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Posts Tagged ‘George Porter’

New Orleans JazzFest: Arcade Fire, Boni Jovi, Buffet, Wilco

Arcade
Fire



Bon Jovi



Jimmy Buffett



Kid Rock



John Mellencamp



Wilco



Robert Plant



Ms. Lauryn Hill



Willie Nelson



The Strokes



John Legend



The Roots

Arcade Fire, Bon Jovi, Jimmy Buffett, Sonny Rollins, Kid Rock,
John Mellencamp, Wilco, Robert Plant, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Willie Nelson,
The Strokes, John Legend & The Roots To Join Hundreds of Louisiana Greats at 2011 Jazz Fest in New Orleans

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival today announced the music lineup for the
2011 Festival scheduled for April 29 – May 1 and May 5 – 8. With twelve stages of virtually every style of roots music,
Jazz Fest presents one of the entertainment world’s most diverse music lineups, including its unparalleled showcase
of Louisiana’s unique culture. Hundreds of thousands of fans annually flock to the seven-day event that has been
called America’s best festival.

Arcade Fire, Bon Jovi, Jimmy Buffett, Kid Rock, John Mellencamp, Wilco, Willie Nelson, The Strokes, Robert Plant, Ms.
Lauryn Hill, Tom Jones, Jeff Beck, Sonny Rollins, John Legend & The Roots, The Avett Brothers, Cyndi Lauper, Wyclef
Jean, Mumford & Sons, Alejandro Sanz, Jason Mraz, Maze feat. Frankie Beverly, Lupe Fiasco, Arlo Guthrie, Jamey
Johnson, Fantasia, Kenny G, Michael Franti & Spearhead, The Decemberists, Gregg Allman Blues Band, Vickie Winans,
Lucinda Williams, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Robert Cray, Bobby Blue Bland, Mighty Clouds of Joy, Edie
Brickell, Keb’ Mo’, Rance Allen, Ahmad Jamal, Fourplay, Ricky Skaggs, Amos Lee, Jesse Winchester, Michelle Shocked,
Tabou Combo, RAM, and Boukman Eksperyans of Haiti, Punch Brothers, Ron Carter Trio, Fisk Jubilee Singers, Ivan
Lins, Charlie Musselwhite, Maceo Parker with guest Pee Wee Ellis and more are all among the national and
international guest artists scheduled to appear at the 42nd edition of the Jazz Fest.

Hundreds of Louisiana artists, the heart and soul of the Festival, are scheduled to appear, such as: Trombone Shorty
& Orleans Avenue, The Neville Brothers, Dr. John, Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas, Mystikal, Pete Fountain, Kermit
Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers, Better Than Ezra, Rebirth Brass Band, Galactic, Tab Benoit, The Radiators, Cowboy
Mouth, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Marcia Ball, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Ellis Marsalis, Walter “Wolfman”
Washington, Sonny Landreth, Henry Butler, Papa Grows Funk, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, John Boutte, Terence
Blanchard, Amanda Shaw, The New Orleans Bingo! Show, Jon Cleary, Partners N Crime with 5th Ward Weebie, Soul
Rebels Brass Band, Joseph Zigaboo Modeliste, Glen David Andrews, Anders Osborne, Buckwheat Zydeco, George
Porter, Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners, Big Freedia & Sissy Nobby, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Johnny Sketch & the Dirty
Notes, MyNameIsJohnMichael, Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr. & the Zydeco Twisters, Zachary Richard, Warren Storm – Willie Tee
& Cypress, Honey Island Swamp Band, Bonerama, John Mooney & Bluesiana, Nicholas Payton, Irvin Mayfield & the New
Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Jeremy Davenport, Deacon John, Donald Harrison, Astral Project, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux
& the Golden Eagles, Banu Gibson, Shamarr Allen, Pine Leaf Boys, Mia Borders, Hot 8, Mahogany, New Birth &
Pinstripe Brass Bands, Roots of Music Marching Crusaders Band, The Creole Wild West Mardi Gras Indians plus many
more.

Quint Davis, producer/director of Jazz Fest said, “The 2011 Jazz Fest lineup will deliver an unprecedented balance of
the traditional and the contemporary, in all of the many music categories the Festival presents: from Bon Jovi, Sonny
Rollins and Arcade Fire to Jimmy Buffett, Kid Rock, John Mellencamp and Willie Nelson to Ms. Lauryn Hill, The Strokes
and Robert Plant and on and on, along with the unending list of New Orleans super talents. This lineup reminds us
that the artists we grew up with are now the icons of today, and that today’s new heroes are tomorrow’s heritage.
We’re honored to be able to once again celebrate the soul of America as only New Orleans and the Jazz Fest can.”

The 2011 Festival will also host the largest celebration of Haitian culture in the U.S. since the devastating earthquake
one year ago. New Orleans and Haiti have shared a deep cultural connection for over three hundred years and many
of the local traditions and customs owe their roots to this complex Caribbean country. The Jazz Fest is proud and
honored to host the icons of Haitian music and culture including Wyclef Jean, Tabou Combo, RAM, Boukman
Eksperyans, Emeline Michel, Djakout #1, DJA-Rara and Ti-Coca & Wanga Negès. The many cultural connections will
be illustrated throughout all aspects of this year’s Festival. Some highlights include traditional Vodou drumming
performances, folk crafts demonstrations led by visiting master artisans and rara band DJA-Rara parading
throughout the Fair Grounds. With the support of the Green Family Foundation, the program will also include a
series of scholar-led panel discussions entitled Haiti & New Orleans: Cultural Crossroads as well as a listening station
featuring excerpts from the Grammy nominated recordings of Dr. Alan Lomax made in Haiti for the Library of
Congress in 1936-1937.

Tickets for the Festival, which takes place at the Fair Grounds Race Course, went on sale today. A limited number of
discount ticket packages including tickets to each day of a particular weekend of the Festival will be offered. Ticket
packages purchased for all three days of the first weekend (April 29, 30 & May 1) will be $120 ($40 per day), while
second weekend packages purchased for all four festival days (May 5, 6, 7, & 8) will be $160 ($40 per day). (Tickets
included in each package are day-specific.) Advance single day Jazz Fest tickets are only $45; the gate price is $60.
Children’s tickets (ages 2 – 10) are still only $5 and are available at the gate only. Single day tickets to Jazz Fest are
on sale by specific weekend, with each ticket valid for a single day’s attendance.


