In all the years that I lived in Santa Cruz I never been to Moe's Alley up until last week. My friend and I went to watch Anuhea who is an awesome vocalist from Hawaii. This is a fun venue with a full bar. The staff is friendly including the security. Typically bouncers at other bars think they're the s**t just because they can control who goes in and out.
This is a small venue that showcases independent and up and coming musicians. With that said tickets are typically very reasonable ranging anywhere from $10-$15 per person. Because it's a small venue the stage is quite small too, which is fine because you get to experience an up close and personal show.
Very convenient parking. You have to park your car across the street on the back portion of the lot of where Toys r' Us is located. But it's a small street and you can be at the bar within seconds of parking your car.
I guess the crowd varies depending on the act. At least when I was there the crowd is very cool and friendly. Talked to a lot of people there for the Anuhea show and everyone was so super friendly. I would love to go back and watch other shows  there.
So Moe's is cool n' all, but what gives with starting the bands soooooooooooo late?
2 hours late, really? how the heck can anyone try to be there to catch the whole gig.
I know there are lots of stoners who can barely make it up off the couch to get there, maybe you are being polite for them or maybe it's the scheduled run-up-the-bar-tab time?
Either way, pleez get a handle on it, I KNOW it's not the band's fault.
Moe's is otherwise cool, nice lil patio, good beer decent prices, plenty of parking.
Great venue with many styles of musicians coming through. Â A little far off from Downtown Santa Cruz, but definitely worth the drive.
The reason we gave it four stars is because it is a small venue and can get really crowded and hard to dance if it is. Â The good new is that they have a huge patio and you can dance outside if you like.
Also, Conscious Creations serves food on the patio during shows, great healthy, organic food.
All around, one of the best music venues in Santa Cruz
Saw a good band yesterday...again. The venue is ok to nice but a little dark and run down. Surely the owner could afford some base necessities like a few more chairs in the back, etc.
Did like the bar - good drinks and price was right.
My only rub is the entry price ($25 at the door was a little steep) and the hat wearing old ex-hippie dude at the door is a jerk. Seriously he needs to lighten up and recognize he is not God. Once we wanted to check inside with nobody around and he refused, "pay and don't cross that line". If he wasn't there, this would get 4 stars from me.
I take away a star for all the scandalous rumors I hear about Moe's Alley & their compensation of artists...
Aside from that, it is still an awesome venue, with lots of big names coming through. Â I like its intimacy. Â Sometimes it can get crazy packed, but even at shows like that, I can always get enough space to dance!
Because it's so intimate, you sometimes get a chance to know the artists a little better. Â I've been invited to dinner and lunch after some shows, which is nice to feel noticed and appreciated.
Oh, and everyone that works there is super cool as well (except the one short guy...not naming any names, but nobody likes him & he I think he knows it!)
I went to this bar (last night, actually) to see the B Side Players, great show!  Now as for the bar itself, it's pretty big: has a large inside potion, with a dance floor, and some seating areas, and there is a large outdoor porch region with a small bar and FOOD (I didn't have any, but it's always nice to know it's there).  The bar service was very quick and friendly, and the clientele were all pretty nice people (nothing's worse than being in a bar with a bunch of idiots).  And of course, like at every bar hosting a live show, they had their  very own Captain Tries Too Hard. Â
It was definitely your typical Santa Cruz crowd, very mixed bunch of people for sure. Â The ladies room is small, two stalls but people seem to have their shit together and don't take forever (except for the one girl who pooed, yes we all know you did). Â Yes, we did smell reefer (as one previous reviewer mentioned), the smell became especially strong when they played "Could You Be Loved."
All in all, a very entertaining place, I would definitely go back there.
I've been to two shows at Moe's and I enjoyed them both - but in totally different ways.
The first was some blues band I don't even remember the name of and there were MAYBE 10 people at the show. There is just no way around the awkwardness of three guys playing for 10 people. But Moe's was clean and they had good beers on tap, and I thought the murals on the walls an ceiling were fun, so I put a mental bookmark at Moe's to return when there were more people for another show.
FLASH-FORWARD to 2011
One of my buddies is in an Irish folky band and they played at Moe's the day before St Paddys Day. This time there were maybe 60 people at the start of their show and at least 100 by the end. The place was rocking! Â There was a $10 charge for the concert, but it was worth it for the Wild Rover's CD release party.
Huge plusses for Moe's:
- Plenty of places to set your drink down. I felt like everywhere I stood someone had thought to put a little shelf - around pillar, along the sound board enclosure, along the walls.
- The patio outside. A place to smoke without leaving, space heaters, tables, lighted, with trash cans and another mural.
