It's my last post for buffaBLOG, as my life will be a-changing in the coming months, and there's no better way to send myself off than with a preview for one of my favorite bands of all time, moe.! I've seen moe. more than I've seen any other live band, and every time they come within a reasonable driving distance, I still go back for more (err, moe.).

Formed at my alma mater, the University at Buffalo, moe. has been perhaps the most consistent band in the jam scene since the mid-1990s. The reason I love them is because, while they can jam out just like the likes of Phish and Umphrey's, they pay special attention to songwriting and structure, as a large number of their songs wouldn't sound out of place on a popular rock radio station. Additionally, seeing co-lead guitarist/vocalist Chuck Garvey play is worth the price of admission by itself. And the other guitarist, Al Schnier, bassist Rob Derhak, drummer Vince Amico, and percussionist/utility man Jim Loughlin are all formidable musicians and songwriters themselves.

The show is sold out, so if you don't have a ticket, you'll have to wait 'til next time, which shouldn't be long, because moe. tends to visit the area at least twice a year.

Buffalo gets a real treat tonight as a new progressive string band from Upstate New York makes a stop in our fine city.  Floodwood, hailing from Utica, is comprised of musicians who have been in the scene for over twenty years.  These talents include Woodenspoon's Jason Barady(Mandolin), Nick Piccininni(Violin), Zachary Fleitz(stand up bass!) teaming up with jam band legends Al Schnier(Guitar) and Vinnie Amico(Drums) of Buffalo's own, moe.  These wonderful musicians give a fresh new take on acoustic and bluegrass music with the ability to really let loose.  Tonights gig rolls in to DBGB's with some local support from The Holka, Wynne and Kertzie Trio and Slip Madigan.  Doors are at 9pm, 21+ and looks to be a cover around the $5-$10 range.
   

Favorite Album of 2011

Beastie Boys: Hot Sauce Committee Part Two: It feels weird picking a trio of 40-somethings who came up in the mid-1980s for my favorite album of 2011, but the Beastie Boys delivered longtime fans their most entertaining and complete album since Hello Nasty or Ill Communication, both released during the Clinton administration. Hot Sauce Committee Part Two (funnily enough, we never got Part One) sounds like the guys finally regained their 80s swag, combined it with their 90s coolness and willingness to experiment and stay ahead of the curve, and updated it all for 2011 sensibilities. It was also nice to hear my personal favorite Beastie Boy, MCA, rapping with a vengeance after he was treated for a cancerous parotid gland and lymph node. Lead single "Make Some Noise" sounds like it could be off Check Your Head, "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win (featuring Santigold)" is a perfect summer party jam, and "Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament" show that the Beasties are still the masters of the funky instrumental interlude.


Honorable Mention:

The Roots - Undun: This hasn't even been officially released yet, but I got a chance to hear it over at NPR. I don't want to overreact without letting it fully sink it, but Undun might be the Roots' best album since The Tipping Point or Phrenology. A concept album, it follows the life of fictional character Redford Stephens backward, from his death to his decision to enroll in the drug game. Powerful instrumentation combined with Black Thought's usual rhyming gymnastics make this a must-listen.

Yes, that's right, the boys in moe. have announced they will be releasing a new album in January.  moe., formed right here in Buffalo, have been touring strong for twenty plus years and nine studio albums.  The band is known for their homegrown approach to making albums by funding it themselves, producing it, as well as mixing the album to the very end.  For this album, entitled What Happened to the La La's, sees the band signing with Sugar Hill Records and bringing in John Travis (Kid Rock, Social Distortion) to produce.  I will be the first to admit it, I had not been the biggest fan of recent releases from moe., I am extremely curious to see what they can do with some outside help.  Oh and not to mention a reworked studio version of "Bones of Lazarus."  The effort is due out January 24th and is ready for presale now here.  Here is hoping for the best for the guys!

It's been the summer of the jam band in Western New York - even more than usual. Buffalo-born moe. came to Artpark last night to play a free show, completing the trifecta of which Phish (Darien Lake, June 8) and Umphrey's McGee (Artpark, June 29) are also a part. Unfortunately, though, the five-piece did not deliver the high-caliber show that we've come to expect over the years, and moe. failed to match the stellar performances of their jam-band counterparts.  That's not to say that it wasn't still a very good show. It was. And it was free, so there's really no reason to complain. Still, though, I couldn't help leaving the venue with the feeling that I didn't see the band's best offering.


Maybe it was the heat. On one of the hottest days of the summer, moe.'s trademark improvised jams reflected the lazy, hazy, humid atmosphere. The first two songs, "Head" and "Zed Naught Z," featured jam sections that built gradually, featuring mainly slow and atmospheric sections in the middle of songs that are more upbeat in nature (specifically "Head").


