Monkeys On Ecstasy, a.k.a. moe., treated the sold-out crowd at Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom in Denver, CO all classic deep cuts, jams and sneak peeks they could handle Thursday night and then some.
Whenever moe. feels like reliving their younger days playing more intimate rooms, workshopping tunes, or just giving fans a treat, the band will add a date or two under the moniker “Monkeys On Ecstasy.” They play the same tunes with the same lineup, but without the full-on production that a standard moe. show entails. Seeing moe. in such a small venue offers fans a chance to get up close to the action while giving the band members a chance to feed off the crowd’s ravenous energy, creating a potent feedback loop of mutual excitement.
The newest Monkey On Ecstasy, keyboardist Nate Wilson, who joined moe. in 2023, gave the swirling organ tone in the opening “Threw It All Away” a carnival/carousel feel that complemented the strident pace set by drummer Vinnie Amico and percussionist Jim Loughlin. The bouncy flow of guitarist Al Schnier‘s lead vocals worked equally well with the zippier passages and the tune’s darker metal undercurrent.
With bassist Rob Derhak taking over vocal duties on “Spine Of A Dog” from guitarist Chuck Garvey, the song has become a bit peppier as well. After ending with a final flourish that brought cheers from the packed Cervantes’ crowd, moe. was ready to utilize one of the other purposes for the scaled back Monkeys dates: Debuting, workshopping, and road testing new tunes in front of dedicated fans. As Derhak noted of the third piece of the evening, “No one in the world has ever heard this next song.”
Following a brief, bluesy, dual-guitar opening, Schnier played the role of storyteller singing lead on “Band In The Sky”. A long instrumental passage seemed ripe for improvisation, while Wilson’s apex-inspiring piano work gave a second instrumental break a grandiose feel. Given time to mature, the song may well earn a valued place on setlists for years to come.
As if thanking the audience for their indulgence of their excursion into uncharted and unfamiliar sonic terrain, the Monkeys obliged the old-school faithful with a familiar yet still rarely seen friend, “Farmer Ben”, as voiced by Loughlin. In between his spoken, free-wheeling wordplay, Garvey asserted himself, fiercely attacking the tune’s extended guitar passages, with Schnier and Derhak close behind. Loose and free, moe. jammed right on into “Head” full steam. Next up, the moe. (or Monkeys) edition of “Giants”, from Nate Wilson’s other band, Ghosts Of Jupiter, saw some superior guitar work from Schnier and proved itself to be an overall worthy addition to the moe. catalog.
After the stage was left littered with the wreckage of a jammed-out “Plane Crash”, moe. took a well-earned set break. Once everyone in the venue had a chance to cool down, moe. came back out with a doozy of a second set.
The entirety of the second set was basically one long musical sandwich, bookended by generous slabs of that sweet and tasty, mostly instrumental “Meat” and filled with satisfying sonic goodness. Wedged in between were longtime fan (a.k.a. “moe.ron”) favorites like “Recreational Chemistry” and “Tailspin”, a loving cover of Traffic’s classic “Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys”, and even a full-band take on one of Derhak’s COVID-era solo project tracks, “Ups and Downs”.
As moe. wheeled its way through the epic stretch, there were simply too many highlights to break them all down individually, but like any sandwich, it was the resulting blend of ingredients that made it tastier than the sum of its parts. The “Low Spark” cover utilized Wilson’s high, sweet vocal presence and steadfast piano to prime the taste buds for the dual layers of “Rec Chem’”s exploratory dynamic and the staccato blast of political dismay better known as “Tailspin”. Adding complementary and contrasting flavors to the mix in “Ups And Downs” created an expanded take on the uniquely conceived, fan-penned, Derhak-realized tune. Upon dissolving back into the final portion of instrumental “Meat”, the crowd roared in approval as a solid, satisfying conclusion to a truly filling musical main course.
As after dinner treats go, Schnier’s traditional “al.nouncement’s” segment where he reads notes of appreciation, show attendance hallmarks, and similar milestones was a solid palette cleanser. The ode to the bond between moe.rons and band paired nicely with a birthday salute to Jerry Garcia in the form of a loose, end-of-the-night take on the Grateful Dead’s “Casey Jones” that had the audience singing along happily in homage to the late, lamented superstar.
Thirty some odd years into moe.’s history, the brief visit from Monkeys On Ecstasy was a welcome change of pace for the sold-out crowd and the band itself. When you’ve been going strong for 30 some odd years, it’s nice to change things up and keep things fresh.
The band has limited tour dates remaining on its 2024 schedule including Adirondack Independence Music Festival, Blue Ridge Jam, and The Ramble Festival. Find a full list of upcoming shows and purchase tickets via the band’s website.
Monkey On Ecstasy – “Threw It All Away” – 8/1/24
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Setlist: Monkeys On Ecstasy | Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom | Denver, CO | 8/1/24
Set 1: Threw It All Away, Spine Of A Dog, Band In The Sky, Farmer Ben > Head, Giants(Ghosts Of Jupiter), Plane Crash
Set 2: . Meat > Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys (Traffic) > Recreational Chemistry > Tailspin, Ups and Downs > Meat
Encore: al.nouncements, Casey Jones (Grateful Dead)
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