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Words by: Bill Clifford :: Images by Michelle Arthur
moe.down 7 :: 09.01 - 09.03 :: Snow Ridge Ski Area :: Turin, NY
Page McConnell :: moe.down 7 |
Now in its seventh year, moe.down continues to be a festival others strive to emulate. Everything about this festival, which has become somewhat of a last right of summer in the Northeast, is done to perfection, including the diverse and eclectic line up, the way acts are interspersed between two stages that are within 100 yards of each other, and the way the vending and food service areas are perfectly situated between tent city and the two stages. moe.down 7, held at Snow Ridge Ski Area, drew approximately 7,500 fans to the beautiful Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York.
Disappointingly, this Labor Day weekend was disrupted by Mother Nature, as Hurricane Ernesto crept up the east coast and headed straight over Snow Ridge, dumping buckets of rain on festival-goers on Saturday and to a lesser degree on Sunday as well. By Saturday afternoon, the walkways of tent city and the ground in front of the main stage had become a muddy mess.
Friday, September 1st, 2006
Toubab Krewe :: moe.down 7 |
Typically, the Friday evening slot under the beer tent is a sought-after opportunity for aspiring bands. At moe.down 7, this slot was offered to Asheville, North Carolina-based Toubab Krewe, who took the stage just after 4 p.m. for their first of four sets.
This band's unique blend of American improvised music and Malian-based Afro-rhythms was a welcome surprise to the always open-minded jamband crowd. The quintet included standard American guitar, drum kit, and bass. Additionally, however, New York native Luke Quaranta performed on all kinds of percussion instruments, including several djembes, a dundun (a two headed bass drum set), and a kryn (a hollowed-out cylinder that resembles a piece of firewood played with sticks). Often, he jumped from one to the other, sometimes in one song. Furthermore, Justin Perkins, when not playing a traditional American guitar, could be found wildly plucking on a kora or flailing his hands up and down the strings of a kamel ngoni, a 21-stringed African harp.
"Malawi" was a percussive wet dream, as all five band members banged and rattled away on one form of percussion or another, including the kit and a cowbell. Another song leaned heavily on the American roots, featuring the bluesy guitar of Drew Heller. By the time Toubab Krewe brought their set back to another full-on percussive number, "Asheville to Abidjan," the beer tent was packed with ecstatic fans. Friday evening, Toubab Krewe easily won over the most new fans of any other band throughout the entire weekend.
Grace Potter :: moe.down 7 |
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals have been winning over new fans from coast to coast at festivals all summer long. Having had the opportunity to see Grace perform several times in intimate clubs, this reviewer thought he knew what to expect. Potter's dusk set, however, was a pleasant surprise. The young siren is always a sensuous, soulful performer. But on the main stage at moe.down she was absolutely on fire, performing with reckless abandon. Strumming a hollow-body Rickenbacker, she passionately sang "A Hundred Miles," bellowing and reaching for the high notes, throwing her head left and right and then giddily thanking the crowd. Taking a seat behind the Hammond B3, she delivered the bluesy "Treat Me Right," joined playfully by the slinky slide guitar of Scott Tournet. Potter was screaming out vocals again on the bouncy and rhythmic "Take It All Away," and leaned heavily into the Hammond for "Please Don't Fall," showing her instrumental proxy as well as her vocal dexterity.
Jon Fishman :: moe.down 7 |
Other than the festival's namesake, Friday night's other big name was Page McConnell, performing with Jon Fishman, along with Jared Slomoff, Rob O'Dea, and Adam Zimmon. McConnell's performances since the break-up of Phish have been few, so this performance, the first time this line-up has played in front of a crowd together, was indeed highly-anticipated. They performed nine Page originals and one cover. The opening number, "Back In The Basement," was a breezy, jazz-influenced instrumental, long on loose improvisation and upbeat in mood. Up front and stage left, McConnell, sitting in front of his usual bank of keyboards, seemed overjoyed to be performing again. Fishman created space to solo, and Slomoff and McConnell found a playful jam with McConnell leaning into the keys. On "Close To Home," McConnell stepped to the microphone, and here's where it began to get sloppy. His vocals were nasal in tone, somewhat hollow, and he seemed quite unsure of his own voice. "Maid Marion" took on a soulful, bluesy vein. Fishman, keeping a simple beat, could be seen with a grand smile on his childlike face. Introducing "Complex Wind," McConnell added that this one "... is about Fish." With a mellow back-beat laid down by Fishman, the tune was high in synthesizer and almost sinister in mood, detailing a Pink Panther type character. Again, however, McConnell's vocals were the weakness, and the energy was low. The set-closer was Traffic's "Shanghai Noodle Factory," which was a natural fit with the nasal vocals of Winwood on the original.
moe. :: moe.down 7 |
By now the temperature had dropped considerably, but the energy level had risen in anticipation of the headliner. moe. launched into the Blue Oyster Cult classic, "Godzilla," a cover which has become a moe. staple over the last several years. While certainly well-received, to a more critical ear it seemed a stale opener for a moe.down. Much of what makes moe. special is the connection between all five band members. In between songs, where others may take a break, moe. will simply improvise loosely, often stretching songs nearly 30 minutes in length without breaking the music, until one member leads into another song. "Godzilla" segued into several moe. classics, including "Spine of a Dog," > "Plane Crash," > "Buster," which is always a fan favorite and sing-along. "Buster" was also the first song to bring the glow sticks to the air, as well as the first guest sit-in as McConnell found his way out to join moe. Taking its first song break, bassist Rob Derhak proudly introduced McConnell to the crowd and provided banter about the incoming storm.