Tickets are available at www.nojazzfest.com and www.ticketmaster.com, at all Ticketmaster outlets or by
calling (800)
745-3000. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Jazz Fest ticket office located at the New Orleans Arena Box
Office. All Jazz Fest tickets are subject to additional service fees and handling charges.


Las Tortugas V | Review | Pics

Words by: Dennis Cook | Images by: Chad Smith

Las Tortugas – Dance of the Dead V :: 10.28.10-10.31.10 :: Evergreen Lodge :: Groveland, CA

Las Tortugas V by Chad Smith

We are pulled through this life by small miracles. One needn’t be religious or even spiritual to understand this. The muck of bosses, bills and bullshit we trudge through would be simply unbearable if not for the oases along our trek. For several years, a nigh-perfect music festival in the lush Yosemite woods has proven such a blessed respite for a growing tribe, and the fifth anniversary installment was far & away the finest outing yet, one of those small miracles that makes all the weary miles fade and invigorates us for the rocky road ahead.

Las Tortugas V, like previous outings, miniaturized and refined all the best aspects of a festival, throwing an incredible four-day party with an extraordinary soundtrack. While other fests may have bigger names and carnival rides, Tortugas focuses on serious musicians who overflow with passion and heartfelt artistry. This is a showcase for some of the best music coming out of California today paired with kindred spirits from around the country, a place where veterans embarking on a new thang (7 Walkers), utter pros seeking one of the most engaged, joyful audiences they’ve ever encountered (Yonder Mountain String Band), workingman’s lifers (The Mother Hips, ALO, Cornmeal) and crazy talented comers (Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers, Antioquia, Big Light, Pimps of Joytime) mingle. A feeling of creative freedom and smiling connection with all the things that originally got these players into the music game floats in the air.

And this palpable, happy charge buzzes in equal amplitude from the attendees. Perhaps more than any other festival I’ve experienced, Tortugas creates a beautiful crucible that burns hot and bright because EVERYONE throws a pinch or two into the pot (Jam Cruise is the only thing that compares, though each gathering is singular & beautifully strange in its own way, and something any serious music geek should experience at least once, like Glastonbury, Bonnaroo and a handful of others). With most folks bringing different costumes every day and an all-in enthusiasm that hums loudly before the first set kicks off, Tortugans are a rare breed. The near total absence of thievery, sketchiness and rudeness common at most music fests immediately sets Tortugas apart in a big way. It’s not to say that everyone is cool but un-cool moments are quickly defused, and there’s so much obvious love and care bouncing around the tents and trees that even grumps inclined to kick up dust are charmed into grinning contentment. The depth of conversation and generally open-handed attitude that abounds at Tortugas is a glimpse of our better angels, the way the world might be if we shared our bounty and lived with less fear and worry.

If this seems like an overreach for a music festival it isn’t. Las Tortugas is a playground for music loving people with an amiable synergy that relaxes muscles, eases minds and lifts spirits. Scoff if you must – modern cynicism is hard to shake – but four years running I’ve witnessed this vibe grow & grow & grow, seeing it put the zap – in the best way – on the heads of first timers that leaves them pleasantly shaken by weekend’s end. It is why the vets scheme all year long on how we might delight others, tickling fancies and pricking up ears in any way we can dream up, and then sharing that dream with anyone willing to jump through the looking glass with us.

Nestled in one of the most unique, idyllic settings in the United States (Evergreen Lodge), Las Tortugas situates about a 1000 people in a world apart and lets them share in a fully communal shindig. Each year a couple tunes spring into my head during the course of my wooded walks, a few lines that repeat like mantras as I gather up as much Tortugas mojo as I can before heading homeward. This year it was these verses from Jackson Browne’s “Farther On” and the Grateful Dead’s “The Music Never Stopped.”

Las Tortugas V by Chad Smith

Adrift on an ocean of loneliness
My dreams like nets were thrown
To catch the love that I’d heard of
In books and films and songs
Now there’s a world of illusion and fantasy
In the place where the real world belongs
Still I look for the beauty in songs
To fill my head and lead me on

AndÂ…

There’s a band out on the highway.
They’re high-steppin’ into town.
They’re a rainbow full of sound.
It’s fireworks, calliopes and clowns

And everybody was dancing, drink hoisting blurs of color and laughter that convinced one that the world might not be so bloody awful after all.

What follows are some musical highlights, pointers towards sweet new bands, and a whole bunch of great pictures from Chad Smith, heavy on Tortugans and their mirthful ways. Even if every band isn’t mentioned it’s important to point out that EVERY band that graced a stage at Tortugas V was the real deal, dedicated craftsmen born to meld melody and verse. Where one might wonder at other fests why a band made the lineup, Tortugas only presents quality, ranging from the newly born to the well-seasoned. It’s a formula that’s generated a lot of connections between the bands, resulting in some of the finest sit-ins one can find in the festival world. The sense that we’re ALL in this together – both for this weekend and in a much larger sense – is inescapable on both sides of the stage at Tortugas.

Continue reading for Thursday highlights…

Thursday Highlights

See the full gallery for Thursday here

Theme: Gypsy Circus

Lebo by Chad Smith

1. Lebo :: 2:15-3:30 am. :: Terrapin Big Top Stage

With a shortened introductory day, it wasn’t hard to stay up for the first rousing late night set in what turned out to be Tortugas’ finest night owl programming to date. As usual, Thursday felt like a Saturday here, and ALO’s guitar shredder and a special rhythm section were the flaming cherry atop everything. Flowing loose ‘n’ heavy, Dan Lebowitz, playing a hollow-body electric instead of his usual axe, gave us a commanding showcase that reaffirmed his place amongst today’s very best guitarists. Backed by ALO bandmate Dave Brogan (drums) and Tracorum‘s jaw-dropping rhythm section, Ian Herman (drums) and Mark Calderon (bass), Lebo stirred up his own Band of Gypsys roar, jamming with impunity and instigating some of the fiercest rhythm work heard all fest. Lebo’s versatility as a singer also shown through, and the obvious camaraderie these guys displayed made for some of the least predictable, most immediate music I’ve heard from any of them.

