The opening track of an album ideally should set the tone for what you’re about to hear. Think “Gimme Shelter” from The Rolling Stones’ Let It Bleed, or “Finest Worksong” from R.E.M.’s Document. These are tracks that kick the door open rather than bothering to knock, establishing themselves with authority.
You can add “Yellow Tiger,” the first track on moe.’s new album, Circle Of Giants, to that list. The Buffalo, N.Y., sextet, whose legions of Lowcountry fans can catch them at Charleston Music Hall March 10, has worked heavy rock into their psychedelic, jam-happy gumbo before — but “Yellow Tiger” is a first, a swaggering blues rocker with a Black Sabbath-style riff and stunning Beatles-esque vocal harmonies.
It’s an apt beginning to a typically adventurous moe. album that mixes breezy, feel-good bouncers like “Bat Country,” with 12-minute workouts like the widescreen epic “Band In The Sky” without ever missing a step.
Circle Of Giants is also the sound of a band regaining their footing after a long series of tragedies, and there’s a palpable sense of relief in these songs, the first new material the band has released in five years.
“It feels very triumphant,” said drummer Vinnie Amico. “We’re never going to conquer everything, but it feels like we’re finally in a good place and we’re moving forward.”
Which is a small miracle in itself, given the past few years of moe.’s existence. The band was planning a 30th anniversary tour in 2020 that the Covid-19 pandemic scuttled, but that was only the beginning of a series of challenges.
Bassist Rob Derhak was already battling cancer when the pandemic hit, and just as he won that fight, the band’s co-founder and guitarist, Chuck Garvey, suffered a severe stroke. Garvey eventually made a remarkable recovery and rejoined the band, who were recording Circle Of Giants, when yet another tragedy hit: the death of Derhak’s son, Eddie.
“It’s been challenging, to say the least,” Amico said. “Between Rob getting sick, and then Chuck having a stroke, and then the passing of Rob’s son, it seemed to be just one thing or the other all the time.”
Despite those massive personal setbacks, Amico said he never really feared the band would end — though he did occasionally question himself.
“I never had the feeling that we would stop,” he said, “but when Chuck had a stroke, and it being as bad as it was, there was some of that, ‘Are we going to be able to continue?’ But he recovered and he had been working hard and playing guitar, and then when we asked him if he was ready, he said he was ready to go.”
Having said that, moe. has been kicking out the psychedelic jams for 35 years now and the tragedies they’ve faced caused them to rethink their busy touring schedule, according to Amico.
“We’ve been trying to navigate our personal lives along with trying to keep the band together and being relevant and writing new music. We’re trying to do them all without burning out or causing people further health risks,” he said. “I don’t know how the hell we do it, but we’ve actually been able to do it.”
And somehow, they’ve been able to remain a thriving, creative jam band without becoming self-indulgent. Yes, there are some lengthy workouts on Circle Of Giants, but there are also plenty of direct, four-minute tunes. “When we’re in the studio, we definitely like to trim the fat,” Amico said, before adding with a laugh, “live, it’s a different story. But in the studio, we’ll go back and rework songs to keep from going in that self-indulgent direction.”
As Amico alluded to, those tight tunes become blank canvases onstage, where moe. is still at their best. Their unique alchemy was almost lost because of the tragedies they’ve suffered, and Amico said that audiences on their current tour seem thrilled to have them back.
“We just got back from the first leg of our winter/spring tour out West, and all the shows were great,” he said. “The response to the album has been great, too. We all still have to deal with things on a personal basis, but … it feels very triumphant. That’s a great word for it.”
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