Moe. plans back-to-back shows at Palace
ALBANY, N.Y. » Celebrating the news of a cancer-free diagnosis by band member Rob Derhak, moe. is hitting the stage of the Palace Theatre this weekend for two back-to-back shows in one of the group’s favorite venues.
The popular jam band will perform this Friday and Saturday in Albany, a city that’s like a second home for the upstate-based act. In fact, it is home for drummer Vinnie Amico, who lives in Ballston Spa.
While this weekend’s upcoming gigs are special for the whole group, they’re particularly important for bassist and vocalist Rob Derhak.
Following Derhak’s diagnosis of nasopharyngeal cancer, moe. was forced to cancel the majority of its 2017 summer tour - but now he’s ready to perform again.
“After being scanned, poked, and prodded my doctors have given me a green light,” Derhak said in a press release.” Although I’ll need to continue the doctors’ visits for the next five years, they’ve given me a clean bill of health and declared me cancer free, with only a minimal chance that it will return. So thank you to everyone that was pulling for me. The support I received was instrumental in helping me get through this. I am truly looking forward to seeing everyone when I hit the stage again this February, with moe.”
Founded in 1990 at the state University of New York at Buf falo, moe. carved a niche for itself with a distinct blend of Americana, melodic turns, clever songwriting, and jam band ethics.
Over the years the members of moe. have built a dedicated following through their extensive touring and musical output.
Niskayuna native Amico, who joined moe. in the late 1990s, said he’s particularly looking forward to this weekend’s two-day Palace run.
No strangers to the Capital City venue, the guys in moe. have performed there about a dozen times, most recently with these doubleheader concerts.
Growing up in the region, playing the Palace was always a dream for Amico, and now he gets to do it on the regular. “It’s such a beautiful room. It’s like dream come true every time,” he said. “It’s like, ‘Oh man, I made it.’”
While Amico has the greatest connection to the area, moe. at the Palace always feels like a hometown show. “It’s a homecoming of sorts for all of us,” he said, noting that the band once lived in Albany for a while when moe. first started touring nationally. “If there’s a place to come see moe., it’s at the Palace.”
What makes this week-
end even more exciting than normal is that it’s one of the group’s first few shows back since Derhak’s cancer diagnosis last year.
Amico said the experience has change the band’s perspective. “Anytime something like this happens it’s eye opening that life is short and it can be taken from you at anytime,” he said. “I think everybody comes in with a real positive attitude. It’s like we have a second chance to do well, and I think we want to take every opportunity to do that.”
In the downtime leading up to these February shows, moe. has been writing new material and revamping some old songs. “There’s a lot of fresh stuff coming out,” Amico said.
As far as live performances, moe. is coming out of the gate a bit slow compared to the usual non-stop touring - but select shows, a short spring tour and some big festivals are all on the calendar for 2018.
In addition to his role in moe., Amico also plays in some local side projects like bluegrass group Floodwood and a Grateful Dead tribute band called Gratefully Yours. Through these endeavors, Amico gets to see a different side of the Capital Region music scene,
playing smaller venues like Putnam Place, Nanola and The Hollow.
While he enjoys touring around the world playing large venues with moe., Amico also loves being part of the local scene, which he describes as strong and vibrant, with these smaller bands. “I like it on a level that it’s a lot more intimate and that I can walk off stage and start talking to my friends, talking to strangers, talking to whoever,” he said. “There’s not such an isolation between band and crowd.”
After Friday’s moe. show at The Palace, Amico will be playing another late night afterparty set with Floodwood at The Hollow.
The Friday night Palace show, which begins at 7:30 p.m. will feature special guest Aqueous and the 8 p.m. Saturday show will be a full night of moe.
Event tickets range in price starting at $35 each, or $40 the day of the show. Two- day passes are available as well. More information on moe. is available online at www.moe.org.
Tickets for the bands Palace shows can be purchased at the venue box office, via Ticketmaster Charge- by-Phone at 800745- 3000 or online at ticketmaster.com.