2. Poor Man’s Whiskey :: 9:15-10:30 pm :: Terrapin Big Top Stage

PMW pulled off a real neat trick: Playing the iconic, deeply held music of Old & In The Way – an obvious root source for their music – while authoritatively putting their own stamp on the material. For one thing, bassist Aspen holds his own against John Kahn’s original bass work, and he’s got a whole new sonic range to explore with drummer George Smeltz, bringing a whole new beat to things. As great as the musicians were in Old & In The Way, they weren’t exactly forthcoming performers. By contrast, PMW boasts two natural born rock stars in multi-instrumentalist/singers Eli Jebidiah and Josh Brough, who have that thing that gets everyone in the room off. Ably goosed by guitar-mandolin whiz Jason Beard, the boys made the well-tread newly furrowed and showed once again that Poor Man’s Whiskey is one of the premiere country-rock outfits today, a wild bunch that could have handily shared bills with the Flying Burrito Brothers, Goose Creek Symphony and Garcia and his picking pals.

Allie Kral by Chad Smith

3. Cornmeal :: 11:45 pm-1:00 am.:: Terrapin Big Top Stage

I like when Chicago’s Cornmeal get weird and they certainly did on this inaugural eve. There’s no doubting their hard strummin’ might – bluegrass doesn’t get more blue or grassy – but like a lot of quality acts lumped into the string band basket, Cornmeal have a LOT more variety in their Crayon box, and they didn’t hesitate to color outside the lines at Tortugas. Especially impressive was their ability to move from incredibly melodic strains to downright psychedelic runs, each feeling a part of the other instead of bordered off segments. The many raised glasses and elevated bonhomie in the tent spoke to their pronounced ability to lift heels, and the whole lot of them is goddamn charming as hell. Extra gold stars for ever-compelling violinist Allie Kral, who seemed possessed in a lovely way at several junctures, and dead-on-it drummer JP Nowak. Also, I’m kind of in love with their easy flowing songwriting and the entire delivery and style of banjoist-singer Wavy Dave Burlingame after this set.

Ones To Watch

Jack Grace Band
Full of good time, bohemian energy of the sort Tom Waits left behind when he grabbed a bullhorn, Grace and his slinky compatriots are a bar band in the archetypal sense, specializing in Latin tinged, gold standard song craft instead of by-the-numbers boogie, but still perfect for tossing back a few. First band to play the Tuolumne Hall and one I came home anxious to explore further.

Dead Winter Carpenters
With members of Montana Slim, it’s no surprise these cats ‘n’ kittens twang a bit, but they do so very winningly, and while their set on Thursday was appropriately uptempo, their recent self-titled debut shows a knack for slower, more meditative fare. They’re still getting their feet fully under them but there’s already some very appealing things happening in this band.

Continue reading for Friday highlights…

Friday Highlights

See the full gallery for Friday here

Theme: Decade Dance (retro looks from TV, history, etc.)

ALO & Friends by Chad Smith

1. ALO :: 2:00-4:00 am. :: Terrapin Big Top Stage

What other band could meld Steely Dan’s “Reelin’ In The Years” with snippets of The Four Seasons’ “December 1963 (Oh, What A Night)” with the whole panoply of pop past & future sandwiched in between? Dressed in the outfits from the Man of the World photo/video shoot, ALO lived up to every part of their name at this dawn chasing performance. In fact, keyboardist-singer Zach Gill even got so in touch with his animal side that he started talking to the stuffed birds on the branches decorating the stage late in the set. When these boys are on – and believe you me, this was as ON as I’ve ever seen them – music feels alive and organic, something to be touched and tasted, savored and slathered all over. That its also incredibly tuneful and you can dance to it speaks to their great talent and dedication to making even outside-the-norm music conform to something more sophisticated and thoughtful. After spending the better part of the summer and fall opening up for pal Jack Johnson, ALO played like men balling without a condom for the first time in a LONG time – liberated beasts whose bite set a good many of us free, too.

2. New Monsoon :: 6:15-7:30 pm. :: Terrapin Big Top Stage

For a band that doesn’t play out that much anymore, New Monsoon commanded the stage like utter professionals. There’s so much damn talent in this quintet that it remains shocking to me that more people don’t know and adore them. But regardless of stardom, San Francisco’s New Monsoon demonstrated how adept they are at commingling styles and giving all of them rock ‘n’ roll oomph in this early evening set. Filled with rhythm and force, their mix of originals and tasty covers (and a whole lot more well-picked, well-executed covers on Saturday from ZZ Top and more) goes down so smoothly that the many hours of woodshedding and sweat that lay before each performance are invisible. What we got at both sets this Tortugas was a band fully in control of their instruments and material, able to knock it out with aplomb at a moment’s notice. Drinking in electric guitarist Jeff Miller – long a personal favorite – renewed my desire to see him form a Derek & The Dominoes tribute band since he’s one of the few axe slingers who could generate the same guitar magic as Clapton at his inarguable peak.

Pimps of Joytime by Chad Smith

3. Pimps of Joytime :: 8:45-10:00 pm. :: Terrapin Big Top Stage

Dressed as ragtag cowpokes, the Pimps offered a master class in funk and its roots, showing equal flair for gutbucket blues, silky soul and myriad other variations on what seem like overplayed, boring forms in lesser hands. This band knows groove, way down in their bones, and they move with harnessed power and abundant natural charisma. Every single time I see the Pimps I like them WAY better. Shooting straight, I haven’t been this wholly charmed by a band in the funk-rock vein since I first saw Prince back in the day. Only Seattle’s Staxx Brothers are competing in the same arena, and rather than play favorites, I’ll just say that anyone who likes to get more than knee-deep as they howl about atomic dogs and funky drummers should get familiar with both. Quickly.

