moe. fans flocked to the Middle Ages Concert Hall in Syracuse on Friday, November 15 for the first of two consecutive sold-out performances by Monkeys On Ecstasy.
Perhaps one of the more poorly kept secrets in the music industry, Monkeys on Ecstasy serves as the pseudonym for jam-rockers moe. The alternatively billed shows allow the band to perform more intimate clubs and concert halls, harkening back to their early years. The lucky recipient this time around was the Middle Ages Concert Hall. The band, now entering their 35th year, recently announced their 14th studio album, Circle of Giants, would be released on January 31, 2025 and would be backed by an extensive U.S. tour.
On Friday, fans filled the area in front of the stage well before the band’s scheduled 8pm start time. As show-time approached, a nearly impassible wall of fans stretched beyond the listening room and out into an adjacent bar area. The excitement and energy of the audience was palpable, as their legion of fans traded stories of their previous moe. concerts.
Shortly after 8pm the band took to the stage and opened with their rendition of Pink Floyd’s “Interstellar Overdrive”. The slow building instrumental would culminate in a full-blown rocker, show casing the traits which make moe. great, with upper tier orchestration as each band member took their turn at adding layers of improvisation. The track would weave in the moe. original “Zed Nought Z” before returning to the outro of “Interstellar Overdrive”. In all the sequence would last over 20 minutes.
The band would play two sets on Friday, with each set pushing beyond 90 minutes. Set two featured the improv-heavy rocker “Timmy Tucker” garnering full-on audience participation on the chorus. As the night approached midnight, the evening would come to a close. Fans poured out into the Syracuse streets, celebrating what they had just witnessed and already eagerly anticipating what could be in store for night two.
Monkeys On Ecstacy – Middle Ages Concert Hall, Syracuse – Friday, November 15
Set 1: Interstellar Overdrive > Zed Nought Z > Interstellar Overdrive, Brent Black, In Stride, Bat Country, She, Space Truckin’
Set 2: Shoot First > Timmy Tucker, Bring You Down > Lazarus > Skitchin’ Buffalo > Skitchin’ Buffalo Reprise > Recreational Chemistry
Encore: Light up or Leave Me Alone
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