moe. just took to the road for a four-date West Coast swing ahead of the band’s Halloween run. The group appeared at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, NV on October 15, followed by gigs at The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco, The Bellwether in Los Angeles and the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, CA.

Saturday night’s show saw a familiar face join the group. At the close of the second set, Umphrey’s McGee keyboard player Joel Cummins appeared on The Flaming Lips’ “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1,” which segued into moe.’s own “Mexico.”

The evening had opened with ‘Stranger than Fiction.” A version of the Grateful Dead’s “West La Fadeaway” was another early highlight. This led into a four song sequence that closed out the set, featuring “Hi & Lo,” “Big World,” “Ricky Martin” and “Buster.” Prior to Cummins’ appearance, the band began the second frame with five tunes that led from to another. The band paired “George,” “Down Boy,” “Calyphornya,” “Three Eyed Serpent” and “Opium.” The encores were “Letter Home” and “Wind It Up.”

Cummins’ contribution to “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1,” was one of multiple songs with Pink references that moe. played during this run in conjunction with the American Cancer Society’s Rock The Pink fundraising campaign. Other selections included Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar” and Bruce Springsteen’s “Pink Cadillac” on 10/15, John Cougar Mellencamp’s “Pink Houses” on 10/16 and Pink Floyd’s “Fearless” on 10/18.

moe. will next appear on October 29 in Portland, ME prior to two gigs at the Wilbur in Boston, including Halloween, which will featured a Dazed and Confused theme.

Photos by Paul Citone