4. Antioquia :: 10:15-11:45 pm. :: The Tavern

With the propulsive energy of Remain In Light Talking Heads and political dance-mindedness of The Clash, SF’s Antioquia turned heads in their Tortugas debut. Admittedly, it wasn’t just their reach-out-and-grab-ya sound alone that did the job. The band set a new fest record for the most exposed flesh by dressing as the cock-socked Red Hot Chili Peppers with lead singer Maddy Streicek dolled up like an actual chili pepper. In their veins flows the sticky stuff that agitated early Brian Eno, the initial wave of jazz-fusion cats, Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band and similar inspired wackos. In so many ways, this set showed that Antioquia is exposed, fearless and free of boundaries, and they’ve got the chops to back up the bravado with substance and style.

Continue reading for Saturday highlights…

Saturday Highlights

See the full gallery for Saturday here

Theme: Monsters vs. Aliens

1. 7 Walkers :: 4:00-7:15 am :: Terrapin Big Top Stage

Bill Kreutzmann by Chad Smith

Bill Kreutzmann returned to Tortugas with his new labor of love, 7 Walkers. Hitting the stage in the middle of the night and playing till well after sunrise, Billy, Papa Mali, George Porter, Jr. and Matt Hubbard took us into the thickest, headiest swampland, brimming over with bayou shuffles, primal rock, psychedelic sparks and other rich, earthy textures. The only break any of them had during this three-hour-plus journey – and if you took the whole trip you really felt like you’d conquered a major peak – was when Papa and Matt paired off for some harmonica pierced deep blues and tender balladry followed by a bass-drums conversation between Bill and George. Each is a marvel in their own right but the chemistry in 7 Walkers just bowled folks over during this set, where they offered almost all of their fabulous self-titled debut, Dead & New Orleans chestnuts and fat-free jams that pounced and tore at one like a hungry gator. 7 Walkers feels vibrantly alert, alive in all the ways that count, and this only seems like the beginning of more and better music to come. [The band killed it again on Sunday night, only 13 hours after this set, where they leaned more heavily on Dead tunes like "I Know You Rider" and a great "Sugaree" with George on lead vocals. What's so cool about this band is how the familiar numbers feel freshly washed and ready to be pushed into service in the way they handle them. The final encore of "Iko Iko" lit up the tent with a light that comes from within, steering our ragged conga line into folklore and festivity with sure hands and hearts.].

2. Guitarmageddon:: 3:00-4:15 pm :: Terrapin Big Top Stage

Under the new leadership of PMW’s Eli Jebidiah, this starts-over-the-top celebration of shred science topped themselves with this Prince themed set. Any serious fan of His Purple Mounted Majesty would have stumbled away grinning ear-to-ear after this display that launched with a sizzling reading of “Let’s Go Crazy” but then weaved into killer recent tunes (“Chelsea Rogers,” “Musicology,” “Guitar”), the infamous Black Album (“Rockhard in a Funky Place”) and the choicest medley ever (“Raspberry Beret > Kiss > Sexy MF > Little Red Corvette > 1999″). The core band consisted of Eli (guitar, vocals), absolutely stunning heavy hitter Daria Johnson (drums, vocals), bassist Mark Calderon (doing some primo tough-funk bass faces), Tracorum keyboardist Fletcher Nielsen (the “Doctor” suited up in scrubs!) and guitar marvel Sean Leahy, who also summoned up a host of voices to fill different Prince-ly holes. Guest six-stringers included former Guitarmageddon leader Josh Clark (TLG), NM’s Jeff Miller, Newfangled Wasteland’s Chris Haugen, Tracorum’s Louis XIV-attired Derek Brooker and Big Light’s Jeremy Korpas, with each cameo suiting the songs to a tee and showing off how much amp-rattling guitar talent resides in Northern California today. The material was well rehearsed but not so much so that flashes of inspiration didn’t prevail. The whole gliding, intoxicating set ended in Gold Experience standout “Endorphinmachine.” Let’s hope that tapers were active during this one because the Minneapolis faithful just gotta hear this performance. One of the absolute best times all weekend.

3. Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers :: 4:15-5:15 pm :: Tuolumne Hall

Nicki Bluhm by Chad Smith

It’s a blast to watch an audience be warmed by Nicki and her gifted Gramblers. It starts slow, the potency of their songwriting and their leader’s obvious vocal pow scooping one up, pulling them in close, and whispering sweet, softly wise things in their ears. Once snuggled in, well, they’ve got you and good. Bluhm is a throwback to classics like Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt and other strong women who carved their place in the largely male rock game. She’s a far cry from the manufactured divas and half-talents that pass for “female artists” in the mainstream today, and it’s her abiding quality, natural gifts and good instincts for collaborators that are making her an artist to watch VERY closely. The new songs from her forthcoming sophomore album were uniformly excellent, and as ever guitarist Deren Ney is a haunting knockout, especially when he works a slide. Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers are the full package, and they left Tortugas with a LOT of new fans this year.

4. Sean Leahy Trio :: 12:00-1:45 pm :: The Tavern

Leahy may be one of THE best guitar players you’ve never heard. His cult amongst Northern Cali musicians and serious music nuts is well established, but it probably wouldn’t have taken more than a single tune at this blazing trio set to win over almost anyone with a six-string boner. Lean, fast and highly interactive, Leahy’s trio consists of himself on electric guitar and lead vocals with Tortugas all-star Mark Calderon on bass (only ALO/Big Light bassist Steve Adams worked as many sets) and drummer Daria Johnson, equally fantabulous here as her Guitarmageddon stint earlier in the day. The gal is a real talent and a show unto herself – just watch her face if you want a whole movie to accompany the music. Blues, classic rock, fleet-fingered jazz and more were explored in this set, and all of it packed with thick, ropy muscle. When Leahy lets go and trusts in his abilities, as he did here, he’s positively superhuman and a joy to watch. Johnson and Calderon are perfect foils, and they even made time for a brief M80 Mailbox cameo, a Leahy project with Dave Brogan and Josh Clark, that included a bruising cover of Rage Against The Machine’s “Killing In The Name Of.”

