moe.

  • Buffalo, NY
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  • 1989
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About moe.

Official Site: http://www.moe.org/ , http://www.coppertop.org/moe/moebio.html | @https://twitter.com/moeperiod


Rising from the dingy college bars of upstate New York, moe. carved a niche for themselves with a distinct blend of Americana, melodic turns, clever songwriting, and jam band ethics. The bandmates were born and raised in the industrial town of Utica, but it took matriculation at the University of Buffalo for moe. to finally coalesce. Founded in 1990 by bassist/vocalist Rob Derhak, guitarist/vocalist Chuck Garvey, and original drummer Ray Schwartz, the band toured the university's party circuit under the name Five Guys Named Moe with several rotating members. Although they covered both contemporary pop and classic rock songs in concert, they also recorded two demo tapes of original material -- Codename: Weaselshark and Spine of a Dog -- in 1991. Guitarist Al Schnier was added that same year.

While playing Buffalo bars like Broadway Joe's, they refined their cartoonishly offbeat sound, a slaphappy mix of Primus-like dementia and focused rhythms. By the time Fatboy was released in 1992, improvisation had begun to creep into the band's sets. Schwartz was soon replaced by Jim Loughlin. As Schnier began to develop his trademark psychedelic oscillating guitar sound, the quartet recorded HeadSeed in Buffalo and migrated east to Albany, which served as the band's home base for the next three years. In early 1995, the band began to tour nationally; by mid-July, Loughlin had left to join Yolk and was replaced by Mike Strazza, a meticulously precise player. The band recorded Loaf over a two-night stand at New York City's Wetlands Preserve. By December, Strazza, too, was gone, replaced by Chris Mazur.

Mazur's playing, infinitely looser than Strazza's, opened the band up to wider improvisation, though it was a step back in terms of musical maturity. In the spring of 1996, moe. signed to Sony/550 Music, for whom they recorded No Doy in the summer. For their first single release, they chose a 46-minute cut of "Meat," recorded in the studio over the summer. In November, Mazur was fired, replaced by Vinnie Amico of Buffalo's Sonic Garden.

Following an opening slot on the Furthur Tour in the summer of 1997, moe. recorded Tin Cans and Car Tires as they began to place increasing importance on the traditional song form. Loughlin rejoined as an auxiliary percussionist in 1999, and the band was dropped from Sony's roster. That fall, the expanded lineup recorded and released the double-live album L on the band's own Fatboy Records, showcasing the new textures of the quintet. This was followed in early 2000 with Dither, an experimental effort that was co-produced with John Siket. Three years later, moe. highlighted their studio and live brilliance with the release of Wormwood. A parade of concert albums followed during the 2000s, including volumes in the Instant Live and Warts and All series.

Moe. have been a staple for years at music festivals nationwide -- especially at Bonnaroo in the Southeast. In addition to headlining festivals, moe. host two of their own: moe.down and snoe.down, both held in upstate New York in the late summer and late winter, respectively. Amid all this live activity, the band released a compilation of two earlier releases, No Doy/Tin Cans and Car Tires, in 2006. They followed it up with their first studio effort in four years, 2007's The Conch, and returned in 2008 with Sticks and Stones and Dr. Stan's Prescription, Vol. 1. For 2012's What Happened to the La Las, the band refined and shaped its trademark jam sound into more compact, structured melodies, many of which were developed at live shows. ~ Jesse Jarnow & Steve Leggett, Rovi

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Photos

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  • Moe
    moe.
    Moe
    Danny Clinch
  • Moe
    moe.
    Moe
    Danny Clinch
  • moe.
    Jay Blakesburg

