Photo by Jared Binstock

moe.
Mod Club
Toronto, ON
March 6

Considering its proximity to Buffalo, ground zero for all things moe., Toronto has played host to a scant few headlining shows by the band over the past decade. Going into last Tuesday’s gig at the newly branded “Virgin Mobile” Mod Club, many local fans would have told you that the road-savvy Western New Yorkers were not known for watershed efforts North of the border. This most recent performance, however, commandingly quelled any such worries.

‘Timmy Tucker’ opened strongly with Chuck Garvey’s arpeggiated precision guiding the first jam. Al Schnier then took over, nimbly leading the dub-tinged second jam as the table was set for a night of complementary guitar prowess. ‘Rainshine’ followed, the first of just two offerings from 2012’s What Happened to the LA Las. Garvey’s shredding in the heavy metal bridge section made up for Schnier’s nearly inaudible vocals, a lapse that regrettably went unfixed.

The meat of set one arrived with “She” as Schnier traveled high up his fret board for some vigorous bending in the patient improv portion, before the rhythm section cooled things down with a funky passage leading into the prog-rock finish. The bluesy and semi-rare “lylelovit” saw Garvey and Schnier teaming up on the capricious riff of its double-time portion and the many moods of “The Faker” dazzled the crowd, eventually winding its way into “Kyle’s Song.” Garvey used his mic stand as a slide in the dissonant madness of the climax, ending the set on a powerful note.

Bassist Rob Derhak broke his typically expressionless character due to monitor issues during second set opener “The Road,” which spawned an extended transition into ‘McBain’ – the centerpiece of the show. Jim Loughlin’s physically taxing vibraphone solo was pushed to astounding length in this monster version, with Garvey channeling Hendrix and then teasing “Crosseyed & Painless” at the peak. A dark jam in “Y.O.Y.” gained momentum for a triumphant return to “The Road,” closing the sequence with a bang. Even Derhak had to smile.

With a Buffalo visit on tap for the next night, some heavy-hitters had to be held back. The final segment of set two still packed a punch – “Yodelittle” passing the 20-minute mark in a psychedelic fog and “Haze” segueing seamlessly into ‘Wormwood’. Set-closer “St. Augustine” had the crowd euphorically showing their appreciation for the classic tune, while the encore combo of “Understand” and “Nebraska” nudged the performance time into the three-hour range. Having nailed their finest Toronto performance in many years, the five members of moe. absorbed the outpouring of gratitude from their audience, and headed home.