- The bartender was friendly and prompt and professional. I think she was the only person working the bar and cleaning the room and she totally held the fort down. My wife said her whisky sour was good - I enjoyed a Guinness and a Longboard on tap.
- Eclectic crowd: In attendance, hippie girl with almost a whole pheasant's worth of feathers in her hair, old ladies doing jigs, a man whose only dance move could be described as "drying my hands without towels," hippie trying to start her own conga line but no one ever joined, a guy with a top-of-head ponytail, nurses from Dominican, and plenty of people, young and old, looking for a drink after work or to celebrate Irish culture.
I HAVE to write a bit about the other band that played - Dublin to Dehli. Â We stayed just to see what their music would sound like. Â From their site: "Where else are you going to see kick ass fiddle players rocking out with a kilt-wearing Korean flanked by two bouncing Bhangra percussionists and a vocalist who looks like he would be at home in a Bollywood music video?"
HAHA yes!!! Â Anyways, I enjoyed my time at Moe's
Best venue for live music in Santa Cruz, hands down.
Good sound and plenty of room to dance.
The bartenders get 5 stars, they always pour a great, strong drink & take good care of you.
There is a nice outdoor patio area to smoke or cool off after dancing.
But the food leaves much to be desired
It's changed a lot from when it was a blues club years ago. But if you watch the schedule, you can still catch good blues bands every month. They are still involved with the Santa Cruz Blues Festival and throw a mean after-party every year.
Shows are reasonably priced and you can buy your tickets on-line in advance. We are lucky to have Moe's Alley
I honestly love Moe's and have had a good time at every show I've gone there.
Yes, the decor is early church cellar / hole in the wall, but its intimate.  I've actually been able to chat with acts between sets and for a musician, its cool to be able to walk up to the stage, chat up the performers and check out the gear.  I've seen everyone from the Bx3 tour to  Truth and Salvage and the Knitters.
The drinks are stiff as someone else mentioned and reasonably priced. Â They carry the standard Santa Cruz bar beer selection and nice mixed drink options.
Tickets for even well know acts are reasonable and they tend to have off beat and eclectic bands. Â For a great night out, its the best deal around.
Great divey place to see live music. I've seen everything from Michael Burks to Bone Shakers to Raining Jane here. The crowd is there to enjoy the music, and so am I.
I would recommend eating before you go. Moe's is about the music, not the food. They do have a full bar. And a nice area to sit outside if you're so inclined.
It's pretty much as close as you get to a show at a house party with awesome acoustics/sound. Â Moe's brings in some talented performers to entertain here on their way to and fro LA and SF.
Mostly caters to the jazz, reggae, etc crowd. Full bar with great service! Drinks range from $4-$7 which is about average in comparison to bars and other music venues. If you need to grab some fresh air or are the burner type, there is a full outdoor patio with speakers.
Definitely top music venue in Santa Cruz area.
Moe's Alley has been a fantastic venue over the years, featuring music from that includes great Blues, Salsa, Reggae and more.
The space is amazing for a live show and gives everyone a wonderful sense of energy. Â Show prices are some of the best you will find for the acts they feature. Â This is a great place and Santa Cruz is so lucky to have Moe's.
The drinks are wonderful (not watered down) and the dancing goes on forever.
This venue is only half way decent. The staff is awesome and they are doing well with what they have to work with; I just don't know how they deal with the owner who is a giant douche.
I play with a San Francisco based band who brought a large international headliner to Moe's and, naturally, opened the show for them. We had to drive 5 cars down from SF to haul equipment, (equipment that Moe's should have bad, basic guitar, bass and piano amps, drum set). So we are there with all our stuff, drawing a good crowd, getting paid less then would cover our gas but we're happy...
Until the owner cuts our set short, makes a big scene; he cut us off right on schedule, we had 10 min left in our set list but common, its a reggae show with only two bands, and the headliner had just got there. That's just rude and ungrateful, especially with all things considered (our crowd, our equipment, busy on a Tuesday). He then refuses us access to the green room, and makes even more a scene.
Like I said, giant douche. I can't support a place that is owned by someone like this. We were trying to do a more personal show but I guess we'll just book the Catalyst next time.
Very simple, no frills, down to earth venue in Santa Cruz. Â I heard about this place from a friend who went to UCSC. Â
Not much to add to what has already been said.
I bought tickets to listen to a salsa group from Cuba playing here. Â $10 per person at the door. Â The group was really good -- and as people eventually shuffled in, within an hour, the dance floor was packed with dancing Santa Cruzans (is this a word)?
The drinks were standard price, served up stiff. Â
What I love about Santa Cruz, is that you can basically dress down when you go out. Â You can' t do this in LA....folks were dressed in flannel shirts, flip flops, jeans.........comfortable dress. Â MY kinda dress! Â That's what makes Santa Cruz so friggin awesome......so laid back and unpretentious. Â This place definitely exudes Santa Cruz......(also considering the fact I smelt a little wacky tabacky midway through the set.......)
