I’ve been seeing moe. for years, and I usually walk out of their shows buzzing with adrenaline, exhausted in the best way, and thinking about setlist highlights for days afterward. That’s what makes writing about their show at State House Square in Hartford last night such a strange experience. Because while the night wasn’t a disaster, it also wasn’t one of those legendary moe. blowouts that fans brag about attending. Instead, it was… fine. Just okay. Not bad, not great, but middling in a way that felt odd for a band whose consistency has been one of their calling cards.
A Lukewarm Start
The first set opened with “Happy Hour Hero,” and on paper, it should’ve been a perfect opener. It’s a classic, it’s singable, and it usually gets people loosened up early. But for whatever reason, it came off a little flat this time. The band was tight enough, but the crowd response was muted—almost like folks were still waiting for the show to really begin. When a song like “Happy Hour Hero” doesn’t ignite a reaction, you know the energy is off.
They followed with “All Roads Lead to Home,” one of the newer songs. It’s got that earnest, rootsy quality that shows moe. is still writing thoughtful material, but back-to-back with “Happy Hour Hero,” it slowed the set’s momentum before it ever had a chance to build. I like the song, but in a festival-style downtown setting with a mixed crowd, it just didn’t land.
“Time Again” and “Bat Country” kept things firmly in the newer catalog, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing—moe. has every right to showcase their current work. But at this point, four songs in and nothing pre-2005, it felt like they were losing the room. A lot of fans standing near me were clearly waiting for that big jam vehicle or a familiar riff to hook onto, and it just wasn’t coming.
“ATL” finally offered a little spark. It’s got some of that old-school funkiness that always works live, and the jam stretched enough to feel exploratory. For a moment, I thought they were finding their stride. But then they drifted into “Tubing the River Styx” > “The Pit,” and while I appreciate the ambition of those songs, they’re dense and knotty, and they don’t exactly invite the crowd to cut loose. People around me were mostly standing still, some checking their phones.
They closed the first set with “Tailspin,” which should’ve been the one-two punch to salvage things. It’s a fun rocker, and the band did sound more energized here, but the crowd still never really caught fire. The first set ended not with a roar, but with polite applause, and I found myself hoping the second set would be the reset button.
Second Set Struggles
The second set kicked off with “Brent Black.” Normally, this is the kind of showpiece that can turn a night around. The Hartford version stretched out, but it never hit that glorious peak that makes “Brent Black” such a monster. The band was playing fine, but there was no edge, no real risk-taking. It felt like a by-the-numbers run-through of one of their tentpoles.
Then came “Band in the Sky,” another newer tune, and by this point, the slow pacing and heavy emphasis on post-2015 songs was becoming hard to ignore. This is a band with a massive catalog, stretching back decades, and yet the show felt oddly narrow in scope.
“Deep This Time” didn’t help much—it’s a solid song, and Rob sang it well, but it’s more of a contemplative ballad, and the crowd energy was already waning. Three slower or mid-tempo songs in a row during the second set just felt like a missed opportunity.
The first big surprise of the night was their take on Led Zeppelin’s “No Quarter.” Covering Zeppelin is no easy task, and moe. gave it their own moody, stretched-out treatment. It was a highlight musically, with Al and Chuck weaving some eerie textures, but again, the crowd never really erupted. People seemed to enjoy it, but not in a “this is legendary” way. More like, “oh, cool, they’re playing Zeppelin.”
After “No Quarter,” they moved into “Skrunk” and then “Blue Jeans Pizza.” Normally, these would be reliable crowd-pleasers, especially “Blue Jeans Pizza,” which can get absolutely filthy in the best way. But even here, the jams never quite reached the level of chaos or bliss you hope for. It was like the band was holding something back, or maybe the energy just wasn’t flowing between stage and audience.
The Encore
For the encore, they started with “Tambourine.” It was light, playful, and honestly a strange choice for a night that desperately needed a big closer. It felt more like filler than a statement.
Then came “Immigrant Song.” Another Zeppelin cover, and this one had the potential to redeem the night. The problem was, it didn’t quite land. moe. played it straight, and while it was fun to hear, it lacked the raw power you want from that song. Olivia Rodrigo covering “Complicated” with Avril Lavigne is the kind of magic that lives forever. moe. covering “Immigrant Song” in Hartford was more like, “Oh hey, that was neat,” and then forgotten by the time you got to the parking lot.
The Crowd Factor
Part of what made the show feel underwhelming was the crowd itself. I’ve been in Hartford for moe. shows before, and the energy can be electric. This time, though? It was dead. Barely anyone dancing, not much cheering, and little of that communal vibe that usually makes a moe. show feel like a family gathering. Maybe it was the song selection. Maybe it was the venue. Maybe it was just an off night. But when the band and the audience fail to sync up, the whole night feels flatter than it should.
Final Thoughts
Walking out of State House Square, I felt conflicted. On one hand, moe. didn’t play badly. They were professional, they were tight, and there were flashes of brilliance, especially in “ATL,” “No Quarter,” and parts of “Brent Black.” On the other hand, the overall experience just didn’t click. Too many newer songs, too many slow numbers, and not nearly enough of the pre-2005 catalog that made so many of us fall in love with them in the first place.
The crowd energy was almost nonexistent, which only amplified the sense that this was a night that never quite got off the ground. It wasn’t a trainwreck, but it wasn’t one for the history books either.
I’ll always love moe., and one average night won’t change that. Every band has shows that don’t fully connect, and Hartford 2025 was one of those. Sometimes “just okay” is the best way to put it.