Review: Snoe.down 2011

Following Lucid’s set was one from the Massachusetts-based quartet The Brew. The Brew displayed exceptional musicianship, while without doubt increasing their ever-growing fanbase during the group’s fourth outing at a moe. headlined festival. The Brew’s Wobbly Barn set featured the best of their genre-transcending new age-funk, jazz and metal-rock heavy hitters jammed out with non-stop high energy. Plus, The Brew were sure to include plenty of ’70s and ’80s-era rock covers such as Sugarloaf’s Green Eyed Lady.

The band also invited long time friend and frequent guest Seth Cambell to sit-in on his ever impressive flute for several songs. One of these songs being an older staple, Mountain Elf, in which they sandwiched a well-played cover of Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir. This cover actually saw Cambell drop his flute and join in on keys, while Brew keyboardist Chris Plante moved to guitar. The Brew would then go on to play their day set on Friday afternoon at Killington’s K1 Lodge, where many die-hard fans exclaimed it was one of the band’s best sets to date. This was a sentiment later echoed by the band themselves via a blog on their website.

Show Setlist and link to matrix recording on the LMA:

The Brew ~ 3/24/11 ~ snoe.down ~ Wobbly Barn ~ Killington, VT

{10:34 PM > 12:44 AM EST}

I: Black Train, Looking Down > Fly By Night, Mountain Elf* > Kashmir** > Mountain Elf*, I Do Believe^ > Control* > I Do Believe^, On Bended Knee+ > Eyes Of The Giant*, GCFNME > Sharks In The Pool%, Hunter’s Moon > Frogman*, Faces > Drums# > Faces, Green Eyed Lady > Radio Swiss > Green Eyed Lady > Radio Swiss

Enc: Who’s The Boss

{* w/ Seth Cambell on flute
** w/ Seth Cambell on keys & Chris on guitar
^ w/ Seth Cambell on keys
+ first verse intro only
% awkward silence > “wook house”
# Dave > Chris > Joe > full band on drums}

Show Setlist and link to matrix recording on the LMA:

The Brew ~ 3/25/11 ~ snoe.down ~ K1 Lodge ~ Killington, VT

I: Light From Below, New Funk > The Price Is Right Theme > New Funk, You Sexy Thing, Chance Reaching, No Rest, Head Over Heels, Seen It All, What I Want, Poison Stone, Stefon Erkel

Friday, March 25

Friday night at Spartan Arena, a concert venue converted from a hockey rink, saw the one-man-band and “master of looping” Keller Williams open for moe. Keller’s set featured a nice mix of his newer material along with his older staples like Freshies and Kidney In A Cooler. Al Schnier of moe. sat-in on guitar for a cover of the Grateful Dead’s One More Saturday Night, but with the lyrics appropriately adjusted to “one more Friday night.” After Al’s guest spot, Keller picked up his laptop and was composing different beats from it before he offered up the classic Freaker By The Speaker. Williams also got a little “crazy” in the middle of Freaker by including jams on the Gnarls Barkley hit and She Drives Me Crazy by the Fine Young Cannibals.

[youtube]JnQLyZyX2ks[/youtube]

Up next was the main event with moe.’s first set at Spartan Arena. Friday night’s performance set the tone for the entire weekend with the band busting out the gates fiercely. They opened the set with some older songs, namely bassist Rob Derhak’s Stranger Than Fiction followed by a tune Schnier wrote about growing old, Time Again. After these first two songs the band was in full sync and then proceeded to bring out the Derhak-penned fan favorite Dr. Graffenberg, which included a solid jam. A patient segue into Derhak’s new composition, Paper Dragon, came next and the new tune featured an amazing solo by guitarist Chuck Garvey. Then, it was drummer Vinnie Amico’s time to shine with the new percussion driven song Mar-DeMa which was debuted late last year at moe.’s belated Halloween in December show.