The place is short 5 minute drive from downtown Santa Cruz. Â Do not hesitate to purchase cheap tickets/cover charge for a very cool place to see a show in SC.
So there's just something damned special about a place so intimate, so small (and yet, with such awesome acoustics), where you can interact (read: flirt) with the band as well as with your fellow patrons. My girls recently treated me to a birthday at Moe's, and I had the pleasure of dancing my ass off, with a blackberry kamikaze firmly in hand (I think it was blackberry -- I know it was (i) a kamikaze; (ii) strong as heck; and (iii) only $6.50 all night), while making eyes with the band members.
I tease, I tease, because the B-Side Players are all so damned fine -- and more importantly NICE -- but I had one of the best birthdays I've ever had in my adult life at Moe's this past weekend...
And I seriously doubt that I'm going to wait until my NEXT birthday to head straight back for another night of low-key, musically-charged fun!
This is the Best Venue for Live Shows. It has a Big Dance Floor and chairs on ths side, but you wont be sitting down at this place. I went here for a Funky Jazz show by Big Sams Funky Nation and they FReakin Ripped Shitt Up. OMG me and my Girl Were Boogying all night long. Live Drums,guitar,keyboard,trumpet, and trombone.
It was like dancing to Live Break Beats! The crowd was awesome we were the only asians in the building,but everybody had SOUL and was just dancing the night away. Noone cares what you do as long as your Shakin Ur BOOTAY! There was this like 60 year old man dancing like he was 18 years old all night and didn't stop. Santa Cruz knows how to party. No Drama ALL FUN!
The crowd was so Hype that when BSFN left the stage we were all yelling ENCORE ENCORE. After like 5 minutes of nonstop YELling. Sure Enough they came out and played 1 more song and each person did a SOLO!
The Bartenders make drinks strong and there is a big patio to hang out at. In and outs. Cheap Cover. If u got soul and like the Funk or wanna listen to REggae or anything else. check the lineup and see who is coming and im sure you won't be Dissapointed!
My best friend and I went to see a reggae show here. Although we were a little out of place in terms of age and style and tried to sneak in my friends teenage son the staff couldn't have been nicer.. The teenager didn't get in but they were good about it.
Although the venue looks like a house it actually is a pretty good place to see a show. Â The sound system is good and it is easy to find a nice view of the band. Â We saw the I Grade Review with Tuff LIon, Danny I, Abja and Volcano..Tuff Lion talked to us a little and is extremely nice guy in addition to being a fine guitarist..We had a great time.
What a kick-butt place! The whole place was totally rockin out to B-Side Players this weekend! The small venue really helps create an awesome vibe and they bring some great live bands.
Everyone was dancing and having an awesome time.
Park on the street, not in the Toys-R-Us parking lot (where the security guard feels a personal responsibility to protect "his parking lot").
I love this place. I saw Johnny Winter here last year. It was an excellent show. Last night I saw Southern Culture on the Skids. Once again an excellent show. The place is extremely casual. It is kind of hard to get a drink, only 2 bar tenders and they were swamped all night.
The price of admission was a steal, 15 bucks per ticket. Watching the crowd was almost as entertaining as the show. There were some real freaky people there last night....
Finally! A small, local venue to see great shows. No pressure to dress up, no awkwardness if you dress it up a bit either. I felt like I knew everyone there, and felt even more glad to get away from the college town scene downtown.
I caught a fantastic reggae show here recently. The entire audience (which consisted of all kinds of peeps) was so into the music- nobody stopped moving once the music started.The large dance floor was packed and jammin' the entire time.
Even better, this place has live music 6 out of 7 nights a week.
Heads up: It was pretty cold inside even though I was moving to the music the entire evening!
This is an excellent place to see intimate shows. I have stood directly in front of Sonny Landreth and watched him pick beneath his slide. (It was breathtaking.) This is also a great place to get lost in a crowd dancing. It is a wonderful dancefloor for swing dancing. It is many things to many people. There is absolutely nothing pretentious about this place, not a stitch.
However, for me, what makes this joint stand out is this one female bartender. She makes the most exceptional Sidecar I've had in Santa Cruz county. Not sweet, just tart enough. You can taste the fresh lime and you can taste the brandy. Perfection.
We went to the Marc Broussard show here and loved the intimate setting that Moe's provides. I'm not too keen on the columns in the middle of the room, but they are needed to support the beams/roof.
The place is right off the freeway and easy to find. There is plenty of parking in the Toys 'R' Us parking lot across the street.
Moe's Alley is great.
It's a small-ish venue, and fills up fast for the good local shows. Â That just means you need to prepare in advance if you know it's going to be a busy night.
That said, the real boon of Moe's Alley isn't so much the venue itself, but the crowd it draws. Â An eclectic mix of hippies, hipsters, rock-a-billies, and throw in a few bikers and yuppies for good measure and you've got a typical night at Moe's. Â The floor is usually accommodating enough to allow for people to dance. Â Chances are if you get into the music, you'll be moving to it.
We went to Moe's to see Samabada. Â I had never heard of them, and I will never forget them. Â They are an amazing Brazilian band full of energy and life. Â The lead singer is a hawty and the female vocalist knows how to shake her groove thang. Â In fact there was not a person inside not shaking their bon bon. Â
The venue is sticky and I didn't have the liberty of using the facilities (I am not at liberty to discuss where/how that may or may not have occurred). Â When we got home everyone showered before crawling into bed...that should give ya some perspective. Â The stickiness was probably due to lack of ventilation, Â The dance floor was like a sauna and the perspiration caused stench was reminiscent of the Metro in Paris.
By the way, the margaritas were really good and reasonably priced. Â I can report no hangover this morning thanks to my friend Cazadores.
I have serious love for Moe's Alley. Its a tiny venue, with surprisingly good sound.
I've seen many great acts there, from Hamsa Lila to Brett Dennen, great reggae and hip-hop shows for reasonable prices. Â My real favourite part is that they let Convergence foods set up shop in the back, really quality vegan/veggie food and deserts. I'm not either of those, but they still make BOMB, hearty and healthy foods, and even serve whole baby coconuts with straws if youre not in the mood to drink alcohol :)
The guy at the door is a total a dick if you rub him the wrong way. Parking is no issue cause they have the entire Toys 'R Us lot.
I have seen so many great shows here, let loose and watched others get DOWN. Â Bartenders are cool, the staff are all great and they book great bands. Â I have NEVER had a bad experience in Moe's. yep...5 stars! Â The only advice I do have is do not leave any valuables in your car or put them in the trunk if you park in the Toy's R Us
Review Source:Moe's Alley as a venue: 5 stars.
But I got drunk really fast (thanks no dinner) and competed with a 50 year old woman. A RICH 50 year old woman on a harley for the attentions of the guitarist from the opening band.
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fuck me. Â Don't you hate it /slash/ love it when a good friend says "Maybe you should go home now and gargle with bleach."
What's not to love about this place? They book great bands, it sounds great, it's intimate but not too cramped, and the staff is friendly... Decent food, and a nice patio too. Best place to see music in Santa Cruz (since Palookaville closed down, RIP...). Â Much better than the Crapalyst. Usually a great crowd too. Seen a ton of great shows here over the past 5 years or so...
Review Source:This dive bar in the middle of nowhere has some great shows. Â I went a couple days ago and I saw Karl Denson play. Â Denson is one of the premier saxophone players around. Â The band was incredible, and believe it or not the drummer didn't have hands --- craziness. Â They were one of the best jam bands I've ever seen. Â
Anyway, at Moe's you'll find a crowd that embodies all the stereo-types associated with Santa Cruz. Â Lots of kids and middle aged adults smoking pot on the back deck without anyone even raising an eyebrow. Â The drinks are awesome and really inexpensive.
Moe's is a good venue, I'm consistently surprised at the quality of the acts they get to play here considering how small a venue it is.
You can get some snacks from a little kitchen outside, and the line at the bar is never outrageous.
Some shows are a little heavy on the twirlers. They like to get right up in front of the stage and just let lose. Sometimes they bug, but I don't hate because I know it's been hard for them since Jerry died.
Anytime the Red Elvises are in the bay area or central coast, this is my choice of venues to see them at!
Drink specials are great, good beer selection, ample seating, AND ample dance-floor space.
Parking can be a little tricky since the lot attached to the club is small and you're "not allowed to park in the lot across the street" ;)
Moe's Alley is the place to see new talent, as well as some tried and true local talent... It's a small venue, but where every seat is a good one. They have a good, comfortable vibe here, and an outdoor area for those of you who smoke. In cooler weather, they have heat lamps set up in the patio area so you don't freeze your tushy off. Drinks are decently priced and not watered down, and there's plenty of parking in the area. All in all, the only problem I ever had with it is that you really can't fit too many people in there, so that when they have a really popular band, it's SUPER crowded and hard to reach the bar. That's my only complaint, though. I like this place a lot!
Review Source:Moe's is a great club that attracts talent that by far exceeds the confines of the club. So what you get is an intimate setting, good sound, and great views from wherever you are...unless you're vby the bathrooms, but you've got no business back there when there's music going on.
They have a nice heated patio too, smoker.
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