2008 Woodie Awards
Moe Down takes over NY mountainside
Matt Solomon, Collegian Staff
Issue date: 9/9/08 Section: Arts & Living
On the last weekend of the summer of 2008, most University of Massachusetts students were relaxing and rearing for their trip back to the Zoo.
Yet, on a small, ski mountain in Turin, NY, Moe-rons (a self-given nickname for fans of the band "Moe") were raging hard, flaring and grooving wildly to top-notch groups such as The Presidents of the United States of America, The Yonder Mountain String Band, U-Melt, The Benevento-Russo Duo, The Sparrow Quartet featuring Abigail Washburn & Bela Fleck, Levon Helm, Fishbone, The Brew, The Macpodz and of course the explosively titillating rock-blues-experimental-cowboy-free-flow-space-jam band: Moe (or jam-band for short).
Upon the mountainside ridges, throngs of shoeless hippies prowled the trails looking for something real to grasp onto. Like a game of Frogger, there were plenty of obstacles to avoid.
The good vibes were in attendance, but they needed to be pursued rigorously in order to avoid the bad news bears scavenging like crows. Life was constantly in motion on the mountainside as the planets were rotating around the everlasting sun, revolving on their shaky axes - per usual, right?
The atmosphere on the concert-grounds was that of utter excitement and shear pleasure. Once the music seeped into your pores, it set your soul free in a rapid explosion of color and light. Music was present not only on the main stage and dance tent, but also within the thick portable-village jungle of the campground.
Fans trenched within the tent cities could be found jamming out passionately at all hours of the day and night. There were sing-alongs, drum circles and an incessant buzzing of people hopping around like energizer bunnies.
The weather was beautiful as streams of hot, acidic sweat poured down your face, dripping into a giant puddle connecting the concert-goers in unison.
This was the true beauty of the festival. Everyone was a tight-knit community taking care of one another. If you help the Moe community, the Moe-rons take care of you. It is a give-and-take situation.
Yet, on a small, ski mountain in Turin, NY, Moe-rons (a self-given nickname for fans of the band "Moe") were raging hard, flaring and grooving wildly to top-notch groups such as The Presidents of the United States of America, The Yonder Mountain String Band, U-Melt, The Benevento-Russo Duo, The Sparrow Quartet featuring Abigail Washburn & Bela Fleck, Levon Helm, Fishbone, The Brew, The Macpodz and of course the explosively titillating rock-blues-experimental-cowboy-free-flow-space-jam band: Moe (or jam-band for short).
Upon the mountainside ridges, throngs of shoeless hippies prowled the trails looking for something real to grasp onto. Like a game of Frogger, there were plenty of obstacles to avoid.
The good vibes were in attendance, but they needed to be pursued rigorously in order to avoid the bad news bears scavenging like crows. Life was constantly in motion on the mountainside as the planets were rotating around the everlasting sun, revolving on their shaky axes - per usual, right?
The atmosphere on the concert-grounds was that of utter excitement and shear pleasure. Once the music seeped into your pores, it set your soul free in a rapid explosion of color and light. Music was present not only on the main stage and dance tent, but also within the thick portable-village jungle of the campground.
Fans trenched within the tent cities could be found jamming out passionately at all hours of the day and night. There were sing-alongs, drum circles and an incessant buzzing of people hopping around like energizer bunnies.
The weather was beautiful as streams of hot, acidic sweat poured down your face, dripping into a giant puddle connecting the concert-goers in unison.
This was the true beauty of the festival. Everyone was a tight-knit community taking care of one another. If you help the Moe community, the Moe-rons take care of you. It is a give-and-take situation.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Tim
posted 9/17/08 @ 9:56 PM EST
Great story man, and oh boy what a weekend! Nothing beats Labor Day Weekend in Turin NY. And the "famoe.ly" vibe where ever moe. plays is unmatched anywhere else in the scene!
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