2008 Woodie Awards
moe. scores an F in grammer but earns an A in jamming
By: Sam Robertson
Issue date: 2/1/08 Section: The Arts
To be honest, moe.'s lyrics and singing leave something to be desired. The singing isn't bad, but Derhak's voice is nothing special. Like the band they are most often compared to, Phish, moe.'s lyrics range from humorous and fun to downright bad and sometimes are only there to give the band's noodling jams a little structure.
When I listen to music, I usually judge a band on three things - their instrumental skill, vocals, and songwriting. moe. fail at two of those three things. However, their collective instrumental skills are so great that it more than makes up for their deficiencies.
When moe. is at their best - with Schnier and Garvey improvising simultaneously and perfectly synced up with the brilliant psychedelic laser light show, and the band's rhythm section pushing everything forward to a breakneck speed - there is nothing better. moe. was at their best on Sunday night, and even though it was a weeknight, the packed crowd was so captivated that nobody dared to leave early. They are undoubtedly an acquired taste, but moe. are an extremely talented band that are among the best at what they do.
When I listen to music, I usually judge a band on three things - their instrumental skill, vocals, and songwriting. moe. fail at two of those three things. However, their collective instrumental skills are so great that it more than makes up for their deficiencies.
When moe. is at their best - with Schnier and Garvey improvising simultaneously and perfectly synced up with the brilliant psychedelic laser light show, and the band's rhythm section pushing everything forward to a breakneck speed - there is nothing better. moe. was at their best on Sunday night, and even though it was a weeknight, the packed crowd was so captivated that nobody dared to leave early. They are undoubtedly an acquired taste, but moe. are an extremely talented band that are among the best at what they do.
Viewing Comments 1 - 8 of 8
crissie williams
crissie williams
posted 2/03/08 @ 11:06 AM CST
It is grammar, not grammer.
Gary
posted 2/03/08 @ 11:21 AM CST
Considering the title of this article, I'd say this writer scores an "F" in spelling. As for the writing, it also scores badly on grammar (<--g-r-a-m-m-a-r. (Continued…)
Elayne
posted 2/03/08 @ 12:29 PM CST
Don't forget about drummer Vinnie Amico and percussionist Jim Loughlin.
James
posted 2/03/08 @ 4:04 PM CST
Wow, Sam Robinson, really great article. You do not know anything about music. I like the part when you gave us your breakdown on how you "usually judge a band. (Continued…)
Dustin
posted 2/03/08 @ 4:11 PM CST
This article is horrible, you should do your homework Sam.
Rob Derhak is not the lead singer, he is one of the 3 and sometimes 4. You get an F in knowledge of the band. (Continued…)
Dustin
posted 2/03/08 @ 4:16 PM CST
Rob writes great songs too...
Let Jim Sing....
not important
posted 2/05/08 @ 8:01 PM CST
hey, it's the editor's fault that 'grammar' was misspelled. mistakes happen when you post articles online at four a.m. the writer was not at fault for that, and if people care enough about music to bitch like this on a website, how about writing some articles?
Adam
posted 3/13/08 @ 12:34 AM CST
Dude, you need help! Never write an article on something u know nothing about obviously. Very good effort though in reviewing the highlights of your very first show i assume. (Continued…)
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