Ones To Watch

Five Eyed Hand
The Tavern seemed wonderfully afloat when this SF unit unleashed their energetic, free flowing music on Saturday night. For sure there’s a foundation of rock ‘n’ roll but things sizzle and switch around with the technically possessed feel of Weather Report taken down to “Shakedown Street.” Mix in the phased dynamics of Bill Frisell, the swerving violin of Mahavishnu and more than a dollop of quality space rock and you’re getting closer to the ballpark. Five Eyed Hand showed being hard to place is a virtue, and jam kids looking to do some traveling between their ears should definitely investigate their self-titled album and fine live show.

Continue reading for Sunday highlights…

Sunday Highlights

See the full gallery for Sunday here

Theme: The Masquerade Ball – Halloween

1. The Mother Hips :: 5:30-7:00 pm.:: Terrapin Big Top Stage

The Mother Hips by Chad Smith

Having seen a ludicrous number of Hips shows (quickly approaching triple digits and spread over the group’s entire history), it’s heartening and more than a little shocking that these guys can still completely blow me away. That’s what happened at this late afternoon set that began with a surprising cover of “Long Black Veil” and seemed like it was going to be one of the band’s cozier, country-tinged daytime sets (“Whiskey On A Southbound,” “Later Days”). Then, they took a wide left turn with a stunning reading of “Young Charles Ives,” fired up the over-thrusters and charged into the unknown, unleashing all the brilliance they possess in a rock show that knocked far more than me back on our heels. Other highlights included “October Teen,” “Chum” and “Precious Opal,” but for sheer audacity and skill it’s hard to beat the rush from “Mission In Vain” into Grateful Dead classic “The Other One,” which the Hips made their own, layering on hard guitar and limber rhythms in a way that nailed the original and infused it with newness. After The Mother Hips recent barnburner at The Fillmore, it’s clear this band is on a very nice tear right now – one more reason to fully commit to one of America’s best bands, as if folks really needed more inducements with the Hips!

2. Yonder Mountain String Band :: 11:00 pm-12:45 am.:: Terrapin Big Top Stage

A couple things struck me quite poignantly at this Yonder performance: 1) What a massively satisfying sound, and 2) how little this music relates to bluegrass despite the stupid label they’ve been given. For just four guys, playing rather quietly, YMSB generates voluminous waves of music, each player accenting and commenting on the lead lines in a clever, unobtrusive way that nonetheless supports the main thrust at all times. In about two hours, one heard echoes of small group jazz from the 20s/30s, 60s modal exploration, hardcore traditional folk, good ol’ fashioned rock, early country music and some of the free-ranging stylistics Oregon introduced to acoustic music.

Yonder Mountain String Band by Chad Smith

There was none of the showy, dick measuring, spotlight grabbing qualities one finds in most actual bluegrass bands, and even when they took solos, they didn’t go on endlessly or freeze out what everyone else was doing. Where at times I’ve found some of Yonder’s selections a little jokey, today’s YMSB came off as relatively serious and considered, but not too much so. There’s no being overly stuffy when you’ve got a natural born court jester like Jeff Austin dancing on the needle’s head, and though a touch jet-lagged, Austin didn’t disappoint. He makes everyone feel welcome and serves as the chief ambassador to Yonder Mountain, though never staying so long in the foreground that the other three guys are overshadowed. Like most aspects of their music, there’s a hearty balance that’s refreshing and worthy of a lot of respect and genuine enthusiasm.

And jeezus can these guys play! As pickers, each is a blast and perfectly attuned to their brethren. A delight in all ways and one of the best closing night exclamation points ever at Tortugas.

3. Tracorum :: 12:45-1:45 am.:: Tuolumne Hall

Sometimes we listen to music without really hearing it. However, when we’re ready to open up and experience a thing as it truly is, well, it can feel like a baptism. Such was my experience with Tracorum on Sunday night. Having enjoyed them at previous Tortugas, this time I got it in a huge way. What they do is rock ‘n’ roll but done so fundamentally right it makes you want to kiss them when they power down their instruments. This night, as the festival raged like we’d never seen before on a Sunday eve, Tracorum embodied our collective high spirits and unspoken ache at this experience coming to a close and put those elements to work in some of the best boogie-minded, straight-great rock heard all weekend. Comparisons to The Band and studio aces The Wrecking Crew flitted through my brain as I danced to the heart of this fleeting makeshift town next to my loose-limbed sisters and brothers. Every aspect was right on the money and every man showed himself a massive talent on their respective instruments, pouring soul into every note, their conviction becoming our own. While they display a lighter hand and more Latin-y hips on their new album, The Lesson, live this band exudes legend-making magic.

4. Big Light :: 12:45-2:00 pm.:: Tuolumne Hall

Big Light belongs on big stages. They are rapidly outgrowing small spaces, pushing their already appealing material into skyward reaching constructs that need room to breath and cavort. A modern rock band to be sure, Big Light betters the majority of the Pitchfork darlings by being able to deliver in a salacious, snarling way live, which is exactly how they charged at folks on this afternoon. A guest turn from Izabella keyboardist Jeff Coleman stirred up the best “Panther” to date, and nothing else was less than excellent. An ever-forward arching NEED to be better is what’s fueling Big Light’s rapid growth. Seeing them onstage in a set like this is to watch evolution take place in real time. It’s exciting and more than a little fun to behold. Based on showings like this, only expect more and finer music from this quartet in the future.

Ones To Watch

Kate Gaffney

Gaffney is a real emerging talent, filling The Tavern with songs that were easy to like but filled with nuances that make you want to hear them again right away. She’s got an instantly likeable voice that’s only growing more subtle and powerful the longer she plies her craft. She’s surrounded herself with top-notch players and keeps adding interesting material to her songbook. So, in short, there’s nothing not to dig about this Bay Area lady.

Newfangled Wasteland

A Beck cover band is a clever idea. Better still is a Beck cover band that plays nearly unrecognizable versions of Beck’s tunes. Dave Brogan, Chris Haugen, Steve Adams and TLG’s Trevor Garrod hit a sublime groove in their Sunday night set, showing that the longer they toy with these mutations the more they become their own. Said it before but it bears repeating: Festival bookers need to pay attention to this band.

