moe. - 08/30/08 - Main Stage

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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The Brew - 08/30/08 - Beer Tent

The Brew is one band at moe.down that may have been hyped more than anyone in recent years. Primarily by word of mouth this group has gotten their name out there. With the exception of Chances Reaching that plays constantly on Jam On, many haven't even heard a note of another song. This was solely because of the dedication of a small but growing group of hardcores. It payed off because The Brew received a generous three sets in the beer tent.

I don't mean to sound negative. I really have nothing against The Brew, in fact I find it admirable. I found it amazing that they built that kind of loyal following in a short amount of time. After talking with a couple of these diehards before their sets, they had me convinced The Brew had something special planned. The first set started off nicely with Hunters Moon and followed shortly after with their first cover of the day. It was Queen's Princes of the Universe.


The Boston based four piece had a really tight sound. Not only could they sing but they wrote some interesting lyrics that I liked. Some of my favorite were in Machine to open the second set:

I don't know if your life is like mine but
I think that its moving too fast
Pressure of tomorrow keeps pressing my mind
I got no time to think about the past

For my money, the second set was the best. Beginning with Machine and continuing through Birds on the Window and Sharks in the Pool, it was money. Then The Brew busts out the ole' Fourplay> Longtime by Boston. They did the often covered (but always rockin'!) song justice. It probably couldn't of been done better. Swiss Radio to end the set was pretty bad ass too.


The ____ as they are sometimes referred to now made me a believer with the second set. I'd check them out whenever they come around, but it seems like they're never visiting Philadelphia (with the exception of Awesometown). They do travel south of Boston and will be at The Note in West Chester with The Heavy Pets and Codename in October. That's sure to be a great show!

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The Bridge - 08/31/08 - Beer Tent

There was a Rolling Stone article published in April 2008 that proclaimed Baltimore to have the best music scene in the country. I don’t think I was the only person scratching my head at that one. It’s not that I have anything bad to say about the Baltimore music scene; in fact I frequent many venues in the area like Sonar and Rams Head Live, but to declare it as the best is a pretty bold statement. The article points out how much of the scene in Baltimore may go unnoticed nationally because of the underground nature of punk and hip hop that thrive in the area.

One band from Baltimore that has branched out of the area is The Bridge. After this article was written and their performance at moe.down, The Bridge released their third album titled Blind Man’s Hill. Like most grass root efforts, The Band has built up a solid fan base by touring relentlessly and getting their music out there. They have brought a brand of bluesy rock to the appropriate audiences and continue to have success because of it.



The Bridge wrapped up a busy month of touring that included opening for Mike Gordon with a performance at the Beer Tent on Sunday. They showcased some tracks from the new album including Let Me Off This Train and Poison Wine. Although most of my memorable moments included the bluesy rock numbers like Brother Don't, The Bridge still displayed their array of influences throughout the set. Heavy Water, also included on the newest release, was the last tune they played and let the band stretch out and build some intense layers with the blues/funk incorporated. I remember a lot of happy and impressed people leaving the tent after their performance.

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Macpodz - 08/31/08 - Beer Tent

"LAST CHANCE TO DANCE!"

I've always believed good things really do come to those who wait. For the Macpodz and the eager fans with their dancin' pants on, the wait was a little longer than expected at the Beer Tent Sunday night. Levon Helm and his band took more than the allotted time to setup and subsequently cut into the Podz first of two sets. It was no matter to this young promising band from Ann Arbor. They still had two sets surrounding moe.'s performance to unleash their self-proclaimed "disco bebop."


So what is "disco bebop?" I think the entire first set served as a good primer, but the real exhibition didn't get underway until the second. The Macpodz wasted no time jumping right into their improvisational, jazz infused set with 89 Miles. This and Give Me The Heat are two of my favorites from the first set. The horns are the first thing that grab you as they take most of the leads, but the rhythm section fills in nicely to form some nice grooves. A "jamband" without a guitar in the mix is a rarity, however it's really unnecessary this this group. The Podz got a lot of hype leading up to this weekend and met those expectations nicely.


The second set was practically a complete segue starting off with a rippin' You Got Me. I gotta admit these guys can groove! I think they definitely won some fans on this night. Unlike some other larger scale festivals, moe.down really gives more attention to up and coming bands like this. With the two stages practically yards from one another, everyone is inclined to migrate to the music. This was the kickoff to the Macpodz east coast tour and continuing in 2009 they expanded in other regions too. They've got my endorsement... Check'em out when they make a stop in your town.

