Union Agrees To Talks With Mayor, Civic Group 
A Business Group's Proposal For A Private Cleaning Of Public Square Park Has
Become A Thorny Subject In Wilkes-barre.

Anna Legosh

By MICHAEL LELLO mlello@leader.net
 Friday, November 16, 2001 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 12 





The Who had ``Live at Leeds,'' The Allmans had ``Live at the Fillmore
East'' and Dave Matthews offered ``Live at Red Rocks.'' Now, moe. gives us
``Live in Scranton.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A live album that deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as those
classics, moe.'s ``Warts And All, Vol. 1,'' was recorded at the band's Feb. 28
show at the Scranton Cultural Center. The three-disc release is the first in a
series of unedited live albums meant to reflect an entire concert without the
benefit of studio trickery or overdubs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Hence, ``warts and all.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Like all great bands, moe. is made up of thieves - and that's a compliment.
They stole the twang from alt-country, pilfered the pop from the '80s, ripped
off the Grateful Dead's jamming, copped punk's attitude and borrowed the
bombast from arena rock. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Moe. also stretches out on stage - one track on ``Warts'' is more than 30
minutes long - but with an intense, two-guitar attack, the five-piece outfit
is heavier than it is hippy and rocks harder than any of the bands it's often
unfairly compared to. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The rocking, guitar-driven ``Head'' opens the CD after a meandering tune-up
jam, while ``Head,'' from 1998's ``Tin Cans And Car Tires,'' offers Al Schnier
and Chuck Garvey a chance to spar with their guitars. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The first set of the concert carries over to Disc 2 and ends with one of
moe.'s trademark jam sandwiches. The one-two punch of ``Moth'' and ``Timmy
Tucker'' is a perfect pairing, with Schnier's nasal but pleasant voice
dominating ``Moth,'' and bassist Rob Derhak's gruff, stony vocals handling
``Tucker.'' The highlight is the simmering instrumental bridge that connects
the songs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The second set is punctuated by ``Seat Of My Pants,'' which comes with
equal parts reggae and heavy metal. Up next is Schnier's
Tom-Petty-meets-Neil-Young bliss of ``Waiting For The Punchline,'' which ends
with a bluegrass breakdown, complete with Jim Loughlin on washboard. Other
highlights include the instrumental ``Meat'' and ``Kyle's Song.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``Kyle's Song,'' is the quintessential moe. song. It kicks off with
Loughlin dueting with Derhak on bass as Schnier chimes in on the Moog
synthesizer and drummer Vinnie Amico and Garvey pile on the layers. Soon,
Schnier leads the audience in a syncopated clap-along, adding yet another
dynamic element to the number. After exhausting all its potential, the tune
easily morphs into ``Meat.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Moe. is clearly serious and well-read, but the sheer joy the group
experiences on stage shines through, even on CD. Derhak jokes about the
rowdiness of the crowd - ``Perfect Circle was last night!'' - and Schnier
wishes a happy 18th birthday to a female fan. And more than a few childish
anatomy jokes - unfit for printing here - are told. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The only complaint is that Schnier's vocals and guitar are often mixed too
low. It's a frustrating problem that always seems to plague moe. in concert. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``Warts and All'' is, however, an aural document that shows what many
Northeastern Pennsylvania music lovers have known for a quite while: moe. is
one of the best live bands in the business. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 MDRV Use CD cover as art &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 `Live in Scranton' is a lively taste of moe. and well-worth a listen. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

`warts And All, Vol. 1,' Is Moe. At Its Best