Labels: moe., U-Melt

By: David Schultz

In a perfect world, moe. would be one of the biggest bands in the world. While many of their brethren within the jamband world burned brightly and faded away, the five-piece band from upstate New York, have endured to become one of the most venerated acts on the concert scene. While mainstream renown and acclaim have not found their way onto moe.'s doorstep, they have fashioned a verdant niche within the jamband nation. Since self-releasing Fatboy in 1992, they have seven more studio albums to their credit, including one holiday album; six live albums, four as part of their popular Warts And All series and founded three annual concert festivals. Lou Reed may have been tabbed for the opening night of New York City's newest venue, The Highline Ballroom, but with a five night run spanning Wednesday to Sunday night, moe. got the privilege of truly breaking it in.



In an era where any multiple show run gets deemed a residency, moe. has avoided the term for their Highline stint, even though the appellation would be apt for their moe.rathon. But for relinquishing the stage to Fishbone for their Thursday night encore, moe. kept the focus of their shows on themselves and their music. The band can go in many different directions but at the core, the formula remains the same: Al Schnier and Chuck Garvey make a potent guitar duo, often finishing each other's riffs; Vinnie Amico and Jim Loughlin offer dual percussion with Loughlin offering up Zappa-worthy vibe passages and Rob Derhak anchors everything at center stage with his bass.

Over the course of Wednesday night's two lengthy sets, moe. explored certain musical themes, segued on to different ones only to come back and explore the original theme some more. With Loughlin's percussion highlighting the opener, "McBain," moe, returned to the song during both sets, also moving in and out of "Y.O.Y" and "Brent Black" They also showed a versatile range without becoming wildly schizophrenic. moe.'s first set featured the reggae-tinged "Seat Of My Pants" and "Akimbo" which contrasted with the heavy psychedlia of Pink Floyd's "Interstellar Overdrive." They also experimented with new styles: on "Down Boy" they worked in some subtle hip-hop beats and Garvey credibly and unironically delivered the rap-style verses without registering on the unintentional comedy charts. Amidst a considerably funky bass solo from Derhak and an upbeat percussion-fest by Amico and Loughlin, moe. worked in newer songs from their latest album, The Conch, with old favorites like "Sensory Deprivation Bank."

An inherent difficulty in reviewing any show from a band that changes up their set list each night is that the show you write about will unlikely ever occur again. moe.'s Wednesday night set list wasn't one of my favorites. However, it illustrated one of the finest qualities of the band. Regardless of the set list, moe. puts on a first-rate show. Even if the songs aren't to your individual liking, it's simply a trifle. The ingenuity with which moe. creates their songs and the skill with which they play them are the true centerpiece of any of their shows. Favorite or even familiar songs will be a bonus, but the true attraction of moe. is five fine musicians at work.

Labels: High Line Ballroom, moe.

By: David Schultz

Since the dawn of time, Dick Clark has come to New York City's Times Square for New Year's Eve and drawn the nation's attention to the dropping of the ball in the Big Apple. In addition to this year's major television networks' canned and lip-synched Midtown celebrations, New York City also had their customarily varied slate of actual concert options.

Warren Haynes and Gov't Mule played the Beacon Theater, jamband veterans moe. took over Radio City Music Hall and the venerable Patti Smith rang in the New Year at the Bowery Ballroom, a familiar haunt just down the road from CBGB, the club whose closing she presided over in October. Over at B.B. King's, last-second replacement Chaka Kahn filled in for the recently departed James Brown. Instead of ringing in the New Year in funky style, The Godfather Of Soul lay in state at Harlem's Apollo Theater. Clad in a vintage purple suit, Brown's wake gave mourners a surreal opportunity to pay their final respects to The Hardest Working Man In Show Business while his music played one last time in the hallowed hall.

