moe. Debut New Original at Ardmore Music Hall Residency Kickoff

moe., photo by Dean Budnick 

moe. returned to the stage last night, March 4, to set off the next leg of their Born to Fly tour with the first of four nights at Ardmore, Pa.’s Ardmore Music Hall. To begin their residency at the esteemed local haunt, the 35-year jam pioneers shared two sets, curated by drummer Vinnie Amico and stacked with thoroughly honed hits and a few surprises, including their first presentation of a new original.

moe. flew into their first Ardmore set with their 1996 No Doy essential “Moth,” which spread its wings for more than 20 minutes before firing off into their Wormwood standout “Bullet.” the sextet’s second selection was just as sprawling as the intro, darting through athletic rhythms and melodic sweeps before giving way to the year’s first treatment of “Same Old Story.” moe. caught the crowd off-guard at the mid-set, when the potent and pensive selection resolved into the lush, warm and hazy classic psychedelia of the previously unheard track “Old Things.” The explosive jam of an ensuing “Puebla” merged deftly into an easeful rendition of “Bring You Down” to close out the first frame.

After their intermission, moe. swept into the second set with a subtly funky rumble through “Hi & Lo,” then bridged over to the cooling rushes of their Dither essential “Water.” Expedient treatments of the Nate Wilson Group’s “In Stride” and their recent Circle of Giants standout “Beautiful Mess” flowed into a sprawling medley of “George” and “Lazarus,” which together reached nearly 40 minutes to wrap the main portionof the performance on an awe-inspiring note. To leave the crowd craving more, the band landed on a towering encore of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song.”

Moe.’s Ardmore series will continue through March 7, giving the band plenty of runway to reach new heights on their 29-show flight through May 23 to follow. Find tickets and the band’s full live itinerary at moe.org.