Moe

Moe
Moe. - an American jam band, started off with singing as a university band, formed at the University at Buffalo in 1990. The band members include Rob Derhak doing the bass, vocals; Al Schnier on guitar, vocals, and keyboard; Chuck Garvey managing the guitar, vocals; Vinnie Amico and Jim Loughlin on drums.

The band's first record, Fatboy (1992), gathered adequate fame, becoming a favorite band of the 1990s in jam and improvisational rock scene and further gained popularity with bands such as Phish, the Dave Matthews Band, and Widespread Panic. Just as Grateful Dead followers were coined Dead Heads, passionate Moe fans embracing the term moe.rons. later in 1997, moe. toured with the Furthur Festival and made an appearance at Woodstock '99, in addition to playing in Central Park and also, opened for The Allman Brothers and The Who. Additionally, they also performed at Radio City Music Hall on New Year's Eve 2006 and will return there for New Year's Eve 2007.

In an interview, the guitarist Al Schnier of moe. declared that their music is 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.

Going back in history, in the year 1989, Chuck Garvey, Rob Derhak, and Ray Schwartz teamed up to perform at a Halloween show at a friends request. The band's first true form began in the winter of 1990. Chuck was joined by Dave Kessler on guitar and Steve Hunter joined on saxophone and vocals. They entitled themselves Five Guys named Moe, the name of a Louis Jordan song. They opened for a band named Monkey Wrench at Broadway Joe's in Buffalo, NY. Monkey Wrench would later be mentioned in moe.'s song Y.O.Y., where Garvey sings I wish I could suck like Monkey Wrench.

In the fall of 1990, Hunter departed. Moreover, the bands entitled themselves first to Haggis which lasted only a week. Eventually, they settled on naming themselves to simply moe, conspicuously without the ?period'. Derhak insisted for the m to be capitalized, but a Brooklyn band had that name already. Al Schnier sat in with the band for a show in 1991 in Buffalo when Kessler was not present. Subsequent to this show, Schnier was a regular guest. They became recognized as the moe guitar army since the three guitarists. The band also formally adopted the period at the end of moe. Schnier joined the band permanently in the beginning of 1992 and in spring, Kessler left owing to a lack of interest and enthusiasm.

In June of 1993, the band recorded Fatboy, after which Schwartz left the band to go to finish school. Jim Loughlin became a band member in September, sticking to percussion. During the Summer of 1993, Chuck left the band due to personal issues, but joined back after two months and beg[ged] for re-admittance and more abuse. In spring of 1994, the band recorded Headseed, officially quitting their day jobs and all shifted to Albany, NY. In June of 1995, Loughlin left the band to join another band named Yolk, from Binghamton, NY. After Loughlin left, Mike Strazza joined the band on drums, but only from July till the end of 1995, however he officially quit in September. During their two nights over Thanksgiving weekend at the Wetlands in New York City, the band recorded their first official live release namely Loaf.

Near the end of 1995 through November of 1996, Chris Mazur joined the band as a drummer. That same month, Vinnie Amico started playing for the band on drums and has sustained his status as a drummer ever since. Near the beginning of 1999, Loughlin joined the lineup on percussion, flute, backup bass, acoustic guitar, and washboard. As it has been announced on January 23, 1999, the band moe. officially comprises of been Al Schnier, Chuck Garvey, Rob Derhak, Vinnie Amico, and Jim Loughlin.

The band has taken part in a number of fundraising efforts. On February 10, 2005, moe. oerformed for a Tsunami relief concert at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City. Other performers in addition to moe. included Sam Bush, John Medeski of Medeski, Martin, and Wood, Trey Anastasio, and Anastasio collaborator Jennifer Hartswick. All proceeds from the event were matched by the Dave Matthews Band and his Bama Works Village Recovery Fund to support reconstruction of an east coast sea town in Sri Lanka. Bama Works, Dave's generous idea, recorded a final tally of a whopping $155,000.

Additionally, moe. hosts the annual festival moe.down at Snow Ridge Ski Area in Turin, NY. Began in 2000, festival occurs for three days and takes place every Labor Day weekend. The festival has attracted a large range of musical aptitude. Acts range from newer bands just rising onto the scene such as Tea Leaf Green, Nellie McKay and Raq to big name acts and jam rock staples, such as Les Claypool, Blues Traveler, and Mike Gordon (of Phish fame), to pop rock icons, such as Leo Kottke, The Flaming Lips, The Violent Femmes, and most recently, Perry Farrell. Each year, the amount of moe.down attendees has steadily increased. moe.down I gathered approximately 3,000 people while moe.down VI in 2005, had amassed nearly 7,000.

On March 17, 2006 through March 19, 2006, moe. also hosted Snoe.down II. This event, which started the week long Adirondack Almost Springfest celebration, took place at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, New York, home of the 1932 Winter Olympics and 1980 Winter Olympics, and at nearby Whiteface. Throughout the concerts (not moe.'s sets) fans even had the alternative of ice skating at the same time as listening to the show. Bands which comprised of Soulive, Everyone Orchestra, Assembly of Dust, Tea Leaf Green, and others.