This opening set contained a number of originals moe. only dusts off once or twice a tour and that trend continued when the band started Bearsong. This was a great way to close the set as multi-instrumentalist Jim Loughlin was hammering away at his mallet-kat (a type of electric xylophone) right along with the song’s heavy guitar riffs created by Schnier and Garvey. Moe.’s second set on Friday night opened with a hard-edged version of Schnier’s new big gun, Haze, before the group dropped into the instrumental Wormwood. Towards the end of Wormwood, Keller Williams came out and proceeded to sit-in on acoustic guitar and vocals for moe.’s anthem rocker, Okayalright. Williams remained on stage as moe. covered Jimmy Cliff’s The Harder They Come.

[youtube]FalyWPRz7_Y[/youtube]

Moe. then got right back to business as usual with another one of Schnier’s new big guns, Puebla. This song has proven to be quite the jam and segue vehicle for the band since its debut last year, with the band entering into a completely different song almost every time they have played it to date, and this time proved to be no different as they segued into Kyle’s Song. Not stopping there, they then closed the set with a rocking George that left fans wanting more. Closing out the night, moe. encored with their always enjoyable staple song about a pig who thought he could fly, Buster.

Show setlist and link to audience recording on the LMA:

moe. ~ 3/25/11 ~ snoe.down ~ Spartan Arena ~ Rutland, VT

{9:32 PM > 10:30 PM EST}

I: Stranger Than Fiction, Time Again, Dr. Graffenberg > Paper Dragon, Mar-DeMa >(nh) Bearsong

{11:01 PM > 12:26 AM}

II: Haze > Wormwood >* Okayalright*, The Harder They Come*, Puebla > Kyle’s Song > George

Enc: Buster

{* w/ Keller Williams on guitar & vox}

Saturday, March 26

Saturday afternoon of snoe.down featured a free outdoor set on the side Killington’s Bear Mountain with special guest opener The Ryan Montbleau Band playing a set prior to moe.’s. A highlight and given the setting, quite ironically played, 75 & Sunny warmed the spirits of festival-goers and skiers alike. The neo-folk, Americana styling’s of the Ryan Montbleau Band, with their laid back yet high-energy tunes, could be enjoyed from afar as the masses were still piling in for moe. As the RMB’s set concluded, and the respective bands’ crews switched out the gear, the area in front of the stage, along with the outdoor balconies of the ski lodge, became less visible. The sea of heavily bundled-up people kept packing in, as they watched skiers and snowboarders continue to come down the slopes. Even Schnier skied right up to the stage sporting a flip-helmet-cam that he wore during part of moe.’s set.

The temperature outside may have been in the upper 20s, but there was nothing but pure heat coming from the stage. Moe. opened their set with a version of Garvey’s raging, heavy metal riffed Akimbo that had the crowd head-banging right along. Schnier’s Threw It All Away came next and kept the crowd moving, or rather sliding around on the snow and ice, but moving none the less. Unlike most of versions of Chuck Garvey’s It performed by moe., the Bear Mountain It featured Schnier playing the slide instead of Garvey. It is also one of the songs in the moe. catalog that features percussionist / instrumentalist Loughlin playing acoustic guitar. To close out the afternoon set moe. played the commonly paired duo of Happy Hour Hero and Seat Of My Pants. Finally, the band gave the crowd an encore of Crab Eyes which featured Loughlin on his mallet-kat leading the way through this song.

Show setlist and link to audience recording on the LMA:

moe. ~ 3/26/11 A ~ snoe.down ~ Swany Stage ~ Bear Mountain ~ Killington, VT

{2:05 PM > 3:15 PM EST}

I: Akimbo, Threw It All Away, It, Billy Goat, Downward Facing Dog, Happy Hour Hero > Seat Of My Pants

Enc: Crab Eyes

Saturday saw Spartan Arena much more packed than the previous night as progressive dance-party instrumental rockers Lotus opened up for moe. The guitar-led instrumental compositions Lotus threw down for the duration of their set were well-received by many in the crowd who seemed to be tied into the same groove as the band. Lotus could almost be type casted as “jamtronica” or “untz”, yet the complex structure and tight rocking sound is something that sets them apart from many acts within those genres. Their band interplay was in sync and on point right along with something else that the quartet is known for – their lighting designer’s handiwork.

