moe.’s Vinnie Amico On Touring With Blues Traveler, What Else Is Coming Up For Him & More
Founded in 1990, moe. carved a niche for themselves with a distinct blend of Americana, melodic turns, clever songwriting, and jam band ethics. Members Vinnie Amico (drums), Rob Derhak (bass/vocals), Chuck Garvey (guitar/vocals), Jim Loughlin (percussion/vibes) and Al Schnier (guitar/vocals) have built a dedicated following through their extensive touring and musical output.
moe.down — the New York band’s namesake festival, now scheduled for its 17th edition — officially kicks off moe.’s summer touring season. The band will team up with jam titans Blues Traveler on the co-headline All Roads Runaround Tour, as presented by SiriusXM JamON. Each date of the summer run will showcase one set from each of the bands, plus a very special collaborative set each night. Special guest G. Love — touring without Special Sauce — will also be part of this special tour as a support act.
I had the pleasure of doing Q&A with moe. drummer Vinnie Amico over e-mail, and a few of the questions asked from that interview are below, exclusive to The Hype; additional Q&A with Amico can be read over on the Sportskeeda website. For tour dates, moe.down festival information, and other detailed information related to moe., please visit the band’s official website at www.moe.org.
A lot of your upcoming shows were on-sale as part of National Concert Week. How long has your summer tour been booked for?
Vinnie Amico: We have had it booked for awhile now, maybe four months or so…
This summer you are going out with Blues Traveler. When did you first realize that moe. was going to be a top-tier live act as opposed to an album or single-centric act?
Vinnie Amico: Being a jam band, I don’t think we ever had any thoughts of just being an album band. We’ve always toured and have always been known as a live band.
Once this tour wraps, what is planned for moe.?
Vinnie Amico: We will finish out the summer at the Lockn music festival, then we will take a couple of weeks off, then we plan on getting into the studio to record.
Do you have any other projects going on at the moment?
Vinnie Amico: I have a bluegrass/Americana band called Floodwood and I also play a lot of dates with the Everyone Orchestra, along with various local bands.
When not busy with music, how do you like to spend your free time?
Vinnie Amico: I play a lot of basketball and like to vacation with my wife. I also have a small landscaping business and take on a few jobs a summer.
Is there anything you wish more people knew about you personally?
Vinnie Amico: I like cats. I have four of them. Ozzy, Otto, Ziggy, and Bowie. They are awesome.
Finally, Vinnie, any last words for the kids?
Vinnie Amico: Come out this summer to see moe. It will be a great time filled with lots of great music.
About the Author
Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."
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