Another problem, which lasted the entire show, was the sound engineer's mix. Rob Derhak's bass guitar was too loud, even for a bass player like me, and Chuck Garvey's guitar (my personal favorite aspect of the band) was barely audible at certain points, and I struggled to hear him even while he soloed (and I was standing on his side for most of the show). So when, in the middle of the first set, moe. busted out a personal favorite of mine, "Kyle's Song," and it came to the part where Chuck assaults his guitar for an epic solo, I could barely hear it. I guess we got what we paid for in terms of sound engineers last night.


In spite of the problems, there were still some amazing highlights from the night. First-set closer "Waiting for the Punchline" featured an uppity bluegrass ending that really got the crowd moving and looking forward to the rest of the show. Additionally, after the second set's first two songs, moe. played an old classic, "Yodelittle," and they did not stop playing for the rest of the show. And this is where I need to clarify something:


Unlike Umprhey's McGee (who use hand signals and earpieces to communicate and arrange on the fly during jams) and Phish (who usually jams out until Trey Anastasio abruptly signals a move into the next song), moe. actually does true segues from song to song to song. No hand signals, no abrupt changing - a smooth and natural transition. Because of this, the band (and the crowd) is forced to be more patient and let jams develop and evolve for longer, and that sometimes makes for a slightly less exciting show, but it's a risk that the group takes. Because when it really works, there is nothing like it.


But it didn't really work last night. The transitions were very smooth - especially from "Yodelittle" to "Down Boy" and from "Bring You Down" to "Kids" - but jams never really peaked, and I got the sense that the band had another gear that it didn't shift to. The band has aged; perhaps the guys don't have the energy to attack every show like it's their last anymore.


Second-set finale "Kids" was well-played, though I don't know if the song functions best as a closer. Either way, the crowd was still screaming for an encore, showing that even when moe. plays a sub-par show, it's still a great show. Pressed for time, they came out and played a quick version of an old standard, "St. Augustine," and left for Rochester, where they will hopefully rebound with the kind of show I've come to expect. Maybe the $2 price of admission will go toward a better sound guy.

Tonight Moe. returns home for their annual summer concert series appearance; this time playing Artpark's free Wednesday series. The Elma natives have released over a dozen studio albums, basically played every festival of note for the past 10 years, and hosted their own annual music festival (moe.down XII is Sept. 2nd-4th), which continues to grow, and still they manage to make it home once a year for a (usually) free show. Gearing up for this year's moe.down (this year features Ween and TV on the Radio), Moe. is sure to blast two sets of great jam music through the Niagara Gorge. As always with the Artpark shows, music starts around 5:30, and the only charge is to park.
moe. ~ Plane Crash 2-10-2005 by mbos

Buffalo's favorite homegrown jam band, moe. released a Holiday Album back in 2002. They covered classic holiday songs like Jingle Bells, Oh Hanukah and my favorite on the album Linus and Lucy. It was stated by guitarist Chuck that this album was made for the reason alone that bassist Rob is a complete Christmasaholic. Enjoy our Christmas selection for Day 2 of our 12 days of Christmas below!

Drummer Vinnie Amico from the popular jamband moe. is returning to Buffalo, NY tonight for a very special show at Nietzsche's. He is playing with Buffalo's very own Ron Davis, also known as LeeRon Zydeco.  This is the debut show for this duo so its hard to know exactly what to expect from these two.  I can promise a great live music experience and probably some of the best funk music you'll find in Buffalo for a while. The show starts at 9pm and the cover is only $5. 

Heads up moe.fans.  Members of moe. are forming brand new side projects and will be touring to showcase their stuff.  Most notably, drummer Vinnie Amico will be teaming up with Soul organist Ronnie Davis aka LeeRon Zydeco to unveil the Amico-Davis duo.  Their first show as a duo will be at Nietzche's right here in lovely Buffalo on October 13th!  Check out www.moe.org for the complete list of side projects.

moe. has returned to Buffalo to Rock the Harbor tonight and tomorrow night! We had a chance to catch up with moe.'s drummer Vinnie Amico and ask him a few questions.

buffaBLOG: Why the location change for moe.down this year? Will there still be a
chairlift and fireworks? 
Vinnie: The location is closer to the highway.  More accessible, with more hotel accommodations.  There will be no chairlift.  I don't know about fireworks, but I would guess there will be....

buffaBLOG: What's your favorite place to play in Buffalo?
Vinnie: Lafayette Square...

buffaBLOG:After starting in Buffalo and coming back for 20 years, is it still as special as the first time?
Vinnie: For me, I love to play there.  I have a lot of friends there, and I really love the city.

buffaBLOG:Do you have a favorite song to play?
Vinnie: I like to play them all.....

Thanks Vinnie, you're a man of many words.  Make sure you check out Vinnie sitting in with Buffalo's own Sonic Garden after Saturday's show at Third Room.

Rock the Harbor starts tonight with Keller Williams opening for moe., doors are at 5 pm.  If you didn't buy your ticket last week then unfortunately, the ticket price doubles to $20. If you have ever seen Keller Williams or moe. then you know they will put on a show worth the money.  moe. headlines tomorrow nights show as well, with Donna the Buffalo opening.

  moe.- Spine Of A Dog by buffablog