with our families and to gear up for our 20th anniversary year, so there will not be a New Year’s Eve moe. show this year.”

moe. is on tour now; dates available here.