Setlist:

Lotus ~ 3/26/11 ~ snoe.down ~ Spartan Arena ~ Rutland, VT

I: Suitcases, Bush Pilot, Destroyer, The Surf, Golden Ghost, Harps, Marisol, Wax, Bellwether

After Lotus warmed up the crowd, moe. then delivered a smoking first set. They opened up with a near 20-minute, but unfinished, Yodelittle. The unfinished but well jammed Yodelittle then worked its way patiently but methodically into a great version of Lazarus. The first two songs and the segue in between them were worth the price of admission alone, but the band was just getting warmed up.

Next came Garvey’s newest song Suck A Lemon, written and debuted late last year. This Jethro Tull-esque anthem, which features Loughlin using the mallet-kat to achieve a harpsichord sound, is one that is likely to get stuck on repeat in your head after one listen. Derhak then led the band into the two-part instrumental Hector’s Pillow, another song that had Loughlin on acoustic guitar during the hard-edged portion all the way through the slower, melodic second part. At this point in first set both song selection and playing was nothing short of brilliant, but the set was far from over.

[youtube]OnxDKAR5RA4[/youtube]

Out of Hector’s Pillow, Derhak led the way towards one of the band’s classic jam songs, Meat. This amazing version clocked in at nearly 28 minutes and featured a number of peaks throughout. The band kept things rolling through the start of the second set when they opened with a solid take on The Road. One of the highlights of the second set came towards the end of Skrunk, when the band’s guitarists keep the crowd guessing by teasing different songs before working their way back to the end of, and finishing, the Yodelittle that had opened the show. Not stopping there, moe. sunk into the groove of Rebubula before closing the last of their electric sets with two more staples,  Spine Of A Dog and Plane Crash.

Show setlist and link to audience recording on the LMA:

moe. ~ 3/26/11 B ~ snoe.down ~ Spartan Arena ~ Rutland, VT

{9:38 PM > 10:53 PM EST}

I: Yodelittle > Lazarus, Suck A Lemon > Hector.’s Pillow > meat.

{11:24 PM > 12:42 AM EST}

II: The Road, Blue Jeans Pizza* > Sticks & Stones, New York City, Skrunk > Yodelittle > Rebubula

Enc: Spine Of A Dog > Plane Crash

{* w/ al. on Wurlitzer piano}

Sunday, March 27

Sunday brunch saw the Wobbly Barn packed to the brim with VIP ticket holders. Many in attendance were not only looking forward to moe.’s musical offerings, but also something else the band is known for – their witty banter. The group took the stage with the very rarely played, That Country Tune, to the shock of the hardcore moe.rons in the crowd. Another rarity came out in the form of Schnier’s Can’t Seem To Find. They segued this moe. gem into old favorite St. Augustine, which saw Loughlin add a nice layer to the acoustic set with his washboard.

Next came a cover of Tom Petty’s Wildflowers that was a little unrehearsed and sounded off, after which Derhak exclaimed, “We butchered the shit out of that one.” Schnier then responded with a pun as to where this song came from stating, “it was quite DiSGRACe-full.” Derhak was then handed a ribbon that he hung on his acoustic bass that read, “I tried my best.” Getting back to business, the band offered a well-played Shoot First featuring Schnier on mandolin followed by Waiting For The Punchline. Those two songs sounded particularly nice in the acoustic setting. Not stopping with the rare treats, Schnier picked his mandolin back up and for the second time in six years, the band played Blue Eyed Son.

A huge highlight of the acoustic set was Garvey’s sentimental and melodic Four. To end the set, Loughlin brought out his washboard again for Derhak’s bluegrass ditty Tambourine, which segued into a track off their last album that also sounded splendid in this setting, Deep This Time. moe. then encored by telling us, “I am done, take me home” during Schnier’s Gone before closing out the amazing festival and stellar weekend with Captain America.

