moe. started its three-show year-ending run at the Stowe Cider in Stowe, VT with a holiday variant of the band labeled “Monkeys on Eggnog.” The “Monkeys on Ecstasy” and variations thereof is a long-running gag the ever-playful band likes to use when going quasi-incognito. By toning down the stage production, the party became a chance for the band’s families and diehard fans to share a little holiday cheer rather than committing to a more arduous multi-night run the week before Christmas and Hanukkah.
moe.’s entire weekend run is a gift for the band members, their families, and the fortunate fans who could score tickets to these intimate shows. Luckily though, Santa, in the form of nugs.net, allows fans nationwide to share the cheer and love from the comfort of their homes. Opening a browser might seem a bit different than a brightly wrapped box but the gift inside was, and is, just as appreciated.
moe. — “Raise A Glass”, “Spine Of A Dog” [Pro-Shot] — 12/19/24
Opening with a jaunty, strident “Raise A Glass”, moe. welcomed the crowd to Stowe Cider in an appropriately barrelhouse manner. With cheers given and glasses raised it was time to cut loose, and the subsequent “Spine Of A Dog”, “Mar De Mar”, and “Tailspin” trio blended one into the next with a growing gravity and depth to their presentation. The “Mar De Mar” flute solo from keyboard whiz Nate Wilson softened the massive, physical feel of the percussive fills thrown in by percussionist Jim Loughlin and drummer Vinnie Amico—a dark portent of the vibe to come.
As a way of welcoming the crowd in a non-musical manner, bassist Rob Derhak wished the crowd a weary “Happy Holidays” before adding “You think you’ family is crazy? You should see mine.” Throwing in another drinking tune to their opening set, “White Lightning Turpentine” unwound with a rich, chunky blues energy that hung around for a forceful “In Stride”.
Keeping the intimate venue dark and encapsulated, the set-closing “Time Ed” hummed along with its signature time changes and nonlinear narrative, and “All Roads Lead Home” fit the season to a tee. After the set break, moe. got a bit more into the spirit with the Vince Guaraldi Peanuts’ Christmas magic of “Linus And Lucy”, instantly evoking a delighted response from the appreciative audience.
The falsetto highs of “Blue Jeans Pizza” served as a fun misdirect from the psychedelic, intense “Recreational Chemistry” that followed. From there, moe. went old-school and extremely weighty. “Shoot First” saw some stellar slide work from guitarist Chuck Garvey; his fretboard brother-in-arms Al Schnier showed off some wicked licks of his own on the ensuing “Moth”, which was left tantalizingly unfinished but the darkness came back and filled that void instantly.
From the infinite interstellar imagery of Deep Purple’s “Space Truckin’” and back to Earth again for a grimy and groovy “McBain”, moe. played it all old-school and as heavily as the band could. Not even the light and airy cover of Blind Melon’s “No Rain” could lift the powerful spell moe. had laid on the crowd who was, perhaps, envisioning a lighter “holiday” vibe.
In the end, moe. knows what its fans like, and how they like it. Al, Chuck, Rob, Vinnie, Jim, and Nate gave the audience a space heater of a show knowing that the crowd was full of die-hard, seasoned fans who didn’t think twice about hitting some shows just days before Christmas. Starting things off in this way allows moe. plenty of bouncier fare in its collective back pocket for the two nights yet to come. One of moe.’s biggest strengths is its extensive gift bag to pull from and the band certainly has an abundance of riches left.
Fans can tune in to the next two nights of Monkeys on Eggnog via nugs. Not subscribed? Sign up here to access these and other subscriber-exclusive livestreams in addition to an extensive catalog of live concert recordings. [Editor’s Note: Live For Live Music is a nugs affiliate. Ordering your nugs subscription or purchasing a download/Billy Strings livestream via the links on this page helps support our coverage of the world of live music. Thank you for reading!]
Setlist: moe. (aka Monkeys On Eggnog) | Stowe Cider | Stowe, Vermont | 12/19/24
Set One: Raise A Glass, Spine Of A Dog > Mar De Mar > Tailspin, White Lightning, In Stride, Time Ed, All Roads Lead Home
Set Two: Linus And Lucy (Vince Guaradli), Blue Jeans Pizza > Recreational Chemistry, Shoot First > Moth [1] > Space Truckin’ (Deep Purple) > McBain
Encore: al.nouncements, No Rain (Blind Melon)
[1] Unfinished