No Guts, No Glory: An Interview with Chuck Garvey of Moe.
Moe. have been performing live since the band first got together in 1989. If you have never witnessed the magic, I would recommend that you go out of your way to catch one of their live sets because it is truly a sight to see. They will be performing two sets at the 6th annual Aura Music and Arts Festival in Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park that will be taking place on March 6-8th. MusicFestNews recently caught up with the bands guitarist, Chuck Garvey, and got some insight on what we can expect from the band in the near future.
It was the band’s 25th anniversary recently. All of you have been together since 1999 when Jim Loughlin joined, and the rest of you have been part of moe. Since at least the early 1990’s. What is the secret to keep a band together so long?
The whole thing started with a core group of people from the University of Buffalo. We have known each other for years and that friendship has been a lasting influence on every aspect of the band and our organization. In addition to the band, Jon Topper (our Manager ), Jess Topper (Jon’s wife who also has run the management office and many aspects of the organization for years), Becca Derhak (Rob’s wife who has been our art director and running the whole merchandise aspect of our business), Steve Young (Front Of House Audio Engineer, all-around make it work guy) and Skip Richman (Tour Manager 1997 – 2014) all lived in Buffalo at the beginning time period of the band and have been with us ever since. There is a strong family atmosphere that is very important to our identity and how we try to cultivate our relationship with fans.
When the band was in its early stages and finding its identity, what were some of your early influences? Were there other bands that mentored you and gave you advice that helped you succeed and not make some of the mistakes that newer bands usually make?
Early influences were Frank Zappa, The Grateful Dead, Steely Dan, Fishbone, Primus, a couple Joe Jackson covers early on… We had a couple bands that were friends of ours in Buffalo that showed us that we could book shows and make something happen just by flyering and getting the word out. As we grew and started touring regionally, there were bands like Moon Boot Lover (Peter Prince), The Ominous Seapods (Albany, NY) and later other bands would trade gigs with us and we would all benefit from each others’ strong fanbases. To a large extent, we made just about every mistake you could, but we slowly found the path that would end up working for us.
On that note, what is some advice you would offer to new and up and coming bands who see you and your band as a role model and a band that they would like to emulate some day?
One of the biggest nuggets of advice that is as true now as it was then: Play lots of shows, book your own shows if you don’t have a manager or agent, pay your dues and learn to play together live as a band, as well as with other musicians in other bands. Nothing goes as far as true experience in front of a crowd and learning from other musicians who have been there already.
What is your take away with the recent experiences you had at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park from Wanee last year and what we can look forward to for AURA in March?
We love playing at the park because it is such a beautiful spot and it seems like no matter what the lineup of bands might be, everyone rises to the occasion, whether it be fest goers or musicians. Last time we were there was with bands such as Dumstaphunk and the Allman Brothers. Our setlist or playing may have reflected the tone of the festival (Wanee), while the upcoming Aura Festival has a different lineup and feel to it. Set lists are generally written the day of the sets to be played, with sit ins, covers and other special tidbits included to suit the taste of the day!
I noticed there has not been a live album release since 2009. Many people loved the most recent release of No Guts No Glory! last May 2014. Is there anything on the horizon for a live recording?
We have been releasing every show as a live download, as well as the Live, in a moe.ment series where people can walk away from each show with a USB of that night’s performance. Live recordings abound in formats that are suited to current consumption. The “Warts And All” series are overdue for a new installment, so maybe that should be the next official live release!
If money were no object and you had a chance to anonymously travel and follow a band or two for a couple months, what bands might you go see? or would you do something completely different with your time & money?We are fortunate to be able to see a lot of music – especially during festival season. I don’t think I could put all my eggs in one band’s basket, so to speak, as I get enough out of one or two nights, then onto something new. Traveling is the best exploration I know, so making that coincide with great music would be the ultimate for me. Rockies, West Coast, Europe, Japan, the tropics… Maybe putting a trip together (with many stops to explore), then searching local music for awesomeness would be the way to go. A little bit of happy accidental music sounds like fun – band roulette!
What are some things that everyone should know about the band and do you have any big plans for 2015?
My “need to know” list is probably different than most music fan’s, so I’m not sure I can share anything… oh, wait. We all love food. And cats – except Jim and myself. I’m super allergic to cats. We all like coffee and comedy – laughing is awesome. And sneakers. We like sneakers. And lying! We like to lie about things we like. The only thing ( that is totally true ) that I can tell you about 2015, is that we are going to go out and play our fool asses off every single show.
Moe. Will be joined by at least 30 other bands this year at Aura Music Festival like The Disco Biscuits, Papadosio, The Fritz, The Motet, Dopapod, The Mantras, Kung Fu and Tauk. Tickets can be purchased online via Aura’s official website
[Interview by Steve Prendergast]