September 2009

John Coleman spent Labor Day Weekend at moe. down & filed this report…

Warm days and cool nights illuminated by a harvest moon meant plenty of good vibes floating around moe. down 10 at Snow Ridge Ski Resort, in Turin, N.Y. The rustic locale is located just outside the southwestern boundary of the Adirondack Park, rising up among sleepy towns and farms.

Similar to the Mountain Jam stage setup at Hunter Mountain in the Catskills, the main stage faces up a ski slope that provides a great perch for those who chose to challenge its increasingly steep pitch while second stage is located on a flat area near the main lodge, among vendor booths and picnic tables.

Although much was made of the lack of star power when sized up to previous moe. downs, with a mix of veteran acts like Sam Bush, Ani Difranco, Ominous Seapods, Lynch and Cake, and emerging bands like The New Mastersounds, The Heavy Pets and The Nate Wilson group, who could complain? The late addition of Umphrey’s McGee was enough to get those sitting on the fence to spring for the affordable weekend pass.

There were many moe. down highlights, too many to list. But here’s a taste…

1. Bushwhacked!: To cap off moe.’s first set of Day 2, the “Godfather of new-grass,” Sam Bush, joined moe. on fiddle during the instrumental, Meat. The crowd loved it and evidently the band did too, as the sit-in clocked in at just under 24 minutes. Bush also sat in on Mexico earlier in the day.

READ ON for more of John’s moe. down 10 highlights…