When it comes to smaller music venues in Los Angeles, the El Rey Theatre offers as intimate a feel as you’ll find. The velvety red decor and selection of chandeliers and wall lamps combine to create an environment that feels less like a 771-person concert stage and more like a private banquet room fit for royalty.
On the second Sunday of March, though, moe. managed to turn the atmosphere at El Rey into one akin to a raucous arena, with a blend of sound, light, and audience enthusiasm that’s rarely (if ever) been seen along Wilshire Boulevard’s “Miracle Mile.”
The quintet of bassist Rob Derhak, guitarists Chuck Garvey and Al Schnier, drummer Vinnie Amico, and auxiliary percussionist Jim Loughlin did their part to influence the “weather” inside El Rey. Over the course of two sets spanning nearly four hours (including intermission and encore break), moe. showcased the brand of progressive jam music that has helped the band sustain its career and grow its audience since forming at the University of Buffalo in 1989.
The group kicked things off with “Along For the Ride”, which first debuted in moe.’s live catalogue in February 2019, before diving into more familiar numbers. They flowed smoothly from “Smoke” into “Water”, got people’s feet shuffling and hips swaying with “Rise” and “Nebraska”, and dropped another yet-to-be-recorded track, “Screaming & Kicking.” And that was just the first set.
The second set brought with it plenty more jammable bangers, from “YOY” and “Time Ed”, to “Jazz Wank” and “Buster”. That selection also included some songs—like “Ricky Marten”,” “Dangerous Game”, and “New Hope For The New Year”—that have yet to enter moe.’s recorded catalogue.
To close out the proceedings, moe. returned to the stage for a roaring rendition of “New York City” before finishing with a cover of Steely Dan’s “Bodhisattva.”
As expertly as Rob, Chuck, Al, Vinnie and Jim played their instruments, the lights behind them may well have stolen the show. They spun, whirred, and whizzed in perfect harmony, creating a mind-blowing tableau of vibrant color that moved in concert with the expert musicianship underpinning it all. In between the main lights themselves were thin columns of LED bulbs that crawled up and down, lending another layer to an already-stunning display.
Most remarkable of all, though, was that moe. brought such a spectacular light show to a venue as small as the El Rey. By and large, shows at that theater are more barebones, owing as much to the simple elegance of the space as the acts that tend to parade through.
But, evidently, moe. wasn’t about to scale down its display just because this particular spot couldn’t sniff 1,000 people—at least as far as the fire marshal is concerned. Instead, they stayed true to their roots as a top-notch live band, sparing not an inch of their spectacle for their loyal following.
And if the hooting, hollering, singing-along and outright cheering were any indication, moe.’s paying customers more than appreciated that return on their musical investment.
Next, moe. is off to Telluride, CO for a show at Sheridan Opera House tonight, March 10th. After that, the band will play a three-night stand at Park City, Utah’s Egyptian Theatre March 12th–14th, leading up to the return of their annual snoe.down event in Frisco, CO March 20th–22nd. For tickets and a full list of tour dates, head to the band’s website.
Photographer Brandon Weil was on-site for moe. at the El Rey Theatre and captured a gallery of photos, available below. Audio of the entire show is available on archive.org.
Setlist: moe. | El Rey Theatre | Los Angeles, CA | 3/8/20
Set one: Along For The Ride, Smoke > Water, Rise, Nebraska, Screaming & Kicking, The Road
Set two: YOY > Ricky Marten > Time Ed, Dangerous Game, Jazz Wank > New Hope For The New Year, Buster
Encore: New York City, Bodhisattva (Steely Dan)