"If we could create enough high pressure by just blowing... that way," he said laughing, pointing in an easterly direction, hoping the crowd could blow the storm out to sea, before it hit.
On another crowd favorite, "Mexico," it was evident McConnell was not that familiar with moe.'s repertoire, despite a huge smile on his face. Midway through "Blue Jeans & Pizza," he felt comfortable enough to offer his own solo, and the set wound its way towards the end. The first outing for moe. was enjoyable, but fans were clearly eager for more.
Continue reading for Day II...
Saturday, September 2nd, 2006
The Avett Brothers :: moe.down 7 |
After a chilly evening, campers awoke aware of the impending storm and began to scarf up blankets, tarps, ponchos, and any rain gear available. And the rain did indeed come, lightly at first, just as another North Carolina act, The Avett Brothers, began their set on the main stage.
Dressed to impress, Seth and Scott Avett and Bob Crawford each wore suits. Far more impressive, however, was the band's blend of Americana, folk, bluegrass, and rock. A crowd of around 200 braved the cold, light rain, and the trio seemed very pleasantly surprised at the turnout. All three members were in high spirits and full of energy, with front man Scott Avett singing in a southern twang, plucking away on a banjo, all the while holding a beat on a kick drum with one foot and tapping his boot heal on the stage with the other. Seth Avett strummed an acoustic guitar and tapped on a hi-hat cymbal, while Crawford held the bottom-end on stand-up bass. By the end of their set, it was clear The Avett Brothers had won over many new fans at moe.down.
Yolk :: moe.down 7 |
New York bands ruled the beer tent on Saturday. Spaghetti Cake was a kids "jamband," while Whiskey Mae was a New York-based southern rock band. But the highlight under the tent Saturday was clearly the reunion of Yolk, from nearby Binghamton. It had been over three years since Yolk had performed and over five since moe. drummer Jim Loughlin had performed with Yolk.
The band performed a 13-song set heavy on funky bass lines and politically charged lyrics. Vocalist Jimmy John McCabe bounced and bobbed from one side of the stage to the other with boundless enthusiasm, while Loughlin aggressively pounded the skins. Despite the fact the band had not performed in years, the tent was packed with fans that knew every word of every song, and the band members were wearing smiles from ear to ear.
New York City quartet U-Melt then held down the tent for three sets between the main stage's two headliners. U-Melt's set differed from Yolks' in that, while not as hard-hitting, it wasn't exactly mellow either. Much heavier no synthesizers, U-Melt was also far more improvisational. And while most every song from Yolk was lyrical, many of U-Melt's songs were instrumental. All three sets were very well attended, and the crowd certainly enjoyed U-Melt.
Brendan Bayliss - Umphrey's McGee :: moe.down 7 |
Saturday night was indeed special, despite the rain. Umphrey's McGee returned to moe.down for a set just prior to the headliners'. While UM has not been together for as long as moe., they've established almost as much of a following, based mostly on live performances. The band greeted the growing crowd with a bottom-heavy instrumental as the rain began to come down harder. Ryan Stasik's bass lines thumped and bumped as he swayed and swung the bass to the left and right.
Where UM differs from moe. is in its song structure. While equally progressive in its musicianship, UM's songs are crisp, with clear breaks and fewer free-form jams. Further, as evidenced on "Words," vocalists/guitarists Brendan Bayliss and Jake Cinninger's voices meshed melodically, and on "Bridgeless," the three-part harmonies, including keyboardist Joel Cummins, rhythmically rose above the din of rain. Mohawked drummer extraordinaire Stephen Perkins (Banyan – also on the line-up Saturday) arrived for a percussion/drum jam between he and UM drummer Kris Myers. And then things got real fun!
Derhak & Cinnninger :: moe.down 7 |
Al Schnier entered stage-left and introduced Umphrey's, as if they needed any introduction. With the rain pouring down, the split-squad had arrived. Schnier replaced Bayliss on guitar, Derhak replaced Stasik, and Vinnie Amico took over for Myers. The Zeppelin classic "Fool In The Rain" drew an ecstatic ovation. This is the type of spontaneity moe. and Umphrey's fans have come to expect. The crowd danced and cheered as Bayliss melodically sang, and Cinninger and Schnier lit up the stage with playful, dual guitars in unison.
moe. then headlined Saturday night with two sets. A spacey intro gave way to an even looser "Head." Midway through, moe. was off again with seamless improvisation. "Head" segued into "George," with melodic vocals from Schnier. Cinninger joined the band for "Faker," which found its way into a drum jam on which Loughlin was joined by Perkins. As if on cue, as the rain again came down hard, drums segued - without missing a beat - into "Water," and the crowd went nuts as that transitioned into "Rebubula" featuring the twin guitars of Bayliss and Garvey. The tight musicianship and camaraderie between moe. and UM is something that is unparalleled.
