After 35 years of rocking around the world, moe. brought it all back home for a three-night New York run at Brooklyn Bowl and The Capitol Theatre. While few bands can claim such longevity, moe. proved they’re far from resting on their laurels with three nights of top-shelf performances, inspired reworkings of decades-old jams, and a lineup of special guests including Tom Hamilton (Joe Russo’s Almost Dead), Karina Rykman, Suke Cerulo, and Giancarlo Tetto.

Several factors have contributed to moe.’s remarkable staying power. The recent addition of keyboardist Nate Wilson stands out. Before becoming a permanent member, Wilson stepped in while guitarist Chuck Garvey was recovering from medical issues, as did guitarist Suke Cerulo—both longtime friends of the band. Since making things official, moe. has seamlessly restructured songs to give Wilson space to thrive, underscoring the band’s ability to adapt without missing a beat.

moe.’s extensive catalog has also allowed the band to craft shows that are completely distinct each night while remaining unmistakably their own. Over the three-night run, fans witnessed a wide range of the band’s musical facets, both in carefully planned setlist choices and in spontaneous, accidental moments.

The psychedelic vibes at the Thursday’s show were present from the opening notes. With the wide-screen sci-fi jams of “Giants” kicking things off, the long, dense freakout jam at the heart of “Puebla” coming soon after, and the interstellar journey of the Pink Floyd-esque “Silver Sun” that closed the first set, many a face was already melted early into night one of three.

moe. – “Giants”, “Okayalright” – 10/9/25

The transcendental energy of the first set persisted into the second, though the pace picked up considerably. The opening two-fer of “Tailspin” and “Bullet” and the followup “Water” showcased the band’s intricate yet powerful interplay, highlighting their depth on both melodic and rhythmic fronts. These older tunes also served as a nod to longtime fans in the crowd, letting them know their loyalty had not gone unnoticed.

Wilson, as noted, found ways to expand beloved songs, adding longer keyboard passages and an increased range of vocal harmonies. That’s not to say the band abandoned its classic playbook. Late in the second set, a stellar rhythm section jam highlighted the telepathic interplay of percussionist Jim Loughlin, drummer Vinnie Amico, and bassist Rob Derhak. Loughlin wandered through his wild assembly of instruments and percussive toys as Amico surged, letting each beat come crashing like rough waves on the shore. Derhak, for his part, took a seat and used a percussive slapping technique in conjunction with a more frenzied but traditional bass line, reminding fans he is an instrumental force to be reckoned with in addition to being one of the band’s main lead vocalists.

Closing out the night with a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Have A Cigar” cemented the altered state of night one, sending the dazed and hazed audience out into the streets in time to get some rest for the fun to come. Luckily, that wait was less than 24 hours for fans with tickets to the night two at the Brooklyn Bowl.

Friday’s show revealed fresh facets of moe., particularly the band’s sense of family and its irreverence bordering on absurdist humor. The comedy began even before the first note—after a breathless introduction meant to whip the crowd into a frenzy, an onstage power outage briefly derailed the momentum. Without missing a beat, Derhak filled the silence with a mock “WAAA-WAAAAA” horn sound, drawing laughter before the power was quickly restored.

The first set was heavily skewed, either by design or happenstance, in the direction of guitarist Al Schnier. Between a few of his best contributions to the band’s repertoire, including “Moth” and “Mexico”, and one of his finest solos igniting the show opener “Plane Crash”, Schnier was on point not just Friday but all weekend. That said, the most impressive music on display Friday wasn’t individual prowess but a true family affair, and it all sprung from a moment of classic moe. frivolity.

moe. – “Plane Crash” – 10/10/25

Derhak dramatically announced he was “quitting the band” mid-set, walking off after saying, “Good luck finding a replacement for me!” It was obviously a scripted bit of theater, and it paid off immediately when special guest and friend of the band Karina Rykman bopped out, her four-string in hand. While she got plugged in, Schnier reminded the crowd of the band’s “Rock The Pink” fundraiser for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. As part of the initiative, moe. is using pink gear—including guitar straps—that will be auctioned off at the end of the month, with proceeds benefiting the cause. With that in mind, the now Derhak-less band launched into a playful cover of The Flaming Lips’ “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1”, much to the crowd’s delight.

As soon as that jam was done, Derhak was readmitted to the band, joined by another longtime moe. friend and ally, guitarist Suke Cerulo. Now a double-bass, triple-guitar monster, moe. delivered a set-closing “meat” that spotlighted every player on stage and left longtime fans calling it one of the best renditions of the tune the band has ever played.

