moe has an unbelievably dedicated fanbase. “The quintet has drawn upwards of 6,000 fans to two-night stands at such storied venues as New York’s Beacon Theatre, Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom and Denver’s Fillmore (Facebook)”. Even though Stage AE was not packed to capacity, it was filled with some true fans who braved the cold to see their favorite band…and I mean their FAVORITE band. I’ve never seen so many people with the headliners tee on from so many different tours and events. I don’t think I saw any repeats at all. That says a lot for these guys who formed out of The University of Buffalo.
moe is generally known as a jam band from the same branch as the Dead, Phish, etc. Guitarist Al Schnier was asked to describe moe for those who have never heard their music: “It’s an amalgamation of a wide variety of the history of rock, all regurgitated and recycled through the eyes, ears, hands, whatever of the guys in our band and all of that with a sense of adventure, a sense of humor, also a constant desire to push the envelope. All in this arena of taking chances, improvising live, and making things up on the spot. (Wikipedia)”. They could fit on many a festival stage, but certainly have a sound all their own. The surprising thing may be, for the un-initiated, is how incredibly proficient each of the members of moe is on their instrument, especially guitarists Chuck and Al, who are down right masters. They are incredibly multi-faceted which allows them to blend many different genres into the moe brand.
The set played at Stage AE Pittsburgh was truly impressive and was a nice retrospective of their material. the crowd certainly was into it the entire time, which is always a good judgement factor. The lighting was also excellent and added to the overall mood of the show which was upbeat and playful.
The Ghost of Ralph’s Mom, Chromatic Nightmare, Big World , Ricky Marten, It, Understand, Zed Nought Z, George
Set 2 Yodelittle , Not Coming Down, Yodelittle, Stranger Than Fiction, Where Does the Time Go?, Rainshine , Meat , Down Boy
Brent Black , meat. Encore: Haze
All photos ©2014 AWeldingphoto and Pittsburgh Music Magazine