The Hydrodynamics

The Hydrodynamics are the new project of former Blue Turtle Seduction chief songwriter/singer/guitarist Jay Seals. While his old band gave folks warm fuzzies in their festival one-off reunion, it’s clear this is where Seals’ heart is. Filled with hooky, bouncing melodies and abundant female energy, The Hydrodynamics were a touch ragged in their Tortugas debut but it was still evident that this is catchy stuff, pulling from the pop side of The Clash and marrying it to smoother vibes. A young band worth putting on your radar.

Epilogue

There’s no real way to say goodbye to Las Tortugas. Life over these four days is so wonderfully intense and happy that disconnecting from it and returning to time sheets and business calls is inevitably a shock to the system. Still, it’s incredible that Tortugas exists at all. What one finds at Tortugas is the sheer capacity for human beings to share and cavort is FAR greater than we might imagine. This feeling stays with us if we’re conscious about it and nestle away a portion in our breast for the long haul that awaits us beyond Evergreen Lodge. Everywhere one turns at Tortugas is evidence of human ingenuity and compassion delivered with melody and harmony. If you didn’t get kissed, bear hugged or otherwise lovingly groped it’s because you didn’t open your arms. But, as we revel, we’re given chances for revelation, too, and these deeper currents make Tortugas more than just a good time. The idea that we might be better citizens of the world – more loving neighbors, more welcoming strangers – is writ large at Las Tortugas, interwoven with the notes hanging in the air, ephemeral but real all the same.

Continue reading for Thursday/Friday pictures…

var siteRoot=”http://www.jambase.com”;var newPhotoIndex=”16″;$(document).ready( function() { $(“#GalleryWidget”).load(siteRoot+”/Photos/Widget.aspx?galleryID=166″);}); 10/28/10 – 10/29/10 – Las Tortugas Dance of the Dead (Evergreen Lodge) (Groveland, CA) View Photos

Continue reading for Saturday pictures…

var siteRoot=”http://www.jambase.com”;var newPhotoIndex=”25″;$(document).ready( function() { $(“#GalleryWidget”).load(siteRoot+”/Photos/Widget.aspx?galleryID=167″);}); 10/30/10 – Las Tortugas Dance of the Dead (Evergreen Lodge) (Groveland, CA) View Photos

Continue reading for Sunday pictures…

var siteRoot=”http://www.jambase.com”;var newPhotoIndex=”60″;$(document).ready( function() { $(“#GalleryWidget”).load(siteRoot+”/Photos/Widget.aspx?galleryID=168″);}); 10/31/10 – Las Tortugas Dance of the Dead (Evergreen Lodge) (Groveland, CA) View Photos

JamBase | Delighted
Go See Live Music!


Bear Creek Fest Stage Schedule

96 SETS, 5 STAGES, 5 DAYS; NOVEMBER 10-14 IN LIVE OAK, FLORIDA
AT SPIRIT OF SUWANNEE
MUSIC PARK

Bear Creek Music Festival has unveiled the 2010 Festival Stage Schedule. With music in six
different venues, Bear Creek offers nearly round-the-clock options with an incredible lineup. Headliners
moe. and Umphrey’s McGee are joined by Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Lettuce, The New
Mastersounds, Perpetual Groove, George Porter’s Running Pardners, Toubab Krewe, Zach Deputy, Maceo Parker, Pee
Wee Ellis, Fred Wesley, Bernie Worrell, DJ Logic, Soulive, The New Deal, Bonobo Live Band and DJ set, Eliot Lipp

and many others.

Tickets to Bear Creek Music & Arts Festival on sale now here.

Complete lineup, ticket info, and all details including Wednesday night’s Pre-Pre Festival and Thursday’s Pre-Festival
Kick-Off Parties available here.


Warren Haynes Solo Album Out Spring 2011

ALBUM FEATURES GEORGE PORTER JR, IVAN NEVILLE, IAN MCLAGAN,
RUTHIE FOSTER, & RON
HOLLOWAY


Warren Haynes

Warren Haynes has
revealed details of his upcoming solo album in an interview with Relix.com.

The album will feature Haynes, George Porter Jr on bass, Ivan Neville and Ian McClagan
(The Faces) on keys, vocalist Ruthie Foster, and Ron Holloway on saxophone. Haynes describes
the album as “all original material with one exception, but it sounds like the soul music of the late ‘60s, early ‘70s
blended with Albert King, B.B. King and Freddie King type blues from that same era”.

Says Haynes, “This is a record I’ve waited my whole life to make because soul music was my first love. Before I ever
heard rock
and roll music, I was listening to soul music. Before I picked up a guitar, I was singing—and everything I was
singing was soul music. For me, I think it’s the right time to showcase this side of me. Obviously anybody who’s
followed my career has seen this side of me before—but not to this extent.”

The album is due out Spring 2011.

Warren Haynes
Tour Dates

::
Warren Haynes News
::
Warren Haynes
Concert
Reviews


Bear Creek Fest Adds moe.

FOURTH INSTALLMENT GETS ANOTHER HEAVY HITTER

Today the Bear Creek Music Festival announced the addition of moe. to the festival’s lineup. They join headliners Umphrey’s McGee on November 12-14 at the legendary Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida. Also scheduled to perform are Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Lettuce, The New Mastersounds, Perpetual Groove, George Porter’s Running Pardners, Toubab Krewe and many more. See the full lineup here, and get in the mood for moe. below.


Blackwater & Bear Creek Fests At Spirit of Suwannee Music Park

ADVANCED DISCOUNT TICKETS FOR BOTH FESTIVALS AVAILABLE NOW

Big IV Productions owner and CEO Lyle Williams and director/Chief promoter Paul Levine continue to shape Florida’s
music scene with plans to bring two festivals to Live Oak, Florida’s Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in 2010.
Returning for its fourth consecutive year, Bear Creek Music Festival will take place November 12-14 and
the
inaugural Blackwater Music & Art Festival will touch down August 26-28.

For the first ever Blackwater Music Festival, fans will be treated to three days of eclectic music with sets by Slightly Stoopid, STS9, Michael Franti & Spearhead, JJ Grey & MOFRO, The Disco Biscuits, G. Love, Galactic and more than
20 other celebrated bands. Up to date lineup and ticket information is available here.

