moe. Return after cancellations for the Independence Day series, with sit-ins by Daniel Donato and moving “Mr. Fantasy” exit with Emma Derhak

Photo credit: Hana Gustafson

Over the holiday weekend, moe. returned to the stage for its long-awaited Independence Day set, kicking off the band’s Best.Summer.Ever. tour alongside Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country. With shows in Asbury Park, NJ, Westport, Connecticut and Jay, Vermont, the band performed their first performances since a family tragedy disrupted their summer touring plans and canceled planned headlining appearances at Northlands Music Festival and Solshine: A Music & Arts Reverie. To celebrate their stirring and heroic return to the public, the band presented three very special shows, lined with high-profile collaborations and touching moments.

On July 4, moe. landed at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey, for the first show of its summer series, bringing Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country and Neighbor for the first three dates. To honor the holiday, the founding band opened their set with the beloved original “Captain America” ​​and closed it with a debut cover of the Grateful Dead’s “US Blues,” a tongue-in-cheek salute to the nation on the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Things heated up on July 5 when the band took to the Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts in Westport, Connecticut, with their jam-packed schedule. No highlight of the band’s return to tour surpassed the emotional power of Friday’s first sit-in, when Emma, ​​bassist Rob Derhak’s daughter, joined the band to play Traffic’s “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” expressing the power of the family’s healing process in a poignant performance. Through her years of involvement in the choir, Emma has become a known quantity at moe. concerts, but this performance stands out because it expressed the memory of Eddie Derhak, beloved brother and son. This was the second time the band ever played the cover, following its debut in October 2005.

Later in moe.’s set, Richard James of Neighbor backed up an encore cover of the Dead’s “West LA Fadeaway,” and Donato joined the band for the classic “Moth,” which was combined with “The Pit” and “Meat” in an extended medley. Donato teamed up with moe. again on Friday for the final show of their Christmas trio, contributing his virtuoso guitar and backing vocals to “32 Things.”

moe. will return to the stage on Wednesday, July 10, for a performance at the Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; the band’s Best.Summer.Ever tour with Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country runs through July 21, followed by a series of solo headlining shows through August 3. For tickets and more information, visit moe.org/tour.