To describe moe. in a word, or even in a few words, would be an injustice to them and their sound. The band takes the idea of eclecticism to the hilt and jams it out for all it's worth. With two-set shows that occasionally crack the 12 song mark, moe. are masters of improvisation, taking spacy jamming to a whole new level. Pomp and circumstance aside though, these five dudes from Buffalo, New York, are more than just the typical hippie's fun way to spend an evening and fortunately for us, they're coming to Liberty Hall this next Sunday night.

After listening to them for a few years, I finally got a chance to see this outfit for the first time this past summer across the street from the Beaumont. Riding the rail and having my face melted by an explosion of bass bombs and talkbox serenades, I walked out of the show with a whole new perspective on this group that has grown to be regarded as a jam scene staple. It was the kind of show I'd gone into with relatively low expectations and been completely surprised.

Bassist Rob Derhak can lay it down with the best, moving in and out of regular rhythms with funky slap riffs as he goes along. The guitar duo of Chuck Garvey and Al Schneir is a dizzying duel of sounds, with both crafting electric invasions of every melodic stronghold, turning each solo into a screaming serenade for the audience. When combined with the dual percussion precision of Vinne Amico and Jim Loughlin thrown into the mix, moe. brings every element essential to a tweaked-out, gut-thumping, good time.

With their new album The Conch due out this week, the band has reached a pivotal point in their careers. After rave reviews for Dither and Wormwood, the band's new album draws from the search for order within the chaos of the group's sound. As with any album released in the jam scene, the tracks only act as a starting place from which to grow; these songs will most certainly develop in new and interesting ways as they continue to be played.

Many will have the fortunate distinction of seeing the first steps of these new tunes. With this upcoming Lawrence show only five days after the disc's drop date, the new songs should be in heavy rotation. We'll undoubtedly be treated to an evening of not only exploratory, but groundbreaking jams within the band's developing catalogue.

It may be on a Sunday night, but calling in sick the next day shouldn't 'cause any issues. It'll take a day to rearrange your brain anyways.

-- Derek Martin (email)

moe.
January 28, 2007
Liberty Hall [Map | Tickets]