Saturday at the .down is always a busy day for moe. Besides the two sets they play at night, there’s always an hour and a half day set too. This set is usually the first music most people see on Saturday because it’s hard to get motivated after a Friday night rager. It’s always worth it to make sure you’re at the main stage for moe. appetizer.
The set started with Bring It Back Home to warm up, followed by Bearsong. We were invaded by Saranac inflatable bears for this version. Nadine LaFond of Swampadelica joined the guys onstage for All Roads Lead To Home which added that extra special something. She’s a perfect complement to moe. for many numbers off Sticks and Stones. Luckily it wasn’t the last we would see her all weekend. Captain America gave the kids a chance to show off their superhero costumes, which was the theme of the parade this year.
The rest of the set was more than an appetizer, it freakin’ rocked! Waiting For The Punchline was stretched out a little more than usual. Then we were treated to an early afternoon Brent Black with the Duo. I remember thinking as they started that this has the potential to be the best Brent ever with the addition of the Duo. As expected it was a GREAT way to end the set as the band ripped through the beginning as they usually do, but then came the drums section with the Duo. Macro added another layer on keys and helped steer the jam into uncharted waters. Good stuff indeed.
The evening portion of the show started with another rarity, Defrost. This instrumental hasn’t been played since 1997, and caught us off guard. I’d be lying if I said I recognized it. After Crab Eyes Nadine was back onstage to assist with Sticks and Stones and Deep This Time. I’ve always considered Deep This Time my favorite song from S&S, so the opportunity to hear it with Nadine was awesome. The rest of the first set was solid highlighted by a majestic Bring You Down with Jeff Austin of Yonder Mountain String Band on mandolin.
The second set got going with Buster, which is always a good sign of things to come. As the band segued into Runaway Overlude there was a very short instrumental played that almost slipped past the radar. A glimpse at the setlist after the show confirmed it was noted by the band as Shitly. This was the song's debut and after the “hiatus” moe. would continue to build on it and other instrumentals thoughout the year. I’m hopeful we may see some more this year. Runaway Overlude slipped right into She to complete a solid forty minute first half of the set.
The last half of the set was far from conventional. The first distinguishable notes of Hendrix’s Voodoo Child were a surprise and Nadine was out there for her last appearance. She led a vocal chant throughout the song that added her own spin on the classic. Then without little to no warning again (just like the Highline), Fishbone took over the stage. The complete band switch gave Fishbone a solid half hour to jam…and jam they did. I think it was one of the better band switches from recent years because it was cohesive improv with Angelo free styling. The night was capped off with Seat Of My Pants, Spine Of A Dog, and a short Yankee Doodle. It’s tough to say which set of the three I liked best. They were all exceptional for various reasons.
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