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Fishbone - 08/30/08 - Main Stage

It's after midnight at the Highline Ballroom in New York city. moe. was wrapping up their second night of a five night engagement to open the new venue in 2007. Just as they were sinking into a transient Time Ed we notice more people gathering side stage. There wasn't much warning, just a barely audible chant repeated by rob. "Fishbone...fishbone..." moe. left Fishbone an unsuspecting audience to have their way with. For the next twenty minutes Fishbone hit us with an onslaught of ska rhythm and punk rock, while finding an opportunity for a stage dive or two. It was so intense moe. decided it was too tough of an act to follow and decided that was the end of the show. We never knew what hit us.

At least when Fishbone took the stage at moe.down we had ample warning. Although sometimes forgotten in the discussion, this band was responsible for pioneering the reggae, rap, rock, punk movement (Whatever you want to call it...think Sublime) in the early nineties. But before Sublime was topping the charts Fishbone was playing a packed Wetlands till 4am or later. It has been said by al. that Fishbone was one of the bands moe. aspired to be like as a young, upcoming band. It must have been very humbling to have them play at the .down. I guess one of the best parts about throwing your own festival is you get front row seats for any act you want:


It didn't take long for this unruly irreverent bunch to get the crowd moving. I still can't believe the energy Angelo brings to the stage! He can give anyone a run for their money when riling the crowd onstage in his iconic garb. Fishbone celebrated the beautiful weather in their own way with a killer version of Everyday Sunshine. Ma and Pa was dedicated to all the hopeless hot nuts mother fuckers who let the baby come through and don't know what to do..."Hey ma and pa what the he'll is wrong with y'all?" The band played homage to Sublime with a cover of Date Rape citing "It's so good I wished I wrote it." Premadawnutt and Bonin' In The Boneyard kept the set nice and classy covering subjects like rainbows coming out your ass and, well, I don't think the latter needs explaining.


It was expected that Fishbone would be one act to steal the show and they certainly didn't disappoint. After singing about fat chicks, alcoholics and endorsing Tits and Whiskey for Mayor of moe.ville they ended the set with Party At Ground Zero. I can only imagine what it was like seeing their original lineup packed tightly in the Wetlands twenty years ago. You would be lucky to leave in one piece with the piercing horns, chest thumping low end and airborne band members.



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The Duo - 08/30/08 - Main Stage

Joe Russo must have been paid overtime for moe.down last year. Although he didn’t reach Warren Haynes sit-in status, he was still able to find his way onstage a few times over the weekend. A day after his performance with American Babies, Russo was back at it with his own band. This time, sitting across from his band mate Marco Benevento, the Duo welcomed everyone back to the main stage Saturday afternoon.


The Duo has developed their own sound over the course of their career that started in 2002. Perhaps this uniqueness is attributed to the fact they grew up together. It's a distinguishable looseness that makes them interesting. They have become known as an act that can bring the heat with whoever they share the stage with, but sometimes it's nice to just get some straight up Duo.


Benevento and Russo mixed things up with some shorter numbers like Sunnys, Blood Not Sap and Echo Park while delving into so more eccentric stuff. They can develop a simple beat and manipulate it with just drums and keys into a sonic landscape of sounds crashing into one another. This is most apparent in some of my favorites like Play Pause Stop, Goat! and Scratchitti.

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American Babies - 08/29/08 - Main Stage

Brothers Past is a band from West Chester, PA that has a loyal following. Depending on where you’re from there’s a good chance you’ve never heard of them… or you hear too much about them. The band typically falls into the jamband category, but they also incorporate a lot of electronic almost industrial sounds in their songs. The band went through a transition period when their original drummer Rick Lowenberg left the band to pursue other interests in late June 2006.

It was about this same time guitarist Tom Hamilton branched out musically. While remaining with Brothers Past, Tom surrounded himself with some pretty extraordinary musicians including friends Joe Russo and Scott Metzger. The band formed and American Babies released a self titled album in 2007 that showcased Tom’s songwriting ability.





American Babies opened the main stage for the weekend and performed many songs from the debut album. The first time I heard songs from it I was thrown for a loop. I’ve known these guys playing in jambands. Instead of half hour, nonstop segments of music they offered radio friendly tunes. This didn’t sound anything like BP, the Duo or Electron. I don’t know if you’d categorize this as indie rock or alt country. It was a step out of the norm, which as artists they probably enjoy. If anything it shows their diversity, especially noticeable with Tom’s writing style.



You can find American Babies getting more air on XPN, and deservedly so. They ofter perform around Philadelphia and New York area venues like the World Café Live. They're no strangers to touring and festivals across the country. Don’t worry Brothers Past is still around too. Some of my favorite tunes worth checking out would be Blue Skies, Swimming At Night, Rocker, Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You and Broken English.

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