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Beech Mountain Resort and Midwood Entertainment Present Moe. on August 24

By Gianna Holiday

The preeminent progressive rock band known as moe., will be taking to the High Country at Beech Mountain Resort on Aug. 24, 2019. Presented by Midwood Entertainment, the band’s career has spanned over the course of 30 years while they have put out more than 20 albums.

The resort is oftentimes recognized for its outdoor ski slopes in the winter as well as other outdoor recreational activities in the winter, such as tubing and roller skating. However, live music has become a welcome addition to their expansion.

The quintet of moe. consists of Al Schnier and Chuck Garvey on guitars and vocals, Rob Derhak on bass and vocals, Jim Loughlin on percussion and vibes, and Vinnie Amico on drums.

“We put on a rock show and we do it the old-fashioned way. There’s something that I think a lot of people find refreshing about that, because we’re going out and playing this authentic rock show,” said Al Schnier, one of moe.’s guitarists. “Everything is brand new every time we get on stage; it’s not a pre-produced, packaged show.”

With both a national and international fan base, moe. has built a solid following that continues to grow. They have toured across the globe, headlining music festivals, or sharing the stage with such renowned performers such as the Allmans, The Who, or Robert Plant, among others.

“It’s interesting because we’ve gotten to see the entire country over and over again, and there’s something that’s fascinating about that in that we can go into almost any city or town and know our way around,” said Schnier. “It’s all so familiar to us at this point because we’ve been doing it so much. There aren’t many jobs that give you that opportunity.”

Moe. got its start as a local bar band in Buffalo in the late 1980’s, but went on to eventually headline Radio City Music Hall for two years straight on New Year’s Eve.

Moe. performing at a past show

However, this will be their first time taking the stage at the Beech Mountain Resort.

“Moe. was chosen because the band has a good regional draw and a lot of our customer base seems to be a fan, so I figured they would be a good fit,” said Beech Mountain Resort Marketing Director Talia Freeman. “We definitely have a strong local crowd and we also get people who come from off the mountain specifically for the talent.”

For this event, guests are welcomed to bring lawn chairs if they wish but space in front of the stage will be reserved for those who wish to stand. There will additionally be on-site food and beer vendors available to guests.

“We position the music on the playered slope so it’s right at the base of the mountain and has a nice view of the ski slopes. It also has a nice grassy lawn for people to sit or set up a camping chair,” said Freeman. “Customers seem to really like the venue, it’s a really comfy little area that allows people to move around a bit.”

The musicians in the band are widely known for their talent. Rolling Stone magazine has placed Chuck and Al among the top twenty new “guitar gods,” and the pair were featured in Guitar World and Modern Guitar; Jim and Vinnie have also been featured in Drum! Magazine and Rob has been featured in Bass Player as well as State of Mind magazines.

The group’s 2001 studio album, DITHER, has been awarded four stars by Rolling Stone magazine and 2003’s WORMWOOD received four stars by Blender Magazine.

In honor of their 20th Anniversary, the band released SMASH HITS, VOLUME 1. Billed as a “Young Person’s Guide to moe.,” the album features both band and fan-favorites alike to demonstrate the band’s evolution of style.

Schnier went on to say, “We’ve stayed true to the things that we do. We play the music that we play and the personality of our band has remained in tact. We’ve never tried to change who we are or become a different band.”

Moe. is known for their creative rock style but they have also become known for their charity work. They were even inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame when they were recognized for their musical talent, the impact that they have made on their hometown, as well as their generosity.

They hosted a two-night stand in New York City at Roseland Ballroom, which included a special benefit concert for WHY (World Hunger Year). Throughout 2010, moe. continued to raise awareness of important issues by working with Headcount, Freedom for Burma, and other charity organizations.

They also raised over $100,000 for various charities including Red Cross for survivors of Hurricane Katrina as well as for the music department at Bradley Elementary in Utica, NY, to promote keeping music in children’s lives.

Moe. from a backstage perspective

Today, moe. continues to tour globally. The band has been widely popular at a number of musical festivals, including Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Langerado, and Vegoose.

The band continues to travel worldwide from areas such as San Fran to Amsterdam, from Tokyo to Toronto, from Chi Town to Bean Town, from Austin to Atlanta, to the High Country’s own Beech Mountain Resort.

“We’d never want the process to become stale. I think that we all stoke the fire in a positive way to keep things moving forward in a good direction. We are evolving, growing, and running better today than we were 10 years ago,” said Schnier.

Gates will be opening at 6:00 p.m with the opening act, the Mantras, taking the stage until the show begins at approximately 7 p.m. The concert is scheduled to last until approximately 10 p.m followed by an after-party at Tap Room and Grill.

Tickets are $35 in advance or $45 on the day of the show, with kids ages 5 and under at no charge for entry.

For more information on the performances, hotel rooms as well as the outdoor activities available at the venue, visit beechmountainresort.com or call 800-438-2093.

Audiences regularly gather en masse to experience Moe.