Jammin' Until The Break Of Dawn

While the "ball drop" may be New York City's most well-known year-end tradition; emerging jamband icons U-Melt are well on their way to starting a wonderful new one. U-Melt's late-night show at The Knitting Factory marked the third straight year that Rob Salzer, Zac Lasher, Adam Bendy and George Miller have taken the stage well after Britney Spears has been carried off to bed and past the time most New Yorkers have stumbled home to sleep off the evening's festivities. Playing until the crack of dawn, U-Melt kept raising the energy level of the room with each song; running through numerous grooves, some old, some new but all definitely original. U-Melt kept the Knit's packed crowd moving with old favorites like "Marvin The Pussy" and "Green Amber," newer songs like "Elysian Fields" and George Miller's exceptional "Perfect World" (which finished with a triumphant segue into Pink Floyd's "Eclipse") as well as well-chosen covers like the Smashing Pumpkins' "1979." Even with night becoming morning and the crowd beginning to physically run on empty, it was simply impossible to leave. Believe me, I tried; I could not pull myself away.

The relentless months of touring have honed U-Melt's skills to near-razor-sharp precision. Salzer's growingly lethal guitar solos and Lasher's luxurious keyboard rolls rightfully garner glowing raves but U-Melt's rhythm section truly makes their achievements possible. The pace of George Miller's drumming reveals an impressive stamina and the subtlety of Adam Bendy's skills on bass can sometimes be criminally overlooked. That U-Melt had the crowd still dancing at 6:30 in the morning is the best testament that can be offered to Bendy and Miller.

For those who forgot to make resolutions this past New Year's, allow me to help: make this the year you become a U-Melt fan. The existential part of your soul that thrives on excellent music will be eternally thankful.

One moe. Time

As they did in their last visit to New York City in 2005, moe. provided the first part of an amazing double-bill with U-Melt for those motivated and intrepid enough to catch both shows. The night before their New Year's Eve show at Radio City Music Hall, moe. returned to Irving Plaza, a venue they have long outgrown, for a bit of a warm-up. Breaking with tradition, moe. forewent their customary post-Thanksgiving shows at the much larger Roseland Ballroom this year, opting instead to join New Yorkers in ushering in the New Year. With the 1,000 person capacity venue busting at the seams, moe. kicked off the night with "Meat" and, but for an intermission, never slowed down over the course of their three hour set. Although The Conch, their new studio album, comes out next month, moe. focused on their back catalogue full of guaranteed crowd-pleasers like "Kyle's Song," "Akimbo" and "Rebubula." Returning from a bout of tendinitis that caused moe. to cancel some fall dates and kept him from playing guitar for many weeks, Al Schnier seemed no worse for wear, rejoining his fellow guitarist Chuck Garvey to recreate the band's distinctive double guitar sound. Flanking bassist Rob Derhak, their conversion of the zany "Dr. Graffenburg" into a sinuous groove that seamlessly segued into The Rolling Stones' "Can't You Hear Me Knockin'" may have only been matched by their bouncy first set melding of "Y.O.Y" and "George;" the finishing jam leaving people humming and whistling it into the second set. With Jim Loughlin and Vinnie Amico providing double-barreled percussion, the stalwart jamband erased any mystery as to the cause of their longevity.

