by Joy Why

Bands and their fans have a strange relationship at times, and this relationship can make for intersting stories. Here is a story about a  young fan and how he got to his first moe. show.

Due to the musical interests of his family, six year old Hunter had seen jam bands for a couple of summers. He grew to particularly like this one band, Juggling Suns.  At his older sisters birthday show, young Hunter and drummer Corey Kertzie was talking about different drummers.  Corey told Hunter about one of his buddies, Vinnie Amico, and how they knew each other.  Hunter asked more about this Vinnie guy, and was told that he now plays with a band called moe.  After this show Hunter got his newly-relocated west coast deadhead mom to find some music by  this moe. band.  After hearing the band's 1997 Halloween show Hunter fell in love with the music of moe.

Soon afterwards Hunter was in his first Science Fair and  when his turn came Hunter earnestly described his project. This was a wind mill and he explained how the energy created by a wind mill is better then most modern energy-producing processes that we have today.  Hunter won this Science Fair.  He won for his class, his division and for the whole school. The kicker is that he is in kindergarten and the school goes up to 6th grade.

When he went up on stage to get his awards the principal asked young Hunter what he really wanted as a prize, because no child had ever won all the awards before at once. Hunter looked at all the children in the school and turned to the principal and said with all the pride of the moment, " I want to go see moe.!!". Being this was a private school the principal phoned Hunter's mom, to ask about this moe. and if it was okay.

So on April Fools Day moe. played at the State Theater in New Brunswick New Jersey.  After a night out on the town and dinner at his favorite haunt, Micky D's, Hunter got to the Theater.  Hunter asked many people if he could meet the band, and told most of these people his story of how he got to be there on that glorious night.  He brought flowers and a moth that he had collected, and had them sent backstage to the band.

Hunter and his mom went up to their seats and looked around.  For a 6 year old boy this was a big night. It was still a good 1/2 hour before the show, so they got up and walked around some more. A guy selling items for the band heard his story and said," Wait one minute," and took him and his mother backstage. The band heard his story and the boy was in 7th heaven. Before he left he asked the band if they could play a certain song for him. They  told him to stick around for the whole show.

His prize in the science  fair contest got him balcony seats.  But he couldn't see very well. Fortunately, one of the people that he met at the show gave him a floor ticket.  So Hunter and his mom wound up in front of the stage by the end of the night. In fact one of the security people got him a chair to sit on for the remainder of the show right at the stage in front of Chuck.

Hunter watched Chuck and the rest of the band play with a awe and wonderment that only a six year old can have. The band played a great show and they came back on with encores. When the band said that the next song would be their last song for the night and Al told the theater why they were going to play this song.  Chuck saw Hunter right in front of him and had him come on stage.  The band told the story of how young Hunter got to be there that night and played Godzilla like Hunter had never heard before. What else would a 6 year old boy would want to hear from the band called moe.?

The worlds youngest moe. fan walked away that night One Happy Kid.