Colorado and moe. have a deep and lasting relationship. There is a small but dedicated group of moe.rons in The Centennial state tucked away in various suburbs and mountain outposts just waiting. Waiting for a free moe. show at one of the most picturesque venues in the entire country. Sure, The Front Range has Red Rocks, but the mountains have The Amp and Dillon to appease the local hunger for live music. Dillon Amphitheater sits adjacent to the Dillon Reservoir with the lawn cresting on a small butte overlooking the water. To say it was beautiful would be a massive understatement. Given that it was a free show on a Monday night the event became a family affair. Kids dashed around the steep lawn and old friends reunited on the floor. Early arrivers spread out blankets and fed their kids root beer floats as the sun started its journey to the horizon.
Local jammers High Five took the opening slot for the evening. They had a distinctly Dead tone that permeated the bulk of their set. They were a fun, but not completely necessary addition to the evening. The audiences was there for moe., but I do like it when local acts that have put in their time get paired up with nationally touring bands. It’s good for the scene in general. High Five took full advantage of the opportunity with a sturdy mash up of “China Cat Sunflower” and “Love Light.” They sprinkled in a couple originals including “The Ride” and a rambunctious set closing “Chinchilla.” High 5 played for about 45 minutes before handing over the reigns to Buffalo’s finest.
Six guys named moe. took the exquisite stage as the sun continued its approach toward the ridge line. The extended set and encore stretched to right around 2 hours giving the boys ample time to jam out on several tunes. The opening selection of “Big World” felt appropriate given our jaw dropping surroundings.
moe. took us on a musical journey starting with the triumphant return of “It.” “Captain America” became a rowdy singalong while “Rise” featured some serious percussive work from Jim. Nate Wilson transformed moe. into the best cover band in Summit County with the Joe Walsh anthem “Rocky Mountain Way.” “Zed Naught Z” acted as a launching pad for some of the deepest jams of the evening. “Kyle’s Song” is a fan favorite and always a welcomed addition to the setlist. “Moth” lasted over 17 minutes before they returned to “ZoZ” to close it out. But suddenly the opening notes of “Rebubula” broke through and the audience went wild. It was a strong way to wrap up a very tasty set of music.
The band returned for a nostalgic “Letter Home” into a tight “Ok Alright.” They had a hard 10 PM curfew and this was a municipal gig so no need to rock the boat. They packed up their rig and headed to Denver as many of their fans did the same. moe. would have a couple days off before their clandestine Monkeys On Ecstasy show at Cervantes on Thursday. That show streamed on Nugs so feel free to catch up.
moe. Is a band charging ahead and gaining traction with every step. With the addition of Wilson they are charting new musical territory both through song choice and in their writing. They are poised to reclaim their spot as one of the best touring bands playing live today.
Live Recording by Dane Bono: https://archive.org/details/moe2024-07-29.Cremona.4824/moe2024-07-29Cremona4824T01.flac








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