Vernon Reid & A Night Of Pure Guitar

Friday night saw Steve Vai's Favored Nations label present A Night Of Pure Guitar at Tonic on the Lower East Side. Headlined by Vernon Reid & Masque, the showcase also featured the Dave Weiner Band and Rob Balducci. Although the three bands had different styles, the limitations of guitar-centric instrumentals were impossible to ignore. Notable for the impressive guitar pyrotechnics, the evening begged the question of how much guitar is too much. The Weiner quintet and the Balducci trio put the focus of their sets squarely on the ample guitar wizardry of their namesakes who ripped off technically precise guitar riffs in such quick succession that they started to lose their freshness and diminished the ability to appreciate the creativity and technique at hand. Vernon Reid & Masque closed the evening with a tight hour long set that showed Reid's mastery of the skill of performing as well as the art of playing guitar. Conscious of the fact that the prior bands may have sated the audience's fill for pure guitar, Vernon Reid wisely offered a pleasant change of pace by allowing keyboard genius Leon Gruenbaum, bassist Steve Jenkins and drummer Don McKenzie ample opportunity to shine. Although billed as a guitar extravaganza, Reid's decision to not overpower the set with his own considerable guitar heroics after the audience had been treated to two hours of the same proved a wise success. Jenkins, a recent addition to band, really shone on Masque's cover of Radiohead's "National Anthem" as well as the homage to James Brown, keeping up with Reid's "Sex Machine" derived riff. Masque's set may have been the most well-rounded one, but it didn't betray the theme of the evening. When all was said and done, Reid left no doubt that he deserved his headliner status on a bill full of guitar maestros.

A Peek Into The Future

One of the thrills of going to a minor league baseball game is getting the opportunity to see young ball players destined for the pros. Although their skills aren't entirely perfected and they don't play with the same finesse that they someday will, the glimpses of raw talent can provide ample enjoyment and quite a bit of anticipatory excitement. That type of emerging, developing talent was on display at The Canal Room on Thursday night with New York singer-songwriter Jonah Smith and The Ryan Montbleau Band bringing their considerable skills to the classy venue.

After a brief opening set from the Josh Dion Band, Montbleau took the stage, seated as is his custom upon a simple swiveling bar stool. With Laurence Scudder (viola), Matt Giannaros (bass) and brothers Jason Cohen (keys) and James Cohen (drum), Montbleau led the band through a wide-ranging set that included some old-style Stevie Wonder soul, some country-blues and a roaring cover of Thomas Dolby's "She Blinded Me With Science." Curiously, Dolby had just played the tune there himself last week, marking some sort of weird eighties confluence of the collective unconsciousness.

Backed by a trio, Jonah Smith followed with a lengthy set featuring songs from his self-titled Relix Records release, including "My Morning Scene" which has received some nice airplay on Sirius Satellite Radio. Montbleau and Smith's sets had their moments where everything clicked, but they also had occasional periods that unnecessarily rambled. Proving himself to be an amiable and unflappable performer, Smith weathered the efforts of a persistent fan who wanted his vintage era U2 shirt. Much like seeing a future superstar while they play AAA ball, both The Ryan Montbleau Band and Jonah Smith are going to be quite fun to follow as they develop and worth checking in on in a couple years, if not a few times before then.

[Johan Smith Photo Credit: Michael Weintrob]

Labels: Dave Weiner, Jonah Smith, Masque, moe., Rob Balducci, Schultz In The City, The Ryan Montbleau Band, U-Melt, Vernon Reid

moe. giveth and moe. taketh away.

At their June 13 concert at Central Park's Summerstage, the upstate New York band informed the crowd that they will return to New York City for a New Year's Eve concert at Radio City Music Hall. Right on the heels of that announcement, moe. confirmed that they will not be continuing their tradition of post-Thanksgiving New York concerts that they began in 2002. Instead of The Big Apple, moe. will move their two night run to The Windy City, playing the Chicago Theater in Chicago, IL on November 24 and November 25.

The band has also announced additions to their highly anticipated "moe. down" jam in September. Joining the festival are Mike Gordon and Ramble Dove, Page McConnell with Jon Fishman, Adam Zimmon, Bob O'Dea and Jared Slomoff Banyan featuring Stephen Perkins. Acts already slated include Umphrey's Mcgee, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals and U-Melt.

If you can't wait until then, and you live or will be in the Hollywood area you can moe-sy on over to the Roxy on Sunset Boulevard [where editor JD has spent a few fun nights in the past] to catch all or part of their four night run from July 25-28th.

Labels: moe.

