moe. at The National in Richmond, Va-(The Pit Incident)

I have been seeing moe. for almost 10 years now, and I have never been disappointed. They always put on a consistent show. This band was one that introduce me to many musical experiences in my life, some that I will never forget. They are my consistent constant in the festival music scene. With their unique musical style, moe. seems slotted to take over the North-East "Jam" scene when some of the "Majors" step down or take a break. But while moe. is musically and lyrically brilliant, they can't seem to grasp much of a foothold in the South. The National is a smaller indoor venue and it wasn't even close to being halfway sold out and the upstairs balcony was closed off completely. Perhaps lack of ticket sales is why moe. doesn't come to the south very often but in turn, not playing at all will gain you no notoriety in the area.
The beginning of the show took off with a "Brent Black" but Al was having guitar difficulties so Chuck, took the reins and pushed through to the first round of "The Pit," one of my favorite moe. songs with the lyrics: "All the way down to bottom, all the way dow to the fire, all the way down to the devil, Beelzebub in the bottom of the pit." I have always wondered what this song is truly about. Chuck looked very un-Satanlike and way out of place with his camo hat and glittery-pink guitar.
The band quickly came back together with a super country and twangy, "Tambourine" that resonated with the audience. Al was classically smooth on his Gibson SG and took over soloing for a few songs. The night would turn into "The Pit Incident" as the band continued to transform other songs into "The Pit" (much like tweezers-fest- Phish) The band would change tempo on a dime and revert back to "The Pit," each band member taking solos in each transition. Musically the show was stunning, the band did things I've never heard them do. The second set was very noodley and ethereal in it's essence but they had to play it fast and loose to keep transitioning into "The Pit" again and again. One of the highlights for me was the encore, "The Ghost of Ralph's Mom." I just love the lyrics:
"You wait there every evening
Till the morning light
I saw you on the ceiling
How could I even fight?
I saw you in the morning
About 3:55
I asked you what you wanted
You said you wanted to be alive
The more things change, the more they stay the same
The more things stay the same, the more I go insane
The more things change, the more they stay the same
The more things stay the same, the more I go insane
You ran around my bedroom
And made me levitate
You pinned me to my bed
You forced me to stay awake
The more things change, the more they stay the same
The more things stay the same, the more I go insane
The more things change, the more they stay the same
The more things stay the same, the more I go insane
Haunted by the ghost of you
Each lonely night
I've tried to scream out loud
But the walls they closing tight
My heart beats faster
Twice as faster
And the more things change, the more they stay the same
The more things stay the same, the more I go insane
The more things change, the more they stay the same
The more things stay the same, the more I go insane
The more I go insane
The more I go insane"
Setlist: I: Brent Black > Tubing The River Styx > The Pit > Tambourine > Letter Home > Gone > Timmy Tucker, Karma Police#
II: Defrost > Smoke > Zed Naught Z, Happy Hour Hero > The Pit > Annihilation Blues > The Pit > Tubing The River Styx > Puebla > Brent Black
Enc: The Ghost Of Ralph's Mom