moe. — Keys To The City (Portland, ME)

From Jambase: This past weekend the band moe. received the Key to the City from Portland, ME Mayor Ed Suslovic for their performance in support of homeless services agency Preble Street. The band was presented with the key during their Pier Revue set at the Maine State Pier.

Last month, moe. played a private show for students at Bradley Elementary in Utica, NY, which raised money for the school’s music department. The band donated instruments and recording equipment with the help of their sponsors including D’Addario and Telefunken USA.

At moe.’s annual Labor Day Weekend festival moe.down, the band hosts a golf tournament for charity. This year the event will benefit The Samuel Stratton Veterans Hospital Hospice Unit in Albany, NY.

The band has donated nearly $300,000 to various charities in the last few years including Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

In other moe. news, The Ninth Annual moe.down will be held August 29, 30 and 31 at the Snow Ridge Ski area in Turin, NY. moe.down has become known as Upstate NY’s most musically diverse festival. moe. will perform a total of six sets throughout the weekend. This year’s lineup includes: moe., The Levon Helm Band, Yonder Mountain String Band, Sparrow Quartet featuring Abigail Washburn and Bela Fleck, and more.

Following moe.down the band will take the fall off to spend time with their families before hitting the road in 2009.