Though they started the night announcing that the coming hurricane would be cancelling the last two shows of their tour, moe. seemed hell bent on making the most of the time they did have. Armed with a set list of classics and newer tunes alike, they took the Lincoln Theatre stage in Raleigh, NC last night to uproarious cheers from a packed house of fans ready to defy the storm gods and get lost in the epic jams sure to come.
They didn’t have to wait long, as guitarist Al Schnier got things started with the familiar strains of “Moth,” signaling a fun show to come. Not even halfway through the much loved tune, the band took a sideways turn and morphed into “Mar-DeMa,” with the instrumental tune giving each member a chance to purge the pent up energy and frustration from being forced to cancel shows. Schnier had a impressive evening, taking numerous fiery solos and generally sounding like he was at the top of his game.
Continuing the uninterrupted flow the band seamlessly went into “Y.O.Y” before stretching out with a “Sensory Deprivation Bank” that gave another perfect platform for some long jams and intense back and forth between guitarists Chuck Garvey and Schnier. Garvey, as always, was fleet of finger and ambitious in intent with his jams, mirroring the aggressive nature of the set list itself. Closing out their lengthy opening stanza by completing the “Moth,” the band took a moment to catch their breath and soak in the appreciative cheers and applause raining down on them from the crowd.
The mellow intro of “Brittle End” and its languid pace in general was offset by the fierce fretwork by Garvey during his solo, as if he was single-handedly trying to change the intent of the tune itself. Strangely, his efforts created a dichotomy that enhanced rather than distracted, and the piece was made stronger by his work. Garvey and Schnier had their usual rock solid platform built by drummer Vinnie Amico and percussionist Jim Loughlin under them to operate on. That dependability enables all of the exploration that moe. so clearly loves.
For their first set closer, the band chose “Plane Crash,” a song they have played roughly three gazillion times in the past. Such familiarity famously is ripe to breed contempt, but thanks to the space their beat keepers give them the string players are free to work on keeping the tunes interesting for themselves and the audience. With things like the opening sandwich and the twists and turns “Plane Crash” took on its spiral towards set break were far reaching and provocative, thanks as always to the free wheeling, bass slapping style and raucous vocals of Rob Derhak.
For a band nearing the end their third decade of existence, one could understand passions waning, but their appetite for exploration and improvisation is still strong. Still hungry after their first musical sandwich, moe. started the set with what most see as their definitive song, “Rebubula,” before wandering into the true highlight of the evening, a thirty plus minute “Recreational Chemistry.” The night’s take on the song was full of musical misdirection, with traditional roles being swapped and the tour-long positive energy permeating everything the band tried.
Some of their more recent creations, “White Lightning Turpentine” and “Paper Dragon,” showed that even more recent compositions are open to change, and even the tiniest of alteration seemed to give moe. a charge that was directly felt in the vibe of the room. The Garvey penned “Four” and its droning chorus settled the crowd into an appreciative trance, setting them up perfectly for the welcome surprise of the closing of the set’s musical loop, firing right back into the waiting “Rebubula.”
After the always stirring closing chorus the band excused themselves to catch their breath moe. ventured back out, calming the calamitous demands of the still hungry fans with a special two song encore. While the “New York City” was spirited enough on its own, the happy blast of energy that accompanied the churning and surging “Okayalright” had everyone singing along at the top of their lungs and dancing with the fervor of a fan base desperate to savor every last possible musical drop of joy out of the evening.
In speaking with fans who have seen this entire fall run, the sense was that the band is not just firing on all cylinders, but seeming to be having a great time in the process. That assumption was certainly backed up by the evidence on display during the three hour performance, and with the abbreviated tour closer coming the next night the band, had no reason to leave anything in the locker room.
It’s uplifting to see the power of music sustaining its purveyors and helping elevate them to new heights and moe. is showing no signs of slowing their endless trips around the country and the world. Here’s hoping the road never ends for the five guys from New York named moe.! See you tonight in Asheville.
Setlist: moe. at Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh, NC – 10/5/16
I: Moth > Mar-DeMa > Y.O.Y. > Sensory Deprivation Bank > Moth, Brittle End, Plane Crash
II: Rebubula > Recreational Chemistry, Do Or Die, Paper Dragon, White Lightning Turpentine >(nh) Four > Rebubula
Enc: New York City, Okayalright
