SHARING THE SHOWS
New Year’s Eve is really just a day. But a day we’ve been socialized into regarding its importance. And I include myself in the plural pronoun “we.” I always made it a point to do things on NYE, particularly starting in 2016, when I hit those Phish shows that inspired the title of this blog.
COVID put a detour in that mission. The last two years, I’ve spent NYE Netflixing, accompanied by Chester sitting on my stomach. So when I heard moe. would only be playing two hours from me, I thought, why not? And I had the opportunity to meet up with my good friend Shana. Dinner was at a restaurant called Bourbon & Branch, close to the Fillmore and a mere 20-minute walk from my Airbnb (I do walks longer than that in DC). At the suggestion of the waiter, I tried a salmon cheesesteak (when in Rome, right?), and my taste buds had a nice shindig. Some good conversation ensued. That conversation continued in the pouring rain that accompanied us to the venue, which also included a rendition of “Cuddle in a Puddle,” a parody of Jethro Tull’s “Bungle in the Jungle” we wrote on the spot. Eventually, we got into the venue, where we met up with some cool folks, including Matt. Some cool costumes adorned the lobby, including sequins, a few dunce caps, and a dude in a S&M-style leather cowboy outfit. Shana and I found a spot on the side of the crowd but closer to the stage than I usually stay at, which was a nice way to break outside of my cathedral (moe. lyric). But before moe. came on, we were treated to an opener from Eggy. I hadn’t heard them before tonight, but Pete did send me a video from a recent show of theirs and John recommended I get there for their opener. I was enamored by both the video and the set, particularly by their cover of Phil Collins’s classic, “Sussudio.” I want to see them again. And again. My ability to spot titles of moe. songs upon the initial notes extends from 1996’s No Doy to 2003’s Wormwood; after that, my fanaticism dropped, although I still appreciate the msuic. I did identify the opener, “Spaz Medicine,” off 1998’s Tin Cans and Car Tires. The rest of the setlist is on this link (thanks, Pete, for sending me the article). A distinguishing feature of moe. is that of their xylophone; tonight’s show was enhanced by their horn section and the return of Chuck Garvey. Highlights for me included their covers of Paul Simon’s “Late in the Evening,” Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4,” and the theme of Rocky (we were in Philadelphia, after all), the latter of which came on just a bit after midnight. The accompanying balloons were fun as well. Originals include “Not Coming Down,” “Wormwood,” “Ophelia” (very different from when Widespread Panic performs it), “Plane Crash,” and the encore, “Blue Jeans Pizza,” one of my favorites. Shana has a good ear, likening “Johnny Lineup” to the vibe of a Van Morrison tune. We also took turns spotting when people would love their spots so we could move closer to the stage. By the end, we were chilling at the tables in the back. All in all, it was good to be celebrating at a show on NYE with a friend. It’s been three years FFS! And here’s a shout-out to my friends who were at other shows: Maggie – Last Fair Deal – Virginia Beach, VA Fred – Phish – New York, NY John – Phish – New York, NY Robert – String Cheese Incident – Denver, CO Kelly – String Cheese Incident – Denver, CO Ken – Widespread Panic – Nashville, TN If you were at a show, feel free to correct me, and I’ll add you. But 2022 was a big year for shows; I see it as making up for the last two years. I’ll be cutting down in 2023, but I’m thinking it’ll make the shows that much more enjoyable. Happy start of 2023
2 Comments
Matt
1/3/2023 10:49:05 pm
Thanks for mentioning me. It was good to meet you. Look for a pm from me. Love Cathedral mention also. Curious what type of cheese do they use with Salmon ? I remember when Leftover Salmon jumped off hoo doo bash tour cause string cheese was the headliner on some nights (moe. Too)
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Craig
1/5/2023 03:45:58 pm
Thanks, Matt! Same here. I think it was provolone. It was damn good!
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