The critically acclaimed Bear Creek Music & Art Festival will once again feature a massive lineup full of
funk,
rock, jazz, funk, live electonica, and jam titans. Fan favorites Umphrey’s McGee return for two
nights of
headlining shows with other acts such as Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Lettuce, The New
Mastersounds
, Perpetual Groove,
George Porter’s Running Pardners, Toubab
Krewe
, Zach Deputy
and
others also playing twice over the
three day event. Other performers include Maceo Parker, Pee Wee
Ellis
, Fred Wesley, Bernie Worrell, DJ Logic,
Soulive, The New Deal, Bonobo Live Band, Eliot Lipp
and many more.
Complete lineup, ticket info, and all details
including Wednesday night’s Pre-Pre Festival and Thursday’s Pre-Festival Kick-Off Parties available here.


Tipitina’s Jazz Fest Webcasts Lotus, RRE, Dirty Dozen

A GOOD SEAT FOR SOME GREAT SHOWS FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME!

The very good folks at Tipitina’s are offering audio and video feeds (and archives) for a choice selection of performances happening inside their walls during this year’s Jazz Fest, which kicks off today. Our own Kayceman will be bringing you highlights each day and our photographers are scrambling around capturing moments to share. Check back with JamBase daily this weekend for updates and galleries!

The Tipitina’s webcasts can be found here.

The schedule for Tipitina’s webcasts and the start times is as follows:

Galactic

Fri 4/23
Zigaboo’s Funk Revue (9 pm CT)
Galactic (2 am CT)

Sat 4/24
Patti Smith (9 pm CT)
Lotus (2 am CT)

Sun 4/25
Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Jon Cleary: Piano, Bass & Drums (10 pm CT)

Mon 4/26
“Instruments A Comin’ 2010 Benefit Concert” (5 pm CT)
Galactic and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Ave and Big Sam’s Funky Nation and Rebirth Brass Band and Soul Rebels Brass Band and BIGI Featuring Ivan Neville, Ian Neville, George Porter, Jr., and Russell Batiste and Anders Osborne and Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and ‘Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr. and Nigel Hall With Eric Kasno & Adam Deitch and Donald Harrison & The T.I.P. Interns and Battle of The Bands With St. Augustine Marching 100, Roots of Music, O. Perry Walker, & McDonogh 35 and more!

Wed 4/28
Railroad Earth (10 pm CT)

Thur 4/29
North Mississippi Allstars plus City Champs (9 pm CT)

And if you’re headed to Jazz Fest be sure to check out JamBase’s Jazz Fest 2010 Survival Guide filled with set recommendations, food tips and more!


Bear Creek Adds: UM, London Souls & More

Bear Creek Adds Umphrey’s McGee, The London Souls Pee Wee Ellis & More

Bear Creek 2009 by Chapman

The Bear Creek Music and Art Festival, November 11-14, 2010 at The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida has announced a third round of artist additions. Bear Creek welcomes back Umphrey’s McGee for two headlining shows on 11/11 and 11/12. The London Souls will make their first Bear Creek appearances, as will Papadosio and Lingo. Saltwater Grass, The Soular System and Curious Circus return to Bear Creek once again. Artist-at-large additions include saxman Pee Wee Ellis and Motet vocalist Jans Ingber.

The addition of Pee Wee Ellis, who will join Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley on the bill, rounds out the presence of The JBs, aka The James Brown Horns, at Bear Creek. These funk and soul pioneers have not appeared on the same stage in many years and Bear Creek is honored to bring together these legends once again.

Bear Creek early-bird tickets are $115 until June 2. Thursday night, 11/11 pre-party tickets are $40 until June 2. VIP tickets are also available. Info and ticket information is available at bearcreekmusicfestival.com.

Full artist additions:

Umphrey’s McGee x 2

The London Souls x 2

Saltwater Grass

The Soular System

Curious Circus

Lingo

Papadosio

Artists at Large additions:

Pee Wee Ellis

Jans Ingber

Previously announced artists include:

- Maceo Parker Band

- The New Deal

- The New Mastersounds x 2

- Perpetual Groove x 2

- The Everyone Orchestra

- Elliot Lipp

- Alex B

- Brock Butler

- Josh Phillips Folk Festival

- Orgone

- Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk x 2

- Lettuce x 2

- Soulive

- George Porter’s Running Pardners x2

- Papa Grows Funk

- Toubab Krewe x 2

- Zach Deputy x 2

- John Brown’s Body x 2

- Will Bernard

- DubConscious

- Garaj Mahal x 2

- Rebirth Brass Band

- Eric Krasno

- Adam Deitch and Break Science

- The Dead Kenny G’s

- Big Sam’s Funky Nation

- The Tony Hall Band

- Brian Stoltz

- Dr. Claw

- Sam Kininger Band

- Rubblebucket Orchestra

- The Macpodz x2

- Lubriphonic x2

- The Nigel Hall Band

- The Legendary JC’s

- Avis Berry’s Soul Revue

- Matt Grondin Band

- Snarky Puppy

- Cadillac Jones

- The Malah

- Green Hit

- Greenhouse Lounge

- Burnin Smyrnans

- Entropy

- Spiritual Rez

- Cope

- Diocious

Artists at Large
- Fred Wesley

- Skerik

- Mike Dillon

- The Shady Horns

- Kofi Burbridge

For more on the Bear Creek Music Festival see our 2009 review here.


