With This Band, You Get moe for Your Money

Improvisational, jam-based rock ‘n’ roll has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years. Once primarily the well-traveled terrain of the Grateful Dead, Moby Grape and the Allman Brothers, this freewheeling musical style is now led by bands such as Blues Traveler, Phish, the Dave Matthews Band, Los Lobos and a rejuvenated Neil Young.

One emerging group is moe, a quartet from Buffalo, N.Y., that brings its high-octane roots-rock to the Coach House tonight.

Though flattered to be repeatedly compared to Phish, moe (yes, that’s how it’s spelled) at the same time finds itself frustrated. The foursome--which features the one-two singing and guitar-playing punch of Chuck Garvey and Al Schnier, along with bassist Rob Derhak and new drummer Vinnie Amico--is hoping that constant touring plus the release of its major-label debut, “No Doy,” will convince people it’s no clone.

Subtle but meaningful strains of funk, avant-garde, country-blues, jazz, surf-punk and pop-psychedelia weave through the band’s diverse repertoire. Nearly every genre of music pops up in one song alone, the extended, 46-minute version of the band’s latest single, “Meat.”

“Being lumped together with all the so-called ‘jam’ bands is really a double-edged sword,” said Schnier from a tour stop in Breckenridge, Colo. “On the one hand, it’s cool because I think it does open some doors for us. Yet at the same time, it pushes away potential fans because there are those who say they’re just not interested in hearing another jam or hippie band.

“But we’re more than that. The primary credo of this band is to have no boundaries, musical or otherwise. Part of what makes us moe is each member’s willingness, and desire, to explore all genres of music.”

Formed in 1989, the group was named after the song “Five Guys Named Moe” by jazzman Louis Jordan. But because there were only four guys in the band, it was later shortened to moe. The band built a modest, cult-sized following on the Northeast indie-rock circuit through its hands-on, grass-roots approach, which included frequent touring, encouraging fans to tape its shows, maintaining mailing lists and communicating via the Internet. The band still uses e-mail and an extensive Web site: https://www.universe.digex.net/moe/

Nevertheless, shoestring budgets resulted in the low-fi recordings of its three independently released albums. Eventually the band members grew discouraged and sought more resources to “get a better product out to a larger audience.”

Unlike many indie bands who insist that signing with a major label is indicative of selling out, Schnier says moe has paid its dues and sees its association with Sony Music as a positive, necessary step in its evolution.

“Our first recording [‘Fat Boy’] was basically a 40-minute cassette of nonsense we recorded in a friend’s apartment that we sold at our gigs for four bucks,” recalled Schnier, who learned to play the guitar, piano and trumpet as a teenager in Utica, N.Y.

“We didn’t really mind so much back then, and our fans did buy most of them. But since we’ve gotten better as musicians, we wanted to make a recording of higher quality, one that was sonically appealing and represented our growth.”

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By signing with 550 Music, a division of Sony Music, the band members got their wish. “No Doy,” released in October, was recorded over a six-week period at Longview Farms studio in rural Massachusetts.

The band continues walking a fine line between inspired flights of improvisation and self-absorbed noodling. Schnier acknowledges that a song lasting 45 minutes can be a real snoozer or an awe-inspiring epic, depending on one’s taste and level of patience.

“It is hard sometimes not to get carried away when your instrumentals are built around wide-open transitions and jams,” said Schnier. “I mean, we used to shoot completely from the hip onstage. . . . And frankly, we often make up for what we lack in technique by playing with more of an emotive element.” “But now, we feel we do have this responsibility to the audience not to be a bunch of funny drunks doing a jazz exploration that ends up as a Hebrew folk song. Or playing a twisted country version of a Hendrix tune. As funny as that stuff is, there has to be some guidelines and self-restraint.”

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That’s not to imply that these self-described “stoner freaks” have become too serious.

“We’re just four guys in a band, and we’re not playing music to save the world,” said Schnier, who quit guitar lessons when his teacher forced him to learn Glen Campbell tunes. “We just play a variety of different songs born from an intellectual stream-of-consciousness. It’s all groove-oriented and meant to be fun and uplifting. That’s all it really is.”

* The band moe, Jesus Christ Superfly and Sweet Vine perform tonight at the Coach House, 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 8 p.m. $10-$12. (714) 496-8930.