Photo by Dino Perrucci

Last night, moe. performed the first of their two shows at The Capitol Theatre. The shows mark the only scheduled performances in December for the band; they canceled all other events after their guitarist Chuck Garvey suffered from a stroke in early November.

“This venue means a lot to us all and feels like the right place for us to play at this time,” the band said of The Capitol Theatre.

As the show began, moe. bassist Rob Derhak told fans that Chuck was watching the show and recovering the best he could. The Cap’s ornate balcony was adorned with a banner that read “We’re On Your Side #Chuckside” and filled with loving fans, and the stage was ready for many performers.

The first evening touted a bevy of all-star guests, including Scott Metzger, Warren Haynes, and Reid Genauer, and fans were buzzing with anticipation for the sold-out shows as the set began. Scott Metzger was the first guest and kicked off the night with “Annihilation Blues” and “Stranger Than Fiction” then Shannon Lynch and The Disco Biscuits’ Aron Magner came on to stage for “Dangerous Game.” The two stayed on for “Deep This Time” while Metzger took a short break.

Derhak once again took to the mic and welcomed his daughter Emma Derhak for some warm Christmas jams. The vocalist dedicated the song to her “Fairy Godfather” Chuck, as they broke into “Blue Christmas.” After cheers and admiration for the young Derhak, Magner led the set into their next track with a stunning intro of keys into “Where Does The Time Go?” Magner kept the lush fills coming as he opened “Bring You Down” on the organ. The track evolved into a conversational jam between Magner’s keys and moe. drummer Vinnie Amico’s percussion and continued to crescendo until the stage was shaking, closing the first set.

The second set opened with “Shoot First,” a tune penned by Garvey. Derhak took lead on vocals. They then moved into “Puebla,” which featured spacy and expert saxophone from Lynch. moe.’s iconic harmonies shined during “In-The-Round,” and Derhak showed his immense skill on “Bullet.” Finally, legendary guitarist Warren Haynes joined the stage for “Opium.” The years of friendship and sheer admiration between the men shined through unfiltered, unabashed blues sounds and seamless jams. As “Opium” came to a close, fans were treated to one of the best back and forth jams since the pandemic began between Al Schnier and Haynes. Next, they moved into “Happy Hour Hero,” which morphed to Haynes will and became a more spaced out, bluesy jam before it shifted into “Recreational Chemistry,” which welcomed the three billed guests and moe. together they explored the vehicle the night had created fully.

The band returned to the stage for an encore, first clarifying why The Capitol Theatre shows were the nights they decided to keep during these tremulous times. The band stated that we all needed this, that music heals like nothing else does, and that recovery from a stroke is a long road. The photos, recordings, memories from the nights in New York are priceless to Garvey and could help him on his way, and that together we can make things that much easier. moe. and their friends encored with a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Time” and Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song.”

Recently, moe. fans organized a GoFundMe to help cover Garvey’s medical costs.

To donate or learn more, click here.

Tonight moe. will play their second night at The Capitol Theatre with Suke Cerulo, Nate Wilson and Reid Genauer.

moe.
The Capitol Theatre – Port Chester NY
Dec. 10, 2021

Set One: Annihilation Blues*, Stranger Than Fiction*, Dangerous Game*^%, Deep This Time^%, Blue Christmas^%&, Where Does The Time Go?^%, Bring You Down^

Set Two: Shoot First^ > Puebla^% > Bullet^%, Opium^$, Happy Hour Hero^$ > Recreational Chemistry^%$

Encore: Time^%$& (Pink Floyd), Immigrant Song^%$& (Led Zeppelin)

Notes:

* w/ Scott Metzger
^ w/ Aron Magner
% w/ Shannon Lynch
& w/ Emma Derhak
$ w/ Warren Haynes