Bear Creek Adds: Maceo New Deal, PG, NMS, Lipp

Bear Creek Music and Art Festival Artist Additions

The Bear Creek Music and Art Festival has announced the second round of artist additions to the 2010 lineup. Returning to The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida, November 12-14, the festival has added:

Bear Creek 2009 by Chapman

Maceo Parker Band

- The New Deal

- The New Mastersounds x 2

- Perpetual Groove x 2

- The Everyone Orchestra

- Elliot Lipp

- Alex B

- Brock Butler

- Josh Phillips Folk Festival

- Orgone

These artists join the previously announced talent:

- Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk x 2

- Lettuce x 2

- Soulive

- George Porter’s Running Pardners x2

- Papa Grows Funk

- Toubab Krewe x 2

- Zach Deputy x 2

- John Brown’s Body x 2

- Will Bernard

- DubConscious

- Garaj Mahal x 2

- Rebirth Brass Band

- Eric Krasno

- Adam Deitch and Break Science

- The Dead Kenny G’s

- Big Sam’s Funky Nation

- The Tony Hall Band

- Brian Stoltz

- Dr. Claw

- Sam Kininger Band

- Rubblebucket Orchestra

- The Macpodz x2

- Lubriphonic x2

- The Nigel Hall Band

- The Legendary JC’s

- Avis Berry’s Soul Revue

- Matt Grondin Band

- Snarky Puppy

- Cadillac Jones

- The Malah

- Green Hit

- Greenhouse Lounge

- Burnin Smyrnans

- Entropy

- Spiritual Rez

- Cope

- Diocious

Artists at Large

- Fred Wesley

- Skerik

- Mike Dillon

- The Shady Horns

- Kofi Burbridge

Early-bird tickets are $99 until February 17 when they will jump to $115. Early VIP tickets are $225 until February 17 when they jump to $250. Thursday night Pre-party tickets are $40. Tickets available at www.bearcreekmusicfestival.com.

For more on the Bear Creek Music Festival see our 2009 review here.


Bear Creek Adds: Maceo New Deal, PG, NMS, Lipp

Bear Creek Music and Art Festival Artist Additions

The Bear Creek Music and Art Festival has announced the second round of artist additions to the 2010 lineup. Returning to The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida, November 12-14, the festival has added:

Bear Creek 2009 by Chapman

Maceo Parker Band

- The New Deal

- The New Mastersounds x 2

- Perpetual Groove x 2

- The Everyone Orchestra

- Elliot Lipp

- Alex B

- Brock Butler

- Josh Phillips Folk Festival

- Orgone

These artists join the previously announced talent:

- Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk x 2

- Lettuce x 2

- Soulive

- George Porter’s Running Pardners x2

- Papa Grows Funk

- Toubab Krewe x 2

- Zach Deputy x 2

- John Brown’s Body x 2

- Will Bernard

- DubConscious

- Garaj Mahal x 2

- Rebirth Brass Band

- Eric Krasno

- Adam Deitch and Break Science

- The Dead Kenny G’s

- Big Sam’s Funky Nation

- The Tony Hall Band

- Brian Stoltz

- Dr. Claw

- Sam Kininger Band

- Rubblebucket Orchestra

- The Macpodz x2

- Lubriphonic x2

- The Nigel Hall Band

- The Legendary JC’s

- Avis Berry’s Soul Revue

- Matt Grondin Band

- Snarky Puppy

- Cadillac Jones

- The Malah

- Green Hit

- Greenhouse Lounge

- Burnin Smyrnans

- Entropy

- Spiritual Rez

- Cope

- Diocious

Artists at Large

- Fred Wesley

- Skerik

- Mike Dillon

- The Shady Horns

- Kofi Burbridge

Early-bird tickets are $99 until February 17 when they will jump to $115. Early VIP tickets are $225 until February 17 when they jump to $250. Thursday night Pre-party tickets are $40. Tickets available at www.bearcreekmusicfestival.com.

For more on the Bear Creek Music Festival see our 2009 review here.


Leftover Salmon: Celebrating 20 Years Part 4

By: Michael ‘Jersey’ Gerity

Download the final part of our Leftover Salmon Celebrating 20 Years sampler here.

Every once in a blue moon, a group of musicians will get together and find that they have unleashed a spark of musical and personal compatibility that will not only change their lives but the many lives of the people around them as well. They might not see the longevity of what they are creating at that point, but as the years roll by and the band endures, the magic shines through in their music and amongst the troupe of fans that returns their energy.

If you’ve been following the first three parts of this series (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) then you have come to realize that Leftover Salmon is a band of this ilk. And like Salmon instinctively do, the band recently returned to the exact site of their spawning some 20 years ago. It was at The Eldo in Crested Butte, Colorado in December of 1989 where the journey began, so it was only natural for the band to kick off their four-show holiday anniversary run back where it all got started.

Here in part four of “Celebrating 20 Years” it seemed fitting to have Vince Herman and Drew Emmitt recall the recent run of shows and what it meant to the both of them.

“It was taking it all the way back to the beginning,” explains Emmitt. “There was a lot of intense energy in that little room. I don’t think I’ve seen that many people in The Eldo before. It was a wall of sound in a very small space.”

Vince Herman :: 12.28 :: The Eldo by Jackson Photo

“For me, it was huge personally. I’ve been here now in Crested Butte for almost ten years. So for me to be able to play with Salmon in my hometown for all my friends and give that to my community was huge. I was so psyched we were doing it here,” adds Emmitt. “It was incredibly significant and really fun.”

For a band that has nearly 375 songs in their repertoire, it was any one’s guess what they might play that first night in Crested Butte.

“Vince just really wanted to be old school and he said, ‘You know what? Let’s play everything that really slams.’ Because he really wanted people to slam dance,” Emmitt says. “And I agreed with that.”

The band brought out many of those early slam-grass zingers to get things going down in Crested Butte, saving their ballads and long epic jams for the Boulder and Denver shows.

“For me, it did reveal what’s happened over the years,” says Herman. “It was like, ‘Mission accomplished!’ And it was so cool to see a lot of the same people that were at that first show and what’s become of their lives and you know, up to the same tricks kinda thing – in brand new ways.”

“One of the things that was a revelation to me was thinking about getting there in the beginning and not having a repertoire. You think twenty years later there is this whole repertoire of tunes and all this stuff. But we had absolutely nothing when we rolled into there that we had played together,” Herman recalls. “Lefthand [String Band], at that point, had been playing really fast and the Salmonheads were playing fast but with a drummer and an accordion player, so we just figured out what it was we could pull off. It turned out the more bluegrassy, rowdier stuff caused slam dancing; and probably to the crowd’s surprise and to ours. But slam dancing was kind of a thing at the time. It didn’t have any intention, but it was obvious where to go once those people showed up. And then they showed up again.”

Leftover Salmon & Friends :: 12.30 :: Boulder Theater
By Jackson Photo

Of course what Herman is talking about is the birth of their sound, an amalgamation of music that they coined Polyethnic Cajun Slamgrass, which would ultimately go on to help pