MOE-L Frequently Asked Questions File Version 1.6 February 1997 This file is a resource for the fans of the band moe. and members of the MOE-L mailing list. (C) 1996-1997 A copyright of this file is claimed by Kevin Landry and has been since November of 1996. This file may be reproduced freely as long as it is distributed unchanged and in whole with this copyright notice intact. This file may not be sold, regardless of profit, or included in any file or format that requires payment or fees of any sort. When necessary, the rights and copyrights of this work will be defended by all possible venues. It is located at: http://www.versanet.com/~moetrade/faq.txt and soon to be at: ftp://users.aol.com/MoeTapes If you cannot find the answer to your question here you may perhaps ask the list. If there are any questions that you would like to see here, or if you think there is an error, please mail Kevin at . An interactive WWW version of this file is in the works and will soon be available. Please, if you have any comments or suggestions submit them now in order to make the file as complete and correct as possible. This FAQ is divided into sections as follows: 1.0 Questions about the MOE-L. 1.1 What is the MOE-L? 1.2 How can I join it? 1.3 How do I post to the list? 1.4 What can I post to the list? 1.5 Are there alternative ways to read the list? 1.6 What if I no longer wish to receive mail from the MOE-L? 1.7 What fan-based archives are available and where are they? 1.8 Does moe. have an official web site? 2.0 Topics that have been extensively discussed on the MOE-L. 2.1 Is it all right for me to make copies of out of print recordings? 2.2 How can I get into 18+ or 21+ shows? 3.0 Questions about the band and the organization. 3.1 Who is moe.? 3.2 Band History. 3.3 Discography. 3.4 Why does(n't) my copy of Loaf have a white cover? 3.5 What in tarnation is Rob saying? 3.6 Where is that crystal clear sound coming from? 3.7 Who is that cyclone of energy running around directing all the action? 3.8 What's up with those lights? 3.9 Who does the band's monitor mix? 3.10 Who is responsible for that excellent web page? 3.11 How can I find out about tour dates? 3.12 How do I get on the snail-mailing list? 3.13 How can I contact the band? 3.14 How can I contact the band's management? 3.15 Who is the band's production company? 3.16 Who do I contact in order to book the band? 4.0 Questions about songs. 4.1 What is "Timmy"? 4.2 Who is Farmer Ben? Where did he go? 5.0 Questions about live tapes and taping. 5.1 Will moe. allow me to tape their live shows? 5.2 What about video taping? 5.3 How can someone without any live tapes get some? 5.4 What are some particularly good shows to get? 6.0 Future plans for the FAQ. ********* Section 1.0: Questions about the MOE-L. 1.1 What is the MOE-L? A: The MOE-L is a mailing list discussion group dedicated to fans of moe. It provides a space for them to discuss the band, review shows and trade live tapes. It has been maintained by Jesse Jarnow since its creation in January of 1996. 1.2 How can I join it? A: Send an e-mail message to listserv@netspace.org with no subject and a body of subscribe MOE-L where is your name. *Do not* send requests to join the list to the list itself. It will not get you subscribed to the list and will only result in every member of the list receiving your request. 1.3 How do I post to the list? A: Send mail to MOE-L@NETSPACE.ORG. 1.4 What can I post to the list? A: Technically, anything, but you must remember that every message you send to the list is read by hundreds of people. If you are new to mailing lists, please read a file on basic Netiquette, as there are certain do's and don'ts in cyberspace. Two very good web sites dedicated to Netiquette can be reached at: http://www.primenet.com/~vez/neti.html http://www.fau.edu/rinaldi/netiquette.html As time permits, many band members do in fact read the list as do many members of the moe. Organization and Sony Records. moe. takes a sincere interest in what is said. 1.5 Are there alternative ways to read the list? A: Yes, if you don't want to receive numerous messages from the MOE-L each day, you have a few options to consider: DIGEST The Netspace server combines recent posts and puts them into one message. This message is then sent to you. It'll cut down on the amount of mail you receive. To set the moe. list to digest mode simply send an email to with "SET MOE-L DIGEST" in the body of the message without the quotes. INDEX This is an even more minimalistic version. Every so often the user will receive an index of recent posts. The index includes the subject, the sender, and how long each message is. With the index comes instructions on how to retrieve each message. To set the moe. list to index send eMail to with "SET MOE-L IND" in the body of the message without the quotes. WEB The final way to read the moe. list is to unsubscribe totally and browse it on the web. Shortly after each post is made to the list, a copy goes up on the web. There it can be browsed by date, sender, or subject. This is a close equivlent to a newsgroup browser. To post to the list simply send your message to . The URL is to check messages is at: http://www.netspace.org/cgi-bin/lwgate/MOE-L/archives/ 1.6 What if I no longer wish to receive mail from the MOE-L? A: Send an e-mail message to listserv@netspace.org with no subject and a body of: signoff MOE-L You can find out all of the commands that are available from a listserv mailing list by sending listserv a message with HELP somewhere in the body. *Do not* send requests to signoff the list to the list itself. It will not get you unsubscribed from the list and will only result in every member of the list receiving your request. 1.7 What fan-based archives are available and where are they? A: The list archive can be reached by ftp at users.aol.com in the MoeTapes directory. It contains past digests (only those from the old server 1-19-96 through 2-13-96), setlist files, a text-only version of the FAQ (coming soon), the welcome message and past tape trees. It can be reached from most web browsers by: ftp://users.aol.com/MoeTapes/ MOE-L digest from the Netspace server (2-13-96 through Present) can be found at: http://www.netspace.org/cgi-bin/lwgate/MOE-L/archives/ moe. guitar tab and chords file can be found at: http://www.afn.org/~afn34777/moe.tab Michael Vasiliou has set up an independent site with setlist files called the Sensory Deprivation Bank: http://turbo.kean.edu/~mvasilio/moe 1.8 Does moe. have an official web site? A: moe. maintains its official web site at: http://www.universe.digex.net/~moe/ This site contains tour dates as well as updated news about the band. It is updated periodically. When the site is updated, the members of the list are informed. ********* Section 2.0: Topics that have been extensively discussed. 2.1 It is all right for me to make copies of out of print recordings? A: While it is unfortunate that some of moe.'s official releases are out of print and no longer available, they are still copyrighted by the band. While there are no plans to re-release any of the out of print material they remain intellectual property of the band and are not public domain. 2.2 How can I get into 18+ or 21+ shows? A: moe. tries to play as many all ages shows as possible, but it is not always possible. When moe. does play venues with age restrictions, the only way to get into the show is to be that age. It is the band's hope that the fans will respect the rules set up by the club. They do not condone fake I.D.'s, sneaking in, rubbing the stamp, etc. which could damage the band's relationship with that particular venue. ********* Section 3.0: Questions about the band. 3.1 Who is moe.? A: moe. is: Chuck Garvey: Guitars, Talkbox and Vocals (along with the occasional flute and sax) Al Schnier: Guitars, Lapsteel and Vocals (Al also used to play percussion in the early days) Rob Derhak: Bass and Vocals Vinnie Amico: Drums 3.2 Band History. A: The following is a post from Chuck from when the list first began. It has been slightly updated (updates are noted by [NOTE:]). -------------------------------------- Subj: *** moe. history file *** (take one) Date: Thu, Jan 25, 1996 3:05 AM EDT From: brendano@ix.netcom.com X-From: brendano@ix.netcom.com (Brendan P. O'Neill) To: moe@Shinbone.Psych.Brown.Edu moe. history This is by no means complete, but if you want to know vaguely what happened to us, this is about all that we remember. bass, vocal: Rob Derhak drums: Ray Schwartz guitar, vocal: Chuck Garvey The three of us got together by the suggestion of a friend of Rays. She wanted us to play at her house for Halloween and we complied. Halloween 1989 Set list in no particular order: Green Earrings ( Steely Dan ), The One I Love ( R.E.M . ), The Munsters theme, Purple Haze, Melt With You ( Modern English).... you get the picture. We've tried to forget. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- bass, vocal: Rob guit, vocal: Chuck drums: Ray guit: Dave Kessler sax, vocal: Steve ? The band actually forms in winter of 1990. Dave, Ray and Steve were playing with another bass player, but we all decide to start playing together. We were called "Five Guys Named Moe" from the Louis Jordan tune of the same name. We opened up for a band of especially good sports named Monkey Wrench at Broadway Joe's in Buffalo, NY. Thanks Timo. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- rob, chuck, ray, dave In Fall of 90, Steve quits the band. We rename ourselves "Haggis" for one week, but soon go to moe without the period. Rob pushed for the Moe , but a Brooklyn band of that name already exists. Ray likes "Canned Pastries" and "Soft White Underbelly". ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rob: bass, vocals Chuck: guitar, vocals Ray: drums Dave: guitar Al Schnier: guitar, conga Al filled in for absent Dave at a party at chicklets house in Buffalo. He played guitar and a conga. After that, he played back up guitar for several gigs - part time. (yes, there were three guitar players in the band . We were known as the moe guitar army.) At this time we also began to use the period at the end of moe in typewriter letters. In January of 1992 Al is inducted as official third guitarist. In Feb. of 1992 moe. goes out of town for the first time to Oneonta, NY. In Spring of 1992 Dave phases out due to lack of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rob: bass, voc Chuck: guitar, voc Al: guitar, voc Ray -----> Jim: drums June of 1992: moe. records Fatboy. At the end of mixing, Ray leaves to go to grad school. In September of 1992, Jim Loughlin officially joins the band as drummer. In the summer of 1993, Chuck quits the band at a bad time for two months then begs for readmittance and more abuse. In Spring of 1994, moe. records Headseed. moe. officially and finally quit their day jobs, move to Albany, NY (of all places!) and go Full Time all in the Fall of 1994. Headseed was released in October of 1994, just a month after moe.s first tour down south. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- In March of 1995, Brendan O'Neill joined the band as Audio Engineer for moe.s first trip out west to the Rockies. June 1995, Jim Loughlin leaves band to play with Yolk , from Binghamton NY. [NOTE: Jim's last show was 7.15.95] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rob: bass, voc Chuck: guitar, voc Al: guitar, voc Mike Strazza: drums Late July 95 Mike joins the band. In Sept. , Mike quits but agrees to play through the end of the year. Thanksgiving weekend of 95 - moe. records Loaf during two nights at the Wetlands in NYC. [NOTE: Mike played with moe. publicly between 7.22.95 and 12.9.95] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rob: bass, voc Chuck: guitar, voc Al: guitar, voc Chris Mazur: drums December 29th 1995: Chris Mazur (from Pittsburgh, PA) begins playing with moe. in Erie, PA, Washington D.C., and for New Years Eve at the Wetlands, NYC till 7:00 a.m. to a record breaking crowd. Jan. 19th, 1996 - moe. begins its first tour with Chris. Jan. 25th, 1996 - Chuck finishes his glib little history on moe. from Raleigh, NC, where the band is currently traveling their asses off to pay their bills and spread a little bit of lovin. [NOTE: Chris's last show was 11.17.96. He was replaced by Vinnie Amico who's first appearance was 11.21.96] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well, thats it for now, time to watch Conan and HBO (we never get to watch cable) and go to sleep. While this little autobiography may be self-serving, not completely true and rife with misinformed, distracting trivia and glaring omissions, it is meant only as mild entertainment of the truly bored, and shouldn't be taken too seriously. Take it easy and we hope to see you on the road and on the little device you are currently operating to procure this message of great social import. Chuck . -------------------------------------- 3.3 Discography. Pre-1992: Two demos were released, the first was entitled "Spine Of A Dog" and the second "Operation: Weasalshack". OUT OF PRINT. 1992: Fatboy, an independent cassette, is released. OUT OF PRINT. Y.O.Y., Havah Negilia > Long Island Girls Rule, Dr. Graffenburg, Don't Fuck With Flo, Yodelittle, Spine Of A Dog, Sensory Deprivation Bank, The Battle Of Benny Hill October 1994: Headseed (FATBOY MUSIC), is released. Akimbo, Mexico, Timmy Tucker, St. Augustine, Recreational Chemistry, Time Again, Yodelittle, Brent Black, Threw It All Away, Time Ed February 1996: Loaf (FATBOY MUSIC), is released. OUT OF PRINT. Recorded live at the Wetlands November 24-25 1995 Moth, Rebubula, Al's Ticker Spiel, 32 Things, Buster, Newt Slander, Meat, Seat Of My Pants September 6, 1996: Meat (550 Music), is released. A 45:09 single. October 15,1996: No Doy (550 Music), is released. She Sends Me, 32 Things, St. Augustine, Bring You Down, Rebubula, Spine Of A Dog, Moth, Buster, Four 3.4 Why does(n't) my copy of Loaf have a white cover? A: The first batch of CDs came out with a mistake from the printer, the blue background was erroneously printed white. This was later corrected, but the first shipment with the white covers were still sold. 3.5 What in tarnation is Rob saying. A: Unfortunately, except for the songs which appear on some CDs lyric sheets, that answer is generally "Your guess is as good as mine." 3.6 Where is that crystal clear sound coming from? A: That would be Brendan O'Neill, moe.'s soundman since Spring 1995. He is also a member of the list and is kind enough to keep us updated on what is going on with the band. Brendan has been an avid taper for many years, providing many fine Phish, moe. and God Street Wine tapes. He has also mixed sound and crewed for Solar Circus and God Street Wine. 3.7 Who is that cyclone of energy running around directing all the action? A: That would be Mike Wright, the band's road manager. Another friend of the band rewarded with a job, Mike was hired in early 1996 to aid Brendan (who until this point, had assumed both soundboard and road manager duties). Stop by and thank Mike for all of his hard work and dedication, he deserves it! 3.8 What's up with those lights? A: Chris Ragan, affectionately known to the members of the band and the organization as the BOY WONDER, . Chris is currently being used and abused for his lighting expertise by both moe. and Yolk. You can also catch his light show at the Wetlands Preserve in New York City on Tuesdays nights. Chris isn't always on the road with the band, but you'll know when he is, because his light show is excellant. 3.9 Who does the band's monitor mix? A: That department is handled by Steve Young, the band's Monitor Engineer / Systems Engineer / and Tech. According to Mike Wright, "He's a real world McGyver. I've seen this guy build a PA system out of Silly Putty." 3.10 Who is responsible for that excellant web page? A: That would be Dan Shoop, internet architect. Dan is also one of the members of the moe. organization who is an active member of the MOE-L and is kind enough to keep us up to date on latest news. 3.11 How can I find out about tour dates? A: Tour dates can be found on the official web site and are posted to the MOE-L when updates or changes are made. The band also has a snail- mail mailing list which helps fans to keep in touch on a fairly consistent basis. The info-line has up to the minute information at (212)592-3542. 3.12 How do I get on the snail-mailing list? A: The best way is to sign it at a show, but, if you do not think you will be able to attend any in the near future you can send your address to: moe.mail, 64 Fulton Street, 1st floor, Weehawken NJ 07087 or send email to . 3.13 How can I contact the band? A: You can leave a message on the info-line at (212)592-3542 or send them e-mail . 3.14 How can I contact the band's management? A: Top Artist Productions topart@access.digex.net Jon Topper & Dan Getz (212)592-3542 (Leave a message after the recording) 3.15 Who is the band's production company? A: Fatboy Productions. 3.15 Who do I contact in order to book the band? A: Monterey Peninsula Artists Chris Hooper (408)375-4889 ********* Section 4.0: Questions about songs. 4.1 What is "Timmy"? A: Timmy is moe.'s first, and only (so far), rock opera. It was debuted at the Wetlands on 2.18.95. In its entirety, Timmy consists of: Timmy Tucker, Imelda May*, Timmy's Escape, Central Park Troll, Happy Boy, Queen Of The Rodeo, Magical Mystery Cab, Jazz Wank, Roll, ??Irish Tune??, Strychnine Waltz, Timmy's Theme, Birthday Jam, Timmy Tucker Reprise * - a theme from Imelda May was developed into Californ IA 2.18.95 also marks the only time Timmy was played in its entirety. Pieces of it, other than Timmy Tucker, were played on 3.31.95. 4.2 Who is Farmer Ben and where did he go? A: Farmer Ben was a song sung by drummer Jim Loughlin and it left the rotation when Jim left the band. Farmer Ben does, on special rare occasions and when touring schedules permit, make public appearances. ********* Section 5.0: Questions about live tapes and taping. 5.1 Will moe. allow me to tape their live shows? A: Absolutely, but there are a few basic guidelines that the powers that be would like tapers to follow: Audience Taping is HIGHLY recommended at all times. World Tour Taper Update! Starting Jan 22nd, 1997 moe. will be offering a new "matrix-mix" for tapers to enjoy. The new set-up will have the following: A pair of AKG C-414B-ULS microphones placed on stage, facing the audience. (at either end of the stage) These will be fed into a Mackie MS-1202 mixing console, and mixed with either a mono or stereo soundboard feed.(depending on what is available) The 414's will be compressed using a Behringer Composer, and the Aux-1 send from the soundboard feed will be fed into the side-chain input of the same compressor. This will enable the soundboard feed to control the level of the 414's. So, as the band/PA gets louder the 414's fade out gradually to a set level, and as the band/PA gets softer the 414's fade up to another set level. This is referred to as "ducking", or "voice-over" compression. moe. still HIGHLY RECOMMENDS the use of quality microphones to capture the sound of the room/PA. No more straight soundboard patches will be given out. Only the new "matrix-mix" will be fed to the tapers patchbay. moe. is not in a position to offer AC power to any tapers, so, be prepared to supply and use battery power ONLY. NO mixers of any type, NO Reel to Reel recorders, NO Multitrack recorders, and NO large equip. boxes of any type will be allowed into any venue. Same general guidelines apply at all moe. shows. Have common sense, and be smart about what you do in and around the venues moe. performs in. We always try and make it as easy as possible for everyone to enjoy our shows. Respect your neighbors space. Enjoy the ride ! Brendan Audio Engineer/Production Mgr. moe. 5.2 What about video taping? A: Yes, here are the details: Video taping update: moe. does not permit soundboard audio for video cameras. Microphones will be allowed to be patched into your camera, but make sure you have the proper attenuator for your mic-in. Video-tapers must check in with Mike Wright, Tour Manager, before the camera is set-up. If you are found Video taping and you have not spoken with Mike, your videos will be taken and you may be asked to leave the venue. 5.3 How can someone without any live tapes get some? A: If you are new to moe. and are looking to get some live tapes, there are ways to go about it. 1) Respond to tape offers. Often, those who have live tapes will offer them up over the net. This is a great way for those who have no tapes to find some and for those with many to share the music. 2) Tape trees. If you are unfamiliar with a tape tree is or how one works, you can check out this site: http://top.monad.net:80/~fierce/tree.html 3) Grovels, or posting to the net. Although it possible to get live tapes this way, it is a method that is generally looked upon as a waste of bandwidth. The previous two methods are much better means. 5.4 What are some particularly good shows to get? A: Certain performances are better than others, here is a list of shows that have been considered excellent by members of the net: 2.18.95 Wetlands Preserve - New York NY moe. headlines the annual Wetlands anniversary show. They played three sets this night, the third being the debut of the Timmy rock opera. This is the only complete public performance of Timmy to date. 12.31.95 Wetlands Preserve - New York NY One of Chris Mazur's first performances with the band. He was not familiar with all of the songs in the band's repituare this night, so the songs that he did know were extremely jammed out in order for the band to play, as scheduled, until 7am on January 1st. 2.24.96 Wetlands Preserve - New York NY Another great night at the Wetlands. Highlights include an extremely hot Meat. 3.12.96 Mercury Cafe - Denver CO The band's last night of the Colorado run, "so we're going to try and make this one special." They succeeded with some hot jams and great segues. Check out the 1st sets St. Augustine-> 32 Thing->St. Augustine sandwich. The second set gets even more intense with a nice Moth->Meat->Brent Black. 4.21.96 ADE - New Brunswick NJ moe. returns to ADE to play a benefit for the New Brunswick Soup Kitchen. Three sets in the warm afternoon sun with plenty of beer and great music made for a fantastic day of music and good vibes. Many highlights here, including Good Guys Bad Guys->Akimbo and a Maceo Parker Jam->Freeway Jam->Californ IA. Chris from Jambay joins the band on mandolin for Yodelittle and again later for Moth. 5.25.96 and 5.26.96 Deadhead Heaven Festival - SUNY Purchase moe. was extremely excited to be the band opening the festival on Saturday afternoon and closing it on Sunday night and it shows in the performances. Both days are worth getting with great playing all over the place. Check out the Don't Fuck With Flo-> Interstellar Overdrive->Californ IA and the Cryptical Envelopment-> Meat on the first day. The second was equally smokin' with a 32 Things->Time Again and a Recreational Chemistry with David Gans. MORE TO BE ADDED SHORTLY ********* Section 6.0: Future plans for the FAQ. Future plans for this file are: 1) To have it registered with the appropriate FAQ archives. 2) To have it include information regarding the band's guitar & bass set-ups. 3) To provide an HTML version on the web. (COMING SOON!!)