moe. Continue Triumphant West Coast Return in Portland, OR (SHOW REVIEW/PHOTOS)

It’s been a tumultuous few years for New York jam legends moe. as they have navigated through the health issues of bassist Rob Derhak, who beat cancer in 2018, and most recently guitarist Chuck Garvey suffering a stroke in 2021. Of course, the pandemic didn’t help much either. Against the odds, the band has persevered while continuing to wave the flag for guitar-driven improvisational rock. With Garvey making a miraculous recovery and returning to the stage this past year, and the band adding keyboardist Nate Wilson as a permanent member, moe. has entered a new era. They are also back to full-fledged touring and are currently in the midst of their first West Coast run since 2020. On Friday, January 26th, they brought that run to Portland, Oregon for a show at the Crystal Ballroom. 

Set one kicked off with a loose and slappy “32 Things” that saw Wilson laying down some serious carnival boogie organ work before Al Schnier led the pack with a monster guitar jam. Coming out of the gate with such a big opener set the stage for the band to jump between more straightforward songs and stretched-out instrumentals. The always groovy “Nebraska” was an early audience favorite with its easygoing yacht rock vibe highlighted by Chuck Garvey’s Peter Frampton-esque guitar-speak scat solo before the reggae-dub of “Threw It All Away.” Following the newer Rob Derhak song “Ups and Downs” which saw Garvey layering in eloquent flourishes of guitar to complement the vocal harmonies before the band turned it into a stomping rocker, the band entered the most impressive part of the first set. Jim Loughlin got it rolling with his wild gypsy carney vibes solo leading into “Haze” before Garvey chimed in with dreamy, almost jazz-like guitar work. At this point, the band had ramped up momentum as they careened into “Wormwood,” with Schnier busting out the double neck guitar to inject the song with a 70s heavy metal sound. A crawling psych jam led the band into a sprawling “St. Augustine.” If it wasn’t clear before, Garvey’s vicious slide work let the fans know that he’s back with a vengeance. 

The band packed fewer songs and longer bust-outs into the second set, transforming “Big World” into one of the coolest jams of the night as they explored everything from Santana-like guitar workouts to delicate, piano-driven space jazz during “Ricky Marten.” They seamlessly cruised into a version of “Lazarus” that started low-key before building into a vibrant disco groove. This set the party tone for a bouncy and jubilant “Kids” that featured Schnier delivering his most transcendent guitar solo of the night. With a set packed with fan favorites, musical exploration, and no shortage of peaks, Loughlin put down another dazzling run on vibes to give “Recreational Chemistry” its sonic texture while Derhak’s bass maintained a deep pocket groove. This set-closing tune was a major highlight of the evening, letting each band member showcase his contribution to the greater sound. 

Encoring with the newish Nate Wilson tune “Yellow Tigers” and a rousing take on the Led Zeppelin classic “Immigrant Song,” the band left their Portland fans feeling more than satiated after a four-year gap between shows. Between two rip-roaring sets that showcased moe.’s talent for writing catchy and melodic songs that are infinitely jammable, the band showcased the same onstage fireworks they’ve been stirring up for over three decades. Their show was also proof that, even with a few setbacks and bumps in the road, moe. remains one of the most resilient bands in music. 

All photos by Greg Homolka.

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