Fresh off their recent album release, Circle of Giants, moe. returned to the Wellmont Theater in Montclair, NJ, on February 27, 2025. Prior to this show, they wrapped up a two-week West Coast and Colorado run on their appropriately titled Circle of Giants Tour. The show included a pair of rarely played tunes, a fun cover on this Thursday night gem, and a tasty “Rebubula” sandwich in set two.
Many have heard of the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY; however, the Wellmont Theater has not quite seen the same notoriety in the jam-rock scene. The Wellmont is strikingly similar to the famous Westchester venue in terms of interior and size, largely because both were theaters in the early twentieth century. The Wellmont has seen a recent revival, as the area around it was transformed from a road into a pedestrian space.
The music began with a recording of “Woke Up This Morning” by Alabama 3, better known as the theme song for the television series The Sopranos. Parts of the North Jersey–based show were filmed in Montclair and neighboring Bloomfield. Most notably, the last scene of the series was filmed at Holsten’s in Bloomfield. During the song, the band members emerged one by one as their names were announced in a sporting-event style.
The This Is Not, We Are tune “Crushing” began the show. A well-executed blues-rock transition ensued into “Bullet.” Percussionist Vinnie Amico decorated this buildup with xylophone as the band moved through a psychedelic sequence that continued during the “Bullet” jam. Keyboardist Nate Wilson dialed the jam up by a factor of the synth.
The first Circle of Giants song of the evening, “Don’tcha Know,” followed. Bassist Rob Derhak wrote and sang this short tune, which ended on a delectable guitar solo. The first bust-out of the night was “Little Miss Cup” by guitarist Al Schnier, last played on March 4, 2020, in San Luis Obispo, CA. A face-melting, guitar-driven push flowed into “Giants.” This jazzy, blues-rock tune was written by Wilson and recorded by moe. on Circle of Giants. The song had a darker, psychedelic feeling toward its end.
The feel-good tune “Skitchin’ Buffalo” followed, featuring plenty of raging guitar courtesy of Schnier and Chuck Garvey. “Silver Sun” ended the first set with a 16-minute exploratory jam that touched on many genres. moe. achieved beast mode in the first set and was due for a break.
The band returned with a vintage “Rebubula,” from their 1996 album, Loaf, much to the delight of the fans. Derhak was on point as drummer Jim Loughlin showed his technical strength. A mesmerizing transition was led by Amico on xylophone, before the band masterfully shifted gears into another old-school tune, “Big World,” from Tin Cans & Car Tires.
Another pivot found the band in “Ricky Marten,” before eventually landing in “Brittle End.” This tune was last played on March 1, 2020, in Crystal Bay, NV, and marked the second bust-out of the evening.
The theme of originals continued with “Tailspin,” complete with monster power chords courtesy of Schnier. The 15-minute blues-rock jam that ensued is worth a re-listen, as the one-two punch of Wilson and Amico elevated this well-known original nicely.
“Opium” hopped into the set subsequently, from their 2001 album Dither. Derhak drove this song before handing the keys to Wilson, who added a jazzy touch to this classic. Schnier and Garvey brought the tune home with slide guitar effects. The band morphed into an inspired jam, which jettisoned back into “Rebubula” with vigor to end the set. This essentially book-ended set two with the fan-favorite tune.
The band returned to the stage and took a few moments to recognize fan milestones. This included a special shout-out to Jude by Wilson, along with a “Hey Jude” tease. The band then dropped into a smile-inducing “No Rain” by Blind Melon, sung by Wilson, that ended this epic Garden State show with a bang.
moe. crushed their performance at the Wellmont and are red-hot as they head back out on tour. They are up next in Charlottesville, VA, on March 5, 2025. Tickets are available via this link. Head on over to this link for more dates on moe.'s 2025 ledger.
Check out more photos from the show!
Band: moe.
Date: February 27, 2025
Venue: Wellmont Theatre
Location: Montclair, NJ
Set One: Crushing > Bullet, Don’tcha Know, Little Miss Cup, Half Empty > Giants, Skitchin' Buffalo, Silver Sun
Set Two: Rebubula > Big World > Ricky Marten, Brittle End, Tailspin, Opium > Rebubula
Encore: No Rain1
Notes: 1. Blind Melon
Show Notes: Vinnie Set-list, Walk on music: Woke Up This Morning by Alabama 3