The second set got nice and dark, with the dirge-like “Opium” and “Bat Country” leading the way and the set-closing duo of “Lazarus” and “Skrunk” maintaining that feel. The always upbeat ode to the Big Apple, “New York City”, wrapped up the night and the pair of Brooklyn Bowl appearances with a sweet musical bow. Now it was time for the band, crew, and fans to move across town and finish the weekend at the beautiful Capitol Theater—after everyone got a bit of much earned rest that is.

After two nights getting loose, moe. hit The Capitol Theatre like a hurricane of musical fury. The band somehow managed to take everything to the next level, from the production to the setlist to the performance itself. With the stage higher, the lighting was more dramatic, and with the room acoustics dialed in, the sound was clearer. The sheer ornateness of the setting gave the proceedings an air of theatrical pomp and ceremonial splendor.

Saturday’s setlist had highlights from all eras of moe. going back as far as early tunes like “Blue Jeans Pizza”, “Ricky Martin”, and “Buster”, middle history faves like “Billy Goat” and “Mar-De-Ma”, all the way up to recent releases like the Nate Wilson-penned show-opener “Yellow Tigers”. A couple of fun covers, including Bruce Springsteen’s “Pink Cadillac”, which featured JRAD guitarist Tom Hamilton, and Led Zeppelin’s ”No Quarter”, showcased moe.’s range. “No Quarter” in particular made clear just how much adding a full-time keyboardist has expanded the band’s sonic palette—and the list of songs they can now tackle with ease.

moe. – “Yellow Tigers”, “Billy Goat” – 10/11/25

moe. With Tom Hamilton – “Pink Cadillac” (Bruce Springsteen) – 10/11/25

[Video: Matt Frazier]

Through it all, the fans’ joy was the spark that lit moe.’s emotional fire. Affectionately known as “moe.rons”—or just “rons” if you’re into the brevity thing, man—they are an extremely loyal bunch. Though never shy about voicing their opinions, they have a consistent history of backing their band through thick and thin. That unwavering spirit continues to inspire moments of joy, bliss, and connection, and it was very strongly felt throughout the weekend.

While moe. has nothing left to prove, the band clearly has plenty left to say. A whole new chapter awaits the six-man moe. lineup, their fans, and their faithful crew. The road ahead is paved with the confidence they’ve earned over decades together, and if last weekend’s performances were any indication, that future looks mighty bright indeed.

Check out fan shot videos from moe. at The Capitol Theatre and click below to view a gallery of photos from Brooklyn Bowl courtesy of photographer Ken Spielman. Relive the entire three-night run via nugs. Sign up for a nugs.net All Access subscription here. [Editor’s note: Live For Live Music is a nugs affiliate. Ordering your subscription via the links on this page helps to support our work covering the world of live music. Thank you for reading!]

moe. – “A Band In The Sky” – 10/11/25

[Video: Matt Frazier]

moe. – “Downward Facing Dog” – 10/11/25

[Video: Matt Frazier]

Setlist: moe. | Brooklyn Bowl | Brooklyn, NY | 10/9/25
Set 1: Giants,  Okayalright, Puebla, All Roads Lead to Home, Again and Again, Timmy Tucker, Silver Sun
Set 2: Tailspin > Bullet, Water, Tomorrow Is Another Day > So Long, Skitchin’ Buffalo, Brent Black
Encore: al.nouncements,  Have A Cigar (Pink Floyd)

Setlist: moe. | Brooklyn Bowl | Brooklyn, NY | 10/10/25
Set 1: Plane Crash, Moth, Captain America [1], Mexico, Ups and Downs, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1 (The Flaming Lips) [2], Meat [3]
Set 2: George, Opium, Bat Country, In Stride, Living Again, Lazarus, Skrunk
Encore: al.nouncements,  New York City
[1] With Giancarlo Tetto on guitar.
[2] With Karina Rykman on bass.
[3] With Suke Cerulo on guitar and Karina Rykman on bass.

Setlist: moe. | The Capitol Theatre | Port Chester, NY | 10/11/25
Set 1: Yellow Tigers, Billy Goat, A Band In The Sky, Chromatic Nightmare > BlueJeans Pizza, Downward Dog, Pink Cadillac (Bruce Springsteen) [1]
Set 2: New Hope For The New Year, Revolving Door, Big World > Ricky Martin > Mar-De-Ma, No Quarter (Led Zeppelin), Buster
Encore: al.nouncements,  Tambourine
[1] With Tom Hamilton on guitar.