By: David Schultz

More than eight hours after the music began at the 6th Annual Jammy Awards at the Theatre at New York City's Madison Square Garden, U-Melt wrapped up their late-night, after-hours set at Lucille's Café inside the B.B. King Blues Club. By the time U-Melt launched into a seamless version of "Jacob's Ladder" and "Cloud Box" to close the show, the main stage area had been emptied, cleaned and locked up, Zappa Plays Zappa, Dweezil Zappa's revue honoring his father Frank Zappa, having finished long ago. Even with sunrise looming on the horizon, Lucille's remained filled with exhausted but frenzied fans relishing the experience and planning their excuses for skipping work the next day. And, it's just the beginning. In past years, U-Melt's after-Jammy show, which featured a guest appearance by Rob Somerville of Deep Banana Blackout, would end the festivities, but this year the Jammy Awards are the springboard for the Green Apple Music & Arts Festival that will inhabit New York City throughout the weekend.

Without question, the Jammy Awards generate more excitement than any other awards show. In celebrating the spontaneity, excitement and enjoyment of live music, the Jammys have a well-deserved reputation as a show where you will get to see and hear something you're unlikely to see anywhere else. 1/10th awards, 9/10ths concert, the Jammys pair musicians together for live performances that seem awkward on paper but, more times than not, sound phenomenal on stage.

Even with jamband titans regularly in attendance, the show typically gets stolen by an artist that seems foreign to the scene. At last year's show, Huey Lewis' strong performance with Umphrey's McGee brought down the house and Ryan Adams amazed the crowd by bringing out by freeing his inner Deadhead, teaming with Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh for a spot-on reading of "Wharf Rat" and "Bird Song." This year, Peter Frampton turned in the standout performance. That is not a typo and bears repeating, Peter Frampton rocked the Jammys. Playing with Guster and guitarist Martin Sexton, Frampton came alive once again with a rendition of "Do You Feel Like I Do" complete with seventies-era talk box. No longer the fresh faced youth depicted on his most successful album, Frampton showed why his name will always be associated with live music in the annals of rock history.

The Mutaytor, a troupe of drummers, percussionists and performance artists, provided another of the evening's pleasant surprises. Joining Grateful Dead drummers and Jammy Awards co-hosts Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzman, The Mutaytor's dozen or so members gave proper thunder to a cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile." The Rhythm Devils' set seemed to clear the backstage area as by the time they finished running through Santana's "Jingo" and "Iko Iko," Steve Kimock, Mike Gordon, Charlie Musselwhite and many others had joined the tribalesque fun.

As he did at Woodstock ages ago, Richie Havens, wearing what looked like a homemade dress, opened the evening with The Mutaytor drums performing an inspired "Freedom" before yielding the stage to Mutaytor's performance artists. Blues Traveler teamed up with DJ Logic and R & B legend Bettye Lavette that featured the spry 60-year-old soul singer own the stage, forcing John Popper to keep up with her on their cover of "Magic Carpet Ride." One of the evening’s more intriguing pairings involved Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, jazz pianist McCoy Tyner and tap dancer Savion Glover. The only thing more enjoyable than Victor Wooten and Glover's bass/tap dance duo was the bemused expression on Tyner's face as he tried to comprehend what he was watching.

After engaging in a competition as to who could wear the silliest hat, Steve Kimock and Joe Satriani teamed up for some guitar fireworks. Midway through their set, they were joined by Grace Potter on keyboards for a mindblowing rendition of Neil Young's "Cortez The Killer." Potter and her band the Nocturnals received the New Groove of the Year award earlier in the show and the young singer/guitarist/keyboard player more than held her own with the two veteran guitarists.

Frank Zappa, whose inventive influence plays an enormous role in the jamband world, posthumously received the Lifetime Achievement Award. In accepting the award on behalf of his father, Dweezil Zappa noted that his father really didn't like awards or award shows but thinks he would have really appreciated his honor from the Jammys. Zappa then took the stage with Napoleon Murphy Brock and his new Zappa Plays Zappa ensemble for, what else, a set of Zappa tunes. Even though the set contained standout solos from keyboardist Chick Corea and Umphrey's McGee guitarist Jake Cinninger, the set wasn't the blowaway transcendent performance most hoped for.