News

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  • moe.
    News in Brief: Tegan and Sara, Jesu, Wildbirds & Peacedrums, moe.down
    www.pitchfork.com
    Broadrick's album Jesu: Pale Sketches Demixed on August 24. -- Swedish art-pop duo Wildbirds & Peacedrums will release the double-CD and digital album...
    Read More
  • moe.
    Exclusive: Hear Three New Acoustic moe. Songs
    American Songwriter
    On January 24, beloved New York jam band moe. will release What Happened To The La Las, their tenth studio album and first for Sugar Hill Records. As ...
    Read More
  • moe.
    moe. Add More Fall Dates
    www.jambands.com
    moe. have added a series of late-fall dates. The group will perform at Denver, CO's Ogden Theatre on December 6 and 7 as well as San Francisco, CA's T...
    Read More
  • moe.
    Floodwood Featuring Members of moe. Expand Kickstarter Campaign
    www.jambands.com
    Last week we shared information on Floodwood's Kickstarter campaign. The band features Jason Barady, Nick Piccininni, and Zachary Fleitz along with mo...
    Read More
  • moe.
    moe. Add Park City Show, Boston Opening Act
    www.jambands.com
    moe. have added a show to their fall tour. On December 9, the group will perform at Park City, UT's Park City Live. Tickets are now onsale. In other n...
    Read More
  • moe.
    Members of ekoostik hookah Sit in with moe.
    www.jambands.com
    Two classic jambands shared the stage at North Lawrence, OH's The Ville Festival on Sunday night. The festival, which was formally known as hookahvill...
    Read More
  • moe.
    Everyone Orchestra with Members of Furthur, moe., Umphrey's, TAB to Play Phil & Friends After Show
    www.jambands.com
    play a Phil Lesh & Friends after-show in New York City Friday, November 8. The event will take place at the BB King Blues Club, which is located just ...
    Read More
  • moe.
    Members of moe. Join Leftover Salmon in Maine
    www.jambands.com
    Leftover Salmon and members of Floodwood along with Rob Derhak from moe. shared the stage last night in Portland, Maine as the two bands continued the...
    Read More
  • moe.
    Members of Floodwood Jam with moe.
    www.jambands.com
    Nick Piccininni and Jason Brady, members of the Al and Vinnie side project Floodwood, joined moe. last night in Buffalo, NY. Piccininni came out to pl...
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  • moe.
    "I Wanna Be in moe." Winner Joins Band Again
    www.jambands.com
    Keyboardist Joe Bellanti, known as a winner of the "I Wanna Be In moe." contest last year, sat in with the band yet again last night during their show...
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Tour Dates

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  • Oct 2 Wednesday
    Burlington, VT, US Higher Ground
    Buy Ticket
  • Oct 3 Thursday
    Burlington, VT, US Higher Ground
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  • Oct 4 Friday
    Philadelphia, PA, US The Electric Factory
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  • Oct 5 Saturday
    Boston, MA, US Orpheum Theatre
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  • Nov 8 Friday
    New York, NY, US B.B. King Blues Club and Grill
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  • Dec 6 Friday
    Denver, CO, US Ogden Theatre
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  • Dec 7 Saturday
    Denver, CO, US Ogden Theatre
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  • Dec 9 Monday
    Park City, UT, US Park City Live
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  • Dec 12 Thursday
    San Francisco, CA, US The Independent
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  • Dec 13 Friday
    San Francisco, CA, US The Independent
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  • Dec 14 Saturday
    San Francisco, CA, US The Independent
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  • Dec 30 Monday
    Albany, NY, US Palace Theatre
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  • Dec 31 Tuesday
    Albany, NY, US Palace Theatre
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Discography

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  • What Happened to the La Las (2012)
    moe.
    What Happened to the La Las (2012)
    Sugar Hill
  • It Pictures (2011)
    moe.
    It Pictures (2011)
    Conrad Sound
  • Dr. Stan's Prescription, Vol. 2 (2008)
    moe.
    Dr. Stan's Prescription, Vol. 2 (2008)
    Fat Boy
  • Dr. Stan's Prescription, Vol. 1 (2008)
    moe.
    Dr. Stan's Prescription, Vol. 1 (2008)
    Fat Boy
  • Sticks and Stones (2008)
    moe.
    Sticks and Stones (2008)
    Yellow Bus
  • The Conch (2007)
    moe.
    The Conch (2007)
    Fat Boy
  • Okayalright (2005)
    moe.
    Okayalright (2005)
    3D
  • Instant Live: Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA 12/30/03 (2004)
    moe.
    Instant Live: Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA 12/30/03 (2004)
    Instant Live (Ryko)
  • All the Way Live! (2003)
    moe.
    All the Way Live! (2003)
    Severe Recordings
  • Wormwood (2003)
    moe.
    Wormwood (2003)
    Imusic
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