Show setlist and link to audience recording on the LMA:

moe. ~ 3/27/11 ~ snoe.down ~ Wobbly Barn ~ Killington, VT

{12: 21 PM > 2:00 PM}

I: That Country Tune, Nebraska, Can’t Seem To Find > St. Augustine, Wildflowers, Shoot First@, Waiting For The Punchline, Blue Eyed Son@, Four, Tambourine > Deep This Time

Enc: Gone, Captain America

{(acoustic show)
@ al. on mandolin}

Alongside the awesome music, the logistics of this festival were more than well-executed, especially when consideration is given to the event taking place at multiple venues. Festival-goers that didn’t ski were able to pick and choose between the bands that performed during the day as there was two different ski lodges hosting them. Among these bands that haven’t already been mentioned were The London Souls, Dangermuffin,Timbre CoupAssembly Of Dust and Caravan of Thieves. Always giving something back to wherever moe. leaves its mark, a portion of all ticket purchases was donated to Vermont Adaptive, the only year-round sports and recreation organization in the state empowering individuals with disabilities.

Snoe.down is without a doubt the premier winter sports and music festival, and this year’s event saw moe. deliver on the festival as a whole right along with their playing of music.

For some insight from the bands themselves, I asked Brew guitarist, Dave Drouin, what his thoughts were on snoe.down to which he said, “It was a true honor to return and those were some of the funnest sets we ever played! Way to do it right moe.!”

Then, Sunday, before the acoustic brunch set, I had a chance to sit down with Schnier and pick his brain on what his and the rest of the band’s thoughts were on snoe.down. Al had this to say:  “I love the skiing! I love the fact we get to ski, but much more so at snoe.down. We just did the run out west where I got to ski six days during winter tour. When we were on tour and I’m skiing out west, that’s great for me, but snoe.down is great all of us. We all (the band, their families and the fans) get to be in one place at one time, and we’re all getting to ski together. I love the fact that we’re all here and we all get to do it together! It’s also a little bit different with the pacing of this (snoe.down) being a festival is almost a little like moe.down, so by the end of the weekend my voice is blown out and I sleep a little bit less and less, so it’s great we’re doing it with other bands. And if you don’t ski, then you get to listen to the music all day long.”

As far as the location, with the arena in Rutland and venues and skiing in Killington, is concerned Al said, “The town and mountain have been great, and that’s a plus for us. If you look at the Northeast, there aren’t many towns that have a resort and an arena, and we’re very happy to do it here.”

I asked him what he thought about the bands that Great Northeastern and the moe. org had booked, with majority of them being new and “up and coming,” to which he replied, “I was really psyched that Lotus was on the bill and Dangermuffin was our call. I was glad that Ryan (Ryan Montbleau Band) played also, I’m a big fan. It’s nice that we can mix and match the things (festivals) we do without trying to over-do it too much and putting the same bands on the things we do all the time.”

I asked Al if he had any comments on any shows and tours they had upcoming with tour having started last week and he replied, “I’ve been enjoying snoe.down so much, I haven’t even thought about it until this morning. I woke up at 5 am today and was like, oh right I have to go on tour in three days, then I kind of went back to bed, then I woke up thinking I can rally and go ski this morning before the brunch, but as I said with the pacing of the festival, I was out of steam by the end of the weekend and needed to sleep some, but looking forward to kicking off tour.”

Ending my early morning harassment I inquired on Al’s thoughts on the next festival that moe. is playing, which is Summer Camp, to which he had this to say: “I am so stoked to see Panic, I haven’t seen them in a while, I’m really excited to see Widespread Panic and up close and personal, more than anything else this year! I really want to see them play Space Wrangler at Summer Camp.” Al was making reference to seeing “them” play it as moe. covered Space Wrangler at SummerCamp in ’09.

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2 Responses

  1. Lucid is from PLATTSBURGH NY not no Pittsburg bullshit get it right. I just wanna be with you… and your sister.. i think her name is debra. fuck yea awesome cover! Go Lucid!

  2. Logan is right! Lucid is from PLATTSBURGH NY, NOT PITTSBURGH!!! I think you should correct your boo-boo. It would be greatly appreciated. Other than that great article! We love our favorite local band Lucid and think you should come check them out in September,when they are at their best in the ” Backwood’s “!

    PEACE

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