Despite the fact that moe. had to cancel their run of drive-in concerts this past weekend, the rock band still put on two barn burners of shows from their Big Blue rehearsal studio on Friday and Saturday. The second concert featured the band’s debut of the Grateful Dead‘s “West L.A. Fadeaway” as the first of two encores.
The jam band was originally slated to perform a two-night run of drive-in concerts at Vernon Downs in New York over the weekend. Unfortunately, due to a recent mishap involving a “drive-in” concert by The Chainsmokers in The Hamptons where little social distancing appeared to have taken place, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo cracked down on the latest concert craze, forcing moe. to cancel the shows.
Saturday’s virtual performance at the band’s recently-renovated studio (a former church) featured live renditions of moe. classics including a show-opening “Buster”, “Timmy Tucker”, and “Bullet”. The performance also treated viewers the live debuts of several songs, including the original Chuck Garvey tune, “Undertone”, as well as Rob Derhak‘s “Skitchin Buffalo Reprise”, both found on the group’s latest album, 2020’s THIS IS NOT, WE ARE.
Related: moe. Shares “Dangerous Game” From Big Blue Live Stream [Watch]
The band still had one more debut up its sleeve, but this one wasn’t from the new album or even their own catalog. Instead, moe. took on the Dead’s “West L.A. Fadeaway” from 1987’s In The Dark. From the moment Derhak starts an extra-wet bassline intro, the song is off to a jam. The cover builds from the rhythm up, first with Rob to drummer Vinnie Amico, and then Chuck comes in ever so lightly with delicate slide work beside Al Schnier‘s understated guitar phrasings. By the time Al comes around to sing the first verse, the band has already sufficiently jammed out the groove of the song, and it only gets better from there.
Watch moe. cover “West L.A. Fadeaway” by the Grateful Dead during their live stream from Big Blue on Saturday.
moe. – “West L.A. Fadeaway” [Live From Big Blue] – 8/1/20
[Video: moe.]