moe. is performing a concert tonight at the Newport Music Hall. This is the second trip to Columbus and the Newport this year for the New York based quintet. moe. is a band more than dedicated to music – music is its life.

Although this sounds very cliche, it is the truth. moe. doesn’t reveal information about who they are, but prefer to let its music speak for itself. What moe. has revealed is that the name for the band came from the original name of the band “Five Guys Named Moe,” an old Louis Jordan tune, which included a sax player in its first incarnation.

The band consists of five members – Al Schnier on guitar and vocals, Rob Derhak on bass and vocals, Chuck Garvey on guitar and vocals, Vinnie Amico on drums and Jim Loughlin on percussion and acoustic guitar.

moe. began in 1991, but the bands first album, titled “Fatboy,” wasn’t released until 1992, on its own label. Continuing to distribute on its label, moe. released “Headseed” in 1993, as the band’s first full-length album release.

In 1995 moe. released “Loaf,” the final album under the Fatboy label for a few years. This was an extremely rare limited edition, live album from Wetlands Preserve, NYC, which is no longer in print. Albums originally released under Fatboy Records were not distributed nationally.

After the release, moe. decided to put Fatboy Records on hold, and sign with a major label. In the next year “No Doy,” moe.’s major label album debut on Sony’s 550 Music, was released. In 1998, “Tin Cans & Car Tires” was moe.’s second and final release on Sony’s 550 Music. Then in 1999, Fatboy Records was reborn by nationally re-releasing “Fatboy,” moe.’s first album.

Since the restart of Fatboy Records moe has released two albums with a third on the way. “L,” the band’s second live record, came out in 2000 and is a double CD.

This album is most representative of what moe. is and has become. “L” was recorded during moe.’s fall ’99 tour and a comprised of a total of 9 complete shows. Each song appears on a different moe. album, but the songs on “L” simply have more energy. Yet moe., still not satisfied with what they have accomplished up to this point, continues to produce and create albums. In 2001 moe. released “Dither” and is soon to release another album in November called “Warts and All.”

To promote the new album, moe. is currently on its tenth annual tour reaching Columbus, Sept. 19. The last time moe. performed at the Newport, March 9, the band played for longer than three hours.

Recognized as one of today’s top jam bands, moe. rarely disappoints. As an extremely string oriented band, moe. relies on the band as a whole to create a symphony of sounds, that melt and flow together. Anyone that attends a moe. show, should enjoy it, as long as they like, well formatted songs by skilled musicians, with harmonic lyrics.

For more information go to moe.’s official Web site at www.moe.org.