Why I Love Jambands

My passion for the jamband scene began at Wakarusa 2005. The eclectic mix of music won me over. A dance rock band would play right after a bluegrass band. Regardless of genre, all the talent at the festival deserved to be there. The skill and creativity of the musicians and their interplay with one another helped me to see how impressive jamming is in a live setting. The improvisational abilities of the players, and the fact that setlists change every night added an element of surprise and risk that made we want to become more involved in the scene.
The headliners for my crash course on the jamband scene were the String Cheese Incident. The fusion of bluegrass, dance, and rock had 10,000 people grooving. The peaks and valleys of the set sent the crowd into a euphoric state. From that first day at Waka, I learned of so many bands (North Mississippi Allstars, Umphrey’s McGee, The Hackensaw Boys…), that I see every time they come through my neck of the woods. This initial interest has also caused me to keep listening for new bands coming onto the scene.
My appreciation for jamming has increased even more since coming to New Orleans. Almost every band down here jams. NOLA people like their jams nice and funky! People down here love to get rowdy, but they also enjoy listening to the subtle nuances great musicians can create (For the record, the best jam I've ever seen was the Allman Brothers Band doing a face-melting version of "Jessica" at Jazz Fest 2007). However, my love for the scene wouldn’t have been sparked if it weren’t for that first day at Wakarusa.
The happiness and freedom that one feels during an intense jam is like few other emotions. When a band is onstage improvising and they come back around to the main melody of a song, the feeling created is one of pure joy for both the band and the audience. Even with so many different styles of music, the unity between band and fans is what makes being a part of the scene so enjoyable. From these beginnings, I can now proudly say that I will be jamming out for the rest of my life. Come groove with me!

Umphrey's McGee jams out on "In The Kitchen"

Underrated Nights Out in New Orleans: Papa Grows Funk @ the Maple Leaf

http://www.myspace.com/papagrowsfunk

Underrated Nights Out in New Orleans: Bayou International

http://www.myspace.com/bayouinternational