For the first time since 2018, moe. returned to the Palace Theatre stage in Albany for a pair of shows with new band member Nate Wilson on keys. The shows were marked by a proclamation earlier that day from Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan to rename part of North Pearl Street as moe.street.

While moe. did play a live-streamed show from the Palace Theatre lobby in 2020, the return to the stage was marked by welcoming back Chuck Garvey for his sixth and seventh shows back with moe., following recovery from a stroke. This was also the first time moe. fans in Albany would be seeing a sextet, as Nate Wilson has officially joined the band on keys, finding a natural fit next to guitarist Al Schnier, as the tones of these two would add layers to classic and fresh moe. tunes alike.

Friday night was marked by a proclamation amending moe.day (February 24) to be moe.weekend, read from the stage by City of Albany Treasurer, Darius Shanifar (filling in for Mayor Sheehan). With that, Shanifar introduced six guys named moe., as the band made their way onto the stage and began the run with an extended “Billy Goat,” which segued into “Bearsong” after much hinting from percussionist Jim Loughlin via his vibraphone. The underrated “Crushing” surged forth next and made way for “Blue Jeans Pizza,” a great song made even greater with the inclusion of Wilson on keys. Following “ATL” and “Don’t Wanna Be”, Suke Cerulo, who filled in on guitar during Garvey’s absense, joined for “McBain”, a song Cerulo has become quite familiar with, leading to a psychedelic jam among the seven musicians on stage.

Set 2 opened with the rarely played Tin Cans and Car Tires tune “Again and Again,” only having been played twice previously in the last decade. Another bust out followed in “Faker”, not played since 12/30/2018. “The Road” held its own with Wilson adding additional layers, while “Water” marked the first time it was played since Chuck returned last month in Huntington. To close out the set, back to back 16-minute versions of “Downward Facing Dog” and “The Pit” were the icing on the cake, with “The Pit” accented by Wilson’s use of flute and the band coming out strong as ever for a fan favorite show stopper.

An encore of “Letter Home” and “Captain America” bid the crowd a good night, as the kids kept dancing long after the show. Options afterward were plentiful, with fans opting for Cerulo at Empire Underground, Hilltop at Parish Public House, or for the adventurous, a Shrek Rave at Empire Live.

Saturday proved to be just as hot inside despite wintery weather outside. Karina Rykman wowed the audience as the opener, showing off her power-trio’s sound and rock-star vibe that is as infectious as her inspired playing. Rykman would come up later in the evening for the guest-friendly “Meat” that saw her trade bass licks with Rob Derhak over the course of an 11 minute jam session.

moe. would open their set with a slow-building “Lazarus,” followed by “Seat of My Pants.” Nate Wilson continued to make his presence known in the extended “Sensory Deprevation Bank” followed by the newer “Jazz Cigarette.” Conehead Buddha’s Shannon Lynch joined the band for “Happy Hour Hero,” taking centerstage for a solo, reuniting musicians who have been playing together in the Albany scene for more than 30 years.

A four song, hour-long second set was as tight on paper as the band is in person – from the first notes of “Waiting for the Punchline,” through the always enjoyable “Kyle’s Song,” the dark grooves of “Puebla” and ol’ reliable “Rebubula.” To wrap things up, “Plane Crash” took the encore slot, before fans rolled out onto moe.street following two memorable and sentimental moe shows at the Palace Theatre.

moe. – Palace Theatre, Albany – Friday February 24

Set 1: Billy Goat -> Bearsong, Crushing, Blue Jeans Pizza, ATL, Don’t Wanna Be -> McBain*
Set 2: Again and Again^, Faker -> The Road, Water#, Downward Facing Dog -> The Pit
Encore: Letter Home, Captain America
* with Suke Cerulo of Schleigho on guitar
^ LTP 12/30/2018
# Not played since before Chuck’s break

moe. – Palace Theatre, Albany – Saturday, February 25

Set 1: Lazarus, Seat Of My Pants > Sensory Deprivation Bank, Jazz Cigarette, Happy Hour Hero*, Meat^
Set 2: Waiting for the Punchline, Kyle’s Song -> Puebla -> Rebubula
Encore: Plane Crash
* with Shannon Lynch of Conehead Buddha on saxophone
^ with Karina Rykman joining on bass. Karina and Rob traded licks during the jam.

Photo gallery by Conor McMahon