Cinnninger, Derhar, Schnier :: moe.down 7 |
"Crab Eyes" began the final set of the night, and Al seemed to be in particular high spirits, his head bobbing from the left to the right, smiles all around. Yolk sax man Andrew Bellavia and Banyan trumpet player Willie Waldman arrived for what was an abstract "Don't Fuck With Flo." Here, the space seemed to hinder the band, as no one seemed in sync with the horn players. The "Karma Police" encore was given a make-over moe.-style with gruff vocals delivered by Schnier, which segued back to where it all began, closing out the night with the end of "Head."
Split Squad :: moe.down 7 |
Continue reading for Day III...
Sunday, September 3rd, 2006
Ziggy Marley :: moe.down 7 |
By Sunday afternoon, the rain had slowed to an intermittent drizzle. Ziggy Marley was scheduled to perform at 2:45 and didn't show up until 3:45. Marley got going with "Into The Groove," the lead track from his latest release. Unfortunately, most fans weren't there with him. The energy level in front of the stage was minimal. "This is a cry for justice," he pleaded prior to one song, ripe with a "justice" chorus sung by backing vocalists. Indeed, as if the elder Marley was looking down on his son, the sun began to break through the clouds when the band performed "Jammin'" and fans reached their hands up and let out a cheer. Then, as the clouds hid the sun again and phans realized Mike Gordon's set would be delayed, the crowd thinned.
moe.down 7 |
Macon, GA-based Moonshine Still had set up its gear at the beer tent, but not before troubadour Tim Easton, who took the red eye all the way from California. Sadly, Easton's blues-infected set was sparsely attended. He played the part well though, with curly locks, fully clad in denim with gruff whiskey-soaked vocals and acoustic guitar and harmonica.
"I'd like to invite my new friend Jon up to play drums. Gotta warm him up for the late night set," he said introducing Jon Joiner, the newest member of Moonshine Still. "Running Blues" detailed the travels of a runaway slave, a speedy "Tom Thumb Blues" style number. Grabbing a digital camera from his bag and shooting the crowd, he closed his set with "Domestic Blues," enticing the crowd with the lyrics, "I don't know where I'm going, I just know I gotta go – to moe.down!"
Mike Gordon :: moe.down 7 |
Mike Gordon & Ramble Dove brought a hoedown to moe.down, which transitioned well from Easton's blues. Bret Hughes joked with the crowd about having a beer in hand "because it's a honky tonk thing. It's better when you're drunk." The crowd indeed lapped it up. Disappointingly, technical difficulties prevented Gordon's only vocal turn from being heard, but it was clear he was happy handling the bass duties and letting Hughes and guest vocalist Aya Inoue take the reins. But perhaps the highlight of this bunch had to be the pedal steel of Gordon Stone mixed with the surprisingly adept honky tonk guitar of Max Creek's Scott Murawski, who played as though they'd been together for years, not months. Covers of Hank Williams and George Jones songs, among others, as well as a few collaborations between Gordon and Hughes filled out the set.
For its part, Moonshine Still lit the tent on fire Sunday evening, featuring the slide guitar of David Shore and the deep resonating vocals of Scott Baston. This band's three-song set prior to moe. pumped up the crowd. Certainly one of the least known bands at this festival, bringing together the free-form jams of moe. and the melodic pop craftsmanship of Umphrey's, this band easily captured many new fans.
Gordon Stone & Chuck Garvey :: moe.down 7 |
moe.down 7 ended with two high-energy sets from moe. that, despite the rain, closed the festival on a strong note. The upbeat tempo of "Moth" dropped, then picked back up as it segued into the pop melodies of "New York City," for which Gordon Stone joined the band on stage. But he really made his presence felt on "Waiting For The Punchline," during which moe. allowed space for Stone's weeping pedal steel. It was a natural fit and the most pleasant sit-in of the weekend. The mid-song tempo change of "Y.O.Y." drew a huge cheer from the crowd, which found its way back to "Moth," and then to a fan favorite, "Brent Black," to close.
moe.down 7 |
The second set continued with fan favorites as "Jazz Wank" morphed into an obtuse "Dr. Graffenberg," again joined by Willie Waldman and again, everyone seemed out of sync. The familiar chords of the Rolling Stones cover "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" followed, another well-worn moe. cover, and then "Plane Crash" had the crowd dancing in the cold, wet mud with delight. Saving its best for last, "Recreational Chemistry" closed out another moe.down on an emotional and sedated high.
While Mother Nature may not always cooperate, the community and surrounding area of Turin, NY, including the kind folks of Snow Ridge, always do. moe. and its moe.rons continue to be welcomed back. Affably, even Johnny Law allows us to police our own. Regular readers to this page are well aware of festivals done well and others done poorly, everyone has their favorites. For seven years now, moe.down continues to be the perfect three-day Labor Day weekend.
JamBase | moe.down
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