Dustin Milotte: Run Hippie Run (pt. 1 of 2)
Mention the words “Spring Break” to some people and they’ll conjure up images of drunken debauchery on the Cancun shores. For me, this year’s “break” began with two long days of servitude in Knoxville’s entertainment scene.
First for moe. at the Tennessee Theatre and then for Harry Connick Jr. at the Civic Auditorium. My job: an event runner. As I’ve stated before, a runner is a temporary employee hired for a specific event to do whatever comes up, anything from runs to Guitar Center to fix blown amplifier tubes to late night trips to Starbucks.
moe. has been one of my favorite bands for the last five years because they embrace both sides of the coin, weaving musically challenging arrangements with open improvisation and juxtaposing the thought provoking lyricism prevalent in a good percentage of their tunes with nonsensical word gaming in others. This type of “in and out” mentality is a necessity in the psychedelic music scene in which moe. has thrived for 15 years. Though rumors of increasing tension between band members and a general slipping in popularity are abound, moe. proved that there is plenty of love left for them by drawing a thousand people out to the Tennessee Theatre on a Wednesday night in March.
I arrived just past noon to find the band already on site and the load-in process underway. No catering was booked for the event so I knew I would be taking on the responsibility of feeding the crew-- and with guitarist Al Schnier being a strict vegan I was thankful that The Tomato Head was in walking distance. I carried out the routine grocery shopping duties, made one trip out for equipment and a few other random runs but the day in general was quiet and smooth. In retrospect, I wish I had spoken to the guys more. Maybe I’m oversensitive in not wanting to be that guy-“Hey man you remember that show in ’02 in Atlanta, you threw out your pick and I didn’t catch it but it came near me and anyway could you play that one that you're sick of but I want hear…” but the moe. crew definitely seemed a little road-worn and I felt obliged to give them their space. A quick sound-check was followed by dinner from Trio (quite tasty) and the always hectic “opening of the House”.
At 7:00 the doors opened and…oh no…(whiff whiff)…I smell hippies. Hide all the valuables objects, hide all the invaluable but SHINY objects, hide anything that could be used as a drum…wait, what’s that…(whiff whiff)…dammit I smell grilled cheese it’s all over, better go crouch in a hallway with a textbook over my head.
OK so I’m a little bitter at recent comments I’ve seen or heard from otherwise intelligent people who cast blanket generalizations over fans of the jam band scene. One of my professors whom I had otherwise respected went off when a student mentioned Bonnaroo. “Isn’t it pathetic…bunch of ‘Trustafarians’ rolling up in their daddy’s 4Runner with their dread locks trying to get all back to nature.”
I fully admit that there exists those who exemplify the stereotype but I choose to focus on the majority of music loving, good-hearted individuals I have crossed paths with at festivals and concerts. Indeed I myself have received the hippie stamp as I am a vegetarian who plays long-winded guitar solos and has yet to shave or get a haircut in ’07.
But something that hopefully separates the fans of today from the thousands of kids who fled to Haight-Ashbury is that we are willing to work hard for what we want. I am a full-time student at UT, a member of a very active band, I hold down multiple jobs and still make time for somewhat of a social life. So if there is a decline in the attendance of jam band shows I would like to believe that the “Tune in, Turn on, Drop out” mentality of the past has given way to a line of thinking that is less “buck the system” and more “work it to your advantage.” The thousands of people who dropped out of society to follow the Dead and then Phish elevated those bands to playing arenas but ultimately the majority of those people came down to find themselves homeless, disillusioned or at least in some ways back where they started…bloggity blog blog…I thought this was about the moe. show.
Luckily I got to check out most of the two long sets the moe. fellas played that night. This was definitely a tour to promote their new record The Conch and their first single “The Pit” fittingly opened the show. Along with the new tunes, moe. showed the depth of their catalog, pulling tracks from all seven of their studio albums including classics like “It” and “Sensory Deprivation Tank.” With about a dozen of their shows under my belt I can safely say that this wasn’t their best night. Not bad. Not bad at all actually, but I know what this band sounds like when they’re inspired and this was not the night. I was running in and out so maybe that influenced my opinion. Their light show was captivating but a little over the top at times, with vertigo inducing strobe effects, multicolored patterns and blinding floodlights.
But my hat’s off to the lighting director for creating such an intricate display to go along with their equally intricate compositions and improvising right along with the band during jams. I guess playing a 100+ shows a year will do that.
I missed the close of the second set in order to line-up some pizzas but the guys definitely had the after show glow when they came off the stage. Plenty of friends and family were in attendance and chatting in the green room. I made my final run to pick up the bus driver, did a little clean up and I was out the door ending a 12-hour shift.
So that’s how my spring break began. No beer binging waiting for the Girls Gone Wild Crew on a sandy coast, but instead a little cash in my pocket and another experience and lesson in what it takes to put on a show. Two days later I’d be working for Harry Connick Jr. at the Civic Auditorium…
Continues here
Comments
Great article - isn't a show a whole different experience when you are back stage and see the whole thing from set up to break down? Looking forward to part dos.
Posted by: Gretchen | March 15, 2007 01:45 PM