At the 3rd annual Jammys, moe. braved the chants of "More Cowbell," playing with Blue Oyster Cult. This year, moe. had the stage relatively to themselves, being lent an unintrusive hand by The Mad Professor, covering "The Guns of Brixton" and offering a lengthy version of "Buster." Little Feat and blues guitarist Hubert Sumlin, anchored the final spot in the lineup, being joined by Stephen and Ky-Mani Marley and ultimately everyone else for an all-star finale of "One Love." Once the Bob Marley tune, intended as the evening's last number, concluded, Little Feat broke into an impromptu rendition of "Dixie Chicken," ending the night with a flourish.

Amidst all the excitement, awards were handed out in categories like Live Performance of the Year, Live Album of the Year, Studio Album of the Year and Tour of the Year. Like any awards show, it's tempting to parse through all the trophies handed out, the speeches of gratitude and the recognition of exceptional achievement in an attempt to discern a winner. At the Jammys, such an endeavor always leads back to the same winner each year - - - the audience.

The 2006 Jammy Awards went to:

Tour of the Year:
Big Summer Classic Tour (String Cheese Incident, Keller Williams, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Yonder Mountain String Band, Umphrey's McGee, New Monsoon, and Xavier Rudd)

Live Performance of the Year:
moe. Tsunami Relief Benefit, Roseland Ballroom, NYC, 2/10/05 (with Trey Anastasio, Sam Bush, Jennifer Hartswick, John Medeski and Ray Paczkowski)

Live Album of the Year:
Widespread Panic - Live at Myrtle Beach

Studio Album of the Year:
Leo Kottke and Mike Gordon - Sixty Six Steps

Archival Album of the Year:
Phish - Live at Madison Square Garden New Year's Eve 1995

Song of the Year:
Tea Leaf Green - "Taught To Be Proud"

New Groove:
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

DVD of the Year:
Bob Dylan - No Direction Home

Global Rhythm World Music Award:
Baaba Maal

Labels: DJ Logic, Dweezil Zappa, Frank Zappa, Grace Potter and The Nocturnals, moe., Peter Frampton, Steve Kimock, Tea Leaf Green, U-Melt, Umphrey's McGee, Victor Wooten, Zappa Plays Zappa

U-Melt has been tapped by jambands.com with the much-coveted honor of New Groove of the Month. The New York based quartet just finished up their first swing through Florida and will return to their home grounds for a pair of shows with Tea Leaf Green on March 9-10 at the Knitting Factory.

Those attending moe.'s 2006 snoe.down Winter Music Festival in Lake Placid, New York over St. Patrick's Day weekend can look forward to an additional treat. U-Melt will be offering their specialty - the late-night, after-hours gig on Saturday, March 18. Proving the adage that the night time is the right time, U-Melt always brings something special to those who are willing to stay up late with them. Their set at Strangefolk's 2004 Garden of Eden Festival lasted nearly 6 hours, rightfully earning a spot in the storied lore of jamband legend.

Labels: moe., U-Melt

By: David Schultz

In literature and cinema, the impending arrival of something fantastic, whether it be the Next Big Thing or Culture-Changing Event, comes heralded by an event which foreshadows its impending appearance. In adventure stories, an archeologist discovers a hidden artifact with mysterious wisdom buried amongst the ruins of an ancient civilization. In science-fiction, humans await the fulfillment of the prophecy promising the coming of "the One." In fairy tales, a wizard's vision foretells our hero's eventual return. In the real world, no such prophecies or oracles exist to clue us in to the advent of something brilliant, meaningful and exciting. Instead, history gives us the tale of Paul Revere, taking what he knows to be true and relaying the news to all within earshot. In that vain, let it be shouted from the rooftops to all within Earvolution's reach, "U-Melt are coming! U-Melt are coming!"

The east-coast based quartet is fronted by Rob Salzer, potentially one of the most exhilarating, lethal and electrifying guitarists playing today, and keyboardist Zac Lasher. Not to be relegated to the background, U-Melt possesses an exceptionally stellar rhythm section consisting of bassist Adam Bendy and drummer George Miller. Throughout their live performances, the rock-solid foundation created by Bendy and Miller opens doors for Lasher and Salzer to treat the audience to heavy doses of their creative, free-flowing, improvisational interplay. While structurally similar to Particle's Steve Molitz and his former band mate Charlie Hitchcock, the interaction between Lasher and Salzer comes across as more relaxed, intimate and complementary than that of their west-coast counterparts. From the moment they hit the stage, U-Melt grabs the crowd with undeniably funky grooves that hit new levels when Salzer's mind-bending guitar work and Lasher's hypnotic, entrancing keyboards are given room to roam. Listening and watching the relatively unheralded Salzer breeze through incendiary, awe-inspiring solos, it's easy to become overwhelmed by the mounting excitement that Salzer could be rock's next great guitar hero.

For the second straight year, U-Melt timed their late-night, after-hours gig at New York's Lion's Den to coincide with moe.'s annual post-Thanksgiving visit to New York City, providing New Yorkers with a double bill for which they could truly give thanks. U-Melt’s diligent marketing and promotion team expertly positioned their Lion's Den performance as an after-moe. party. The appellation is not gratuitous as moe.'s Al Schnier joined U-Melt at last year's show. For those with the energy to make both shows, U-Melt ingeniously, yet respectfully, turned moe. into their opening act on this post-holiday Friday. No small task, moe.'s presently on the top of their game.

Building their reputation through energetic live performances, tales of their legendary marathon shows serve only to enhance U-Melt's reputation as a young, hard working band. In September 2004, U-Melt extended their late-night set at the Strangefolk's Garden Of Eden Festival to just over six hours, finishing sometime after breakfast at around 10:30 a.m. Even more remarkable, the band performed the entire show without the extravagant luxuries of set breaks or bathroom breaks. In that vein, U-Melt hit the stage on Friday evening shortly after 1:00 a.m. Like a Kenyan marathon runner, U-Melt set a quick pace early and never slowed down until they hit the finish line three hours later. Amazingly, the band never hit a down period or dallied with trippy space interludes throughout their lengthy set. One need not worry about their familiarity with the U-Melt catalogue: as accurately described by the title of one of their tunes, their groove is infectious. With the energy given off by the band, it's impossible to stand still and even the most uncoordinated of dancers will quickly find their inner Napoleon Dynamite.

Like most jambands, U-Melt possesses a fine series of remarkable instrumental numbers that become extended jams. Although excelling at improvisation, don't be misled into thinking U-Melt are virtuosos adrift in the absence of songs. U-Melt has crafted a number of well-written songs that give them something to interpret, rather than just an excuse to jam. On this night, U-Melt treated the Lion's Den to both: fine instrumentals like "Ernest Funknine" and "Marvin The Pussy" blended well alongside well-constructed songs like "Missed," "Through The Prism" and a newer composition, "Silent Silhouette." The band approaches their material with an apparent stern demeanor. However, the veneer of their seriousness quickly evaporates as a friendly glance or wave from a familiar face in the audience will get any of the band's members to break into a mile-wide grin that reminds you that these guys are having a blast.

In The Commitments, Jimmy Rabbitte promotes the band by telling a reporter that they don't play gigs, they slip into town under the cover of darkness and hit and run. Given U-Melt's penchant for late-night, after-hours shows, the same might be said of them. U-Melt may very well sneak into your town, tear up the night while you're asleep and be gone by daybreak. Scratch that: they'll likely still be playing when the sun rises. Giving insomniacs reason to rejoice, U-Melt will be returning to New York City on New Year's Eve, taking the stage at Coda somewhere south of 2 in the morning.

Earlier in the evening, moe. continued their Thanksgiving tradition of playing New York City, with their first of two shows at the Roseland Ballroom. Technically, this might have been a three night run as moe.'s frontmen, Al Schnier, Chuck Garvey and Rob Derhak played an acoustic set at Coda a couple days later. Well traveled musicians, moe. seems to be comfortably sliding into their position as elder statesmen of the jamband set. This summer the band hosted their 6th annual moe.down festival at Turin, New York's Snow Ridge Ski area, inviting musician friends like Keller Williams, the North Mississippi Allstars and Tea Leaf Green to celebrate a communal weekend of music and fun. The festival sets up its own radio station, occasionally hosts a 3 on 3 basketball shootout or m-o-e (think H-O-R-S-E) tournament and should the mood strike him, Al Schnier will make his way over to the children's tent to play a set of nursery school classics for the toddlers. Their winter version snoe.down 2 will take place over St. Patrick's Day weekend in Lake Placid.

The Zappa-esque instrumental "Meat" anchored Friday's first set. moe. rolled into the tune to start the show and continuously returned to it throughout the evening. On every reprise, a different band member provided their take on one of the song's many catchy riffs, sometimes offering two or three separate interpretations. The majority of the show showcased moe.'s heavier side, consisting of straight forward rock and roll featuring Rob Derhak's booming, weighty bass.

Flanking Derhak to either side, guitarists Al Schnier and Chuck Garvey displayed their differing methods of achieving the perfect guitar solo. During the first set, Garvey punctuated the songs with crisp, precise solos and displayed his range by playing a little slide guitar and even handling his axe like an upright pedal steel. During the second set, Al Schnier let loose screaming, wider ranging solos, letting his inner madman loose. Where Garvey will pick, Schnier will often strum with the contrast between the two guitarists enhanced by the fact that the two don't play in a vacuum. At one point in the evening, Schnier and Garvey engaged in an intriguing parlay where Schnier would start a musical roll only to have Garvey finish it. Like couples who have been together long enough to finish each other's sentences, Schnier and Garvey showed that it could be done musically as well.

Jim Loughlin's percussion, especially his use of the vibes, features prominently in moe.'s mix and further ties the band’s music to Frank Zappa, one of the band’s admitted influences. However, where Zappa would incorporate marimba-like beats to induce a sense of zaniness, moe. integrates Loughlin's contributions more fully into the flow of the music, giving some songs, like the encore-opening "Crab Eyes," a distinctive moe. flavor. Oftentimes the band will meander between songs, occasionally during. However, their departures from the musical theme do not detract from the overall performance, instead offering a pleasant counterpoint for when the band finds themselves easing back into a nice groove.

moe. concluded the show with some of their bouncier, funkier material. The audience joyously sang along to the opening a cappella verse of "Spine Of A Dog," bouncing furiously once the song kicked in. The second set closer, "Dr. Graffenberg," a quirky jumpy song with numerous shifts and changes showed off the tightness of the band. In other hands this song would be a jumbled mess. In moe.'s hands, especially with Jim Loughlin's contributions on the vibes, they produce a tune endearing in its goofiness. Keeping the looser feel for the encore, they returned for the lilting "Crab Eyes" before finishing off the evening with a rousing rendition of "Captain America."

This Thanksgiving, music fans were able to express their gratitude for the music's present and music's future. Music's present, moe., refuses to remain complacent, mixing established concert favorites with fresher material and infusing both with inspired and creative improvisation. As for the future: a momentous force looms large on the horizon and it goes by the name of U-Melt. At this point in time, U-Melt is playing small clubs, giving everyone an opportunity to see a band worth getting excited about in intimate venues. Go see them now, while you can, if all is right in the world, larger venues and greater crowds await.

Labels: moe., U-Melt