North Fulton Times is giving one winner one pair of free tickets to MOE. with Keller Williams LIVE in concert this Saturday, June 21, 2008 playing at the NEW Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park.  To win be the first person to email the correct answers to trivia questions based upon content found on NorthFultonTimes.com The questions will be Posted Friday and the first email received after 10:00 PM on Friday with all the correct answers wins!!   Stay Tuned for more details

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MOE. Bio

moe. is the preeminent progressive rock band on the music scene today. In a remarkable career that's touched upon three decades and produced 17 albums, the quintet 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, continues to push the standard for performance art.

Critical acclaim and a solid national and international fan base has built a dedicated following that grows each year. Whether touring across the globe, headlining music festivals, or sharing the stage with such celebrated acts as the Allmans, The Who, or Robert Plant, among others, what keeps moe. at the forefront of the music scene is not only the energy and vitality of their music and songwriting, but the showmanship in which it is delivered.

From its humble, inconspicuous beginnings as a local bar band in Buffalo in the late 1980s, to headlining Radio City Music Hall on New Year's Eve the past two years, moe.'s journey has been one of hard work, perseverance, and dedication. Their music is clever, melodic, refined; their performances are entertaining, mesmerizing and epic. There's a reason that Rolling Stone magazine placed Chuck and Al among the top twenty new "guitar gods," why the pair were featured in Guitar World and Modern Guitar; why Jim and Vinnie have been featured in Drum! magazine; why Rob in Bass Player and State of Mind magazines — all in the last year — because they're that good! The renowned guitar play between Al and Chuck is fast becoming the stuff of legend. The exceptional vibe and percussion work by Jim is brilliant. The understated bass play by Rob is masterful. The seamless, efficiency of Vinnie's drum play is extraordinary. The interaction among the five represents rock and roll at its best.

The news keeps getting better— moe. is just hitting its creative stride. Their much anticipated album, Sticks and Stones, was released in January 2008; it came a year after the critically acclaimed, The Conch, and only months after the release of Warts and All Volume 5.

There is a reason that moe. is the preeminent progressive rock band on the music circuit today. Their discography marks a continuous progress and evolution in performance art. Each and every release is a step forward, refining a musical signature very much their own, yet very much a part of the tradition of rock and roll. Broadly speaking, though that tradition may have its roots in the span of the American experience, rock and roll came to fruition in the 1960s and 1970s. The music from that period set the benchmark for the years that followed. This makes the many accolades and comparisons that moe. has received for their music — from Zepplin to Zappa; from Steely Dan to the Dead — all the more meaningful and, let's be serious, pretty good company for moe. to be in. It means that their résumé is solid enough, that critically their reputation is strong enough, and that subsequently they've earned a place carrying forward the tradition of rock and roll on its evolutionary progress. It's at once fascinating and exhilarating, and must be quite satisfying for the band and its many followers.

Which brings us back to Sticks and Stones. This album represents another step forward in the musical evolution of moe. Most artists would likely tell you that their compositions are well-rehearsed before entering a studio. That time for exploration and experimentation with the music has passed. Not so with Sticks and Stones. moe., in effect, created their own MacDowell Colony. An artistic retreat. They rented a hundred and fifty year old church, long since decommissioned and renovated; and apparently, an ideal environment for artistic expression. Secluded, the church offered the band a time and place to create. They wrote and recorded the album, largely collaborative songwriting, during the weeks after moe.down. Eighty percent of the music was written during the recording session. The music the listener hears was recorded at the near moment of conception. Specifically to capture the core of the music in its essence.

That said, Sticks and Stones is remarkable. They've produced an exceptional work of art. The arrangement and structure is a departure from the continuous flow of Wormwood and the intricately cultivated sound of The Conch, their last two studio efforts. The music on Sticks and Stones is fresh, immediate, concise. The two opening numbers, "Cathedral" and Sticks and Stones," are quite catchy tunes, venturing into melody with a solid rock beat. If the guys were seeking to infuse an element of old-fashioned rock and roll with this album, these two songs set the pace. Because they nail it. There's such a wonderful blend of music coming at you in "Cathedral," so much instrumentation throughout the song, in and around the vocals, building to a near anthem quality, it's hard to believe the composition wasn't months in the making. Then, abruptly, your greeted with the driving, rocking beat of "Sticks and Stones." Its light and whimsical lyrics dovetail nicely with crisp guitar work and an engaging solo near the end.