Quick Look:
@ The Klein
Saturday, Sept. 27
Doors @ 7:00 p.m.
Show @ 8:00 p.m.
Tickets: $35 / Members save $5
Klein Parking Lot $5
moe. is relentless, defining jam band music and rock ‘n’ roll on their own terms. From their humble beginnings in Buffalo, N.Y., moe. has built an impressive repertoire of 24 albums and mass fanbase all across the globe. Since then, moe. has performed with groups such as the Dave Matthews Band, The Allman Brothers and The Who.
All stops are out on moe.’s current tour of their new album “No Guts, No Glory.” The 11-track album (14 on the deluxe CD, digital and double vinyl editions) has taken the band across the U.S. and overseas to Germany’s Burg Herzberg Festival and Fuji Rock Festival in Japan.
Grooving guitars over a syncopated rhythm section in “Annihilation Blues” instantly hook fans, and before you know it, you’re mesmerized by the psychedelic “Silver Sun.” There is no escaping the bold guitar riffs of Chuck Garvey and Al Schnier or Rob Derhak’s slapping bass. Drummer Vinnie Amico is powerful and grooves under the band while Jim Loughlin on vibraphone is nothing short of melodic.
moe. is one of the only progressive rock bands around with a vibraphonist and it instantly changes the dynamic. Amico felt that his approach is vastly different because of Loughlin’s presence in the band. His drumming is much simpler, but something didn’t add up to me.
“The less I play, the greater the groove,” said Amico. Amico and Loughlin are longtime friends and have been playing together since before the band, added Amico. And yes, the results are mind-blowing.
But do you know what the best part is? moe. has been rocking out in your backyard the entire time.
moe. recently shook the stage at the Gathering of the Vibes in Bridgeport and hosted their own festival, moe.down, at the Snow Ridge Ski Area in Turin, N.Y. Not to mention, moe.down has been going on for 15 years.
“No Guts, No Glory” was recorded at Carriage House Studios in Stamford. The album was produced by Dave Aron, who has worked with artists from U2 to Prince to Snoop Dogg.
“All of our fans are in it for the same thing,” said Amico, whether they are from Japan or America. The music is powerful and each night moe. gives us more than we could ever want.
“We wear our hearts on our sleeve” and “lay it all out on stage,” said Amico. Three hours of music is also pretty convincing as far as any normal setlist is concerned. In addition, moe.’s catalog allows them to play gig after gig without repeating a single song.
From their last three gigs, the band massed 45 different tunes. It would only be fair to split the night up into two sets, allowing you to snap out of the psychedelic depths of moe.
Fasten your seat belts, because moe. is closer than you think. This Friday, Sept. 27, moe. will be honing their musical bliss on the 1,400 seat Klein Memorial Auditorium in Bridgeport, Conn. presented by the Fairfield Theatre Company as a part of the BMW of Bridgeport Driving Music Series. The Klein has hosted legends like B.B. King, Alice Cooper, Buddy Guy, Herbie Hancock, Peter Frampton and will soon be adding moe. to the list.
As moe. approaches their 25th anniversary in January, they continue to evolve. Amico felt everything from songwriting to gear and equipment has changed, shaping moe. to what it is today.
moe. has about a month break in their tour schedule after the Klein, so expect everything to be left trembling on stage long after the doors have been locked. moe.’s tour will resume Oct. 24 at the Neptune Theatre in Seattle, with more gigs to follow out West. Be sure to keep tabs, because moe. will be playing “One More For The Fans! – Celebrating The Songs & Music of Lynyrd Skynyrd” at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta on Nov. 12 with some of the biggest names in music.
Contributed Photo
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