When it comes to musical expression, jam bands are notorious for providing audience members a channel to trance-like states of mind through creative improvisations and deep lyrics. Fans are highly critical and demand only the best after successful touring groups like Phish and The Grateful Dead. After subpar jam bands have been weeded out, bands like moe. remain as a concert must-see. Moe. is a band that combines the Americana sound of progressive rock with the ability to improvise. Moe. guitarist Chuck Garvey said the New York band’s concerts are different than other jam bands because it’s one thing to jam, but it’s another to capture and captivate the audience. “I think we really hang ourselves out there in a way and take a huge chance in trying to keep ourselves open to spontaneous improvisation where really anything goes and you have to really listen and follow the moment,” Garvey said, who will appear with the band Wednesday night at The Varsity. “I feel like there are a lot of other bands that jam – it’s not contrived – but a lot safer.” Garvey said it takes a lot to totally improvise on stage because sometimes the outcome is less than desirable. “It’s hard because you really leave yourself open for a train wreck,” he said. “Sometimes they hate your stuff and it doesn’t happen. But then there are other times where we have our group ESP really working and those moments are really special and magical.” This is band’s first time coming to Baton Rouge, and it is part of the band’s latest tour promoting their new album, “The Conch.” The band is comprised of Garvey, Rob Derhak (bass, vocals), Al Schnier (guitar, vocals, keyboard), Vinnie Amico (drums) and Jim Loughlin (percussion). While Garvey said the competition between bands is “highly adversarial,” there is an underlying special connection between them. At the music festival Summer Camps, which moe. helped spearhead, he said the band played paintball with the band Umphrey’s McGee. “We understand each other because we’ve been through a lot of the same things,” he said. “It’s great to hang out with people like them and also shoot them. It’s a really bonding and personal moment when at point blank you can shot someone with a paintball gun.” Rolling Stone Magazine recently named Garvey and Schnier as two of the greatest guitarists of the current generation. Garvey said an honor of such prestige is hard to swallow. “It’s kind of hard to take a compliment like that because you know that there are so many people out there that deserve those kind of accolades,” he said. “Now you just have to try and live up to it.” Part of the jam band experience is playing at large music festivals like Bonnaroo and intimate venues like The Varsity. Garvey said moe. enjoys each for different reasons. “The festivals are definitely fun because there are a lot of other musicians playing,” he said. “We actually get to see another band play. It’s a social mixer on a much greater scale. In the spirit of being a spontaneous, improvising band those conditions are perfect for a band like us. But it’s fun to have our crowd, our people there and have it be a more personal thing.” The show is Wednesday night at The Varsity and tickets are $20.
—–Contact Nathan Trifone at [email protected]