Feature

On March 5, a legion of dedicated self-proclaimed “moe.rons” descended upon Soul Kitchen in LoDa for a night of righteous grooves from one of the most popular bands in the jam scene. As the night progressed, many fans in attendance might have noticed something a little out of the ordinary.

As people made their way through the mist of sweat and smoke and around dancing guys and gals in dreadlocks, they encountered a table surrounded by cheerful yellow balloons and an equally cheerful group of smiling, carefree individuals enjoying the show with the rest of the crowd. Though maybe a bit out of place, they might have appeared to just be your typical moe.rons, but as you neared the table you saw a bowl of candy and stickers reading “Another Dopeless Hope Fiend” and ” One Show at a Time,” and then you realize these must be the “Happy Hour Heroes.”

This group of clean and sober moe.fans’ existence might puzzle some jam enthusiasts. When attending concerts featuring bands such as The Dead, Widespread Panic and moe., drugs are often as plentiful as patchouli. However, “fellowships” like the Happy Hour Heroes are making it their mission to provide a safe environment and group support at concerts for moe.rons and any other individuals recovering from chemical and/or alcohol abuse. “James B.” (membership is anonymous) is the Group Coordinator for the Happy Hour Heroes and explains their group is not something new to the jam scene.

“It’s not an original concept, really,” says James B. “It started way back, well, close to 20 years ago when The Wharf Rats started. So, The Wharf Rats were the original clean and sober music group. They started with “Daddy Don,” and they started having tables and meetings at Dead concerts.”

From there, clean and sober groups like The Phellowship (Phish) and The Gateway (Widespread Panic) began popping up and attracting people wanting to experience live music and not worry about breaking their sobriety. It wasn’t long until moe. had inspired a clean and sober group non-affiliated with the band or the moe. organization in the form of the Happy Hour Heroes. Their mission is a simple one. They don’t preach, and they don’t look to convert. They don’t recruit nor do they condone or condemn substance use. They are simply there to provide a type of family support for those who wish to experience moe. with a sober mind.

“Towards the winter of 2002, a fellow by the name of Tom R. basically brought it up and said he wanted to do it,” explains James B. “He was a great moe. fan, one of my best friends and wanted to have a clean and sober group at moe. shows. He was willing and determined to make that happen. We went through the necessary steps: contacting the management of moe. and telling them what we wanted to do and pitching our ideas, and eventually it happened.” As the Happy Hour Heroes took their baby steps, an individual by the name of “Marcus B.” discovered the group.

“I was originally involved with The Gateway, which is a non-affiliated, sober fellowship of Widespread Panic fans,” says Marcus B. “That was my first involvement in the sober band fellowships. Actually, as a result of seeing Widespread Panic, I saw moe. They opened for them one night, and I really liked moe. and found out that there were a bunch of sober moe.rons.”

Marcus B. hooked up with the group and went on to become the Southeast Coordinator for the Happy Hour Heroes. Since then, he has attended 34 moe. shows and worked the Happy Hour Heroes table at 33. The group’s rise did not come without tragedy. In April of 2003, Tom R. passed away before seeing the group come to fruition.

“We love Tom, and we miss him,” says Marcus B. “Those of us that have been around awhile know the debt we owe to him. I think that if you went up to the average person at a table and asked them about Tom, they may not even know who he is. We wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for him. Don’t forget.”

Tom R. lives on in spirit at many of moe.’s performances with the Happy Hour Heroes going through the motions, which is not as simple as one may think. So, what can one expect at the Happy Hour Hero table at a show.

Even though this group is not affiliated with moe. or any of its entities, they are aware of their existence, and they lend a helping hand when they can. One way they help is by transporting the group’s supply bin from show to show. The volunteer shows up 45 minutes to an hour early and sets up the table. On the table, passers-by can find information on the group in the form of their “Who We Are” statement, newsletters, stickers, and a huge bowl of candy, which serves two purposes.

“It’s a good ice-breaker,” explains Marcus B. “Plus, for people recovering from alcoholism, especially early recovery, alcohol cravings can be satisfied by sugar. Alcohol metabolizes as sugar in the body.” As the concert goes on, one volunteer is always at the table. The volunteers work the table in shifts, so every person volunteering gets to enjoy the show. The Happy Hour Heroes perform their greatest service during the set break. During this break, they actually have a meeting.

“We’ll start with a little group prayer and tell people ‘Who We Are,’ which is our preamble,” says Marcus B. Then, the first question that is asked at every meeting is, ‘Is anyone in any danger of picking up a drink or a drug?’ or ‘Does anybody here feel like they’re in a bad or dangerous place?’ If anybody answers ‘Yes’, which doesn’t happen all that frequently, but every now and then, then the rest of the meeting will be about sharing our experiences of strength and hope and letting them know that they don’t have to pick up.”

If no one is in danger of falling off the wagon, then the group has discussions on subjects ranging from “Gratitude” to the “Gift of Music.” They pass around a yellow balloon (an almost universal symbol in the fellowships), which dictates whose turn it is to speak. Everyone gets a chance to speak at these meetings. The meeting ends with a prayer session.

“Those closing prayers can be amazing,” Marcus B says. “When we’ve had good meetings with a real spiritual feeling, I felt like that circle was a foot off the ground, sometimes. It can give a real send off to the rest of the shows.”

When the meeting disbands, a volunteer stays at the table until everyone has left. Even though the Happy Hour Heroes are not interfering with anyone who prefers to indulge in alcohol or drugs at a show, they have run into some pretty angry, outspoken people over the years.

“We have had some pretty rough experiences,” explains James B. “I do remember one in particular where there was somebody who was probably under the influence and was probably angry to say the least. Looking back on the situation, he wasn’t really angry at us. He was just angry in general, and it got directed towards us. He came after us saying that we’re preaching this and preaching that and trying to convert people. Then, he went on picking up candy and saying, ‘What about people with eating disorders? What about people addicted to sugar?’ It got pretty out of hand, and he got in our faces.”

Critics of this group may come and go, but the Happy Hour Heroes remain strong. According to their online count, they have roughly 200 members, but that doesn’t count the people who find them at shows and stay for the meetings. Their arms are open to anyone who desires to experience moe. while clean and sober, and they don’t plan on going anywhere while moe. is still touring.

“We’ll be here for as long as God has use for us,” says Marcus B. “It’s a transformative experience. It’s one of those paradoxes that we give to receive.”

Stephen Centanni is Lagniappe music editor. Contact him at scentanni@lagniappemobile.com.

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