Caught in a Jam: Carrying ‘jam band’ moniker, moe. follows Phish shows this weekend

Spencer Patterson

Thursday, Feb. 13, 2003 | 8:23 a.m.

It has been a conundrum for improvisational rock groups for decades, far longer than they've been called "jam bands": how in the world to capture their signature live sound in the studio.

Most critics believe that for all their touring success, the Grateful Dead never quite got it right on record. Likewise, the members of Phish generally acknowledge their difficulties in releasing albums fans of their stage show will embrace.

So when it came time for veteran jam outfit moe. to record its latest CD, the quintet decided to try a novel approach. The band played its new material in a series of concerts last year, recorded the results and then tweaked those recordings later in the studio to produce "Wormwood," an album that hit shelves last week.

"These were songs that had became staples of our live show, and there was something about them that really lent itself to being performed onstage as opposed to being recreated in the studio," guitarist/vocalist Al Schnier said in a phone interview backstage at Dallas' Gypsy Tea Room before a recent show.

Saturday and Sunday nights moe. plays a pair of sold-out, late-night shows at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay following Phish's Thomas & Mack Center concerts. The two moe. performances are likely to showcase much of the material from "Wormwood."

As Schnier explained, the concept for the album evolved gradually.

"We were making it up as we went along," the 35-year-old Schnier said. "We had flat-out considered putting out a live album of all new material, like the Grateful Dead often did.

"Then, it was supposed to be a kind of live road album, like (the Allman Brothers') 'Eat a Peach,' (Neil Young's) 'Rust Never Sleeps' or (Jackson Browne's) 'Running on Empty,' where it's new material but recorded live on the road or backstage, in hotel rooms, et cetera," Schnier continued.

Then moe.'s bassist, Rob Derhak, devised a new strategy.

"He came up with the idea of writing out set lists that could be album sequences, and we started performing them live onstage, hoping that we would just nail the album at one particular show from beginning to end," Schnier said.

That never quite happened, but the quintet did record several quality live versions of each song they were considering for "Wormwood."

From there, the five musicians Schnier, Derhak, guitarist Chuck Garvey, drummer Vinnie Amico and percussionist Jim Loughlin gathered around a computer and began a lengthy listening phase, selecting their favorite renditions and determining which segments of those tracks could be discarded.

"We had a whole summer tour worth of material we had to get through just to isolate maybe 10 really good shows that we were going to use," Schnier said. "Then, we found all the best takes of those songs. And then, it was like, OK, we've got a 20-minute version of this song, how do we get it down to 10 minutes and still have the songs sound organic, have it move at a natural pace."

Overdubbing came next, giving the music an unusual blend of studio and live sounds, with occasional crowd noise audible in the background. The 58-minute finished product also forms one continuous piece of music, with each of the 14 tracks segueing smoothly into the next.

"I'm really pleased with it. I think in terms of our studio efforts, it's definitely come the closest to capturing the essence of moe.," Schnier said. "We didn't really know what we were doing until it was done. We sort of thought outside the box a little and came up with a new method for recording an album."

As with many moe. albums, "Wormwood" runs the gamut stylistically. "Okayalright" sounds like it could have been a hit for Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd in the 1970s, "Crab Eyes" features a reggae beat and such instrumental pieces as "Rumble Strip" and the title track have a decidedly jazzy feel.

"There's been a lot of good feedback already, which is very encouraging," Schnier said. "The fans who have gotten a copy are really excited about it, and all the critical reviews so far have also been extremely positive. So I think we may very well be on the brink of world domination."

Formed in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1981, moe. has spent more than a decade earning a reputation for touring excellence. The band most recently played Las Vegas in September, opening for Robert Plant at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel.

"That (tour) was a great experience for us," Schnier said. "The shows went well, and not only did we get to meet Robert Plant and hang out with him every day, but we also got to see his show every night, which was a real treat too."

Local jam band fans could also be in for a treat this weekend, with Phish, moe. and a third improvisational combo, Particle, all in town at the same time, setting up some tasty possibilities for guest appearances.

Schnier said moe. has at least one surprise in store for its audience.

"You never know," Schnier said. "When we did the Jammys award show in New York, we did a late-night show after that and (Phish guitarist) Trey (Anastasio) played with us at like 4 o'clock in the morning. And (Phish drummer Jon) Fishman has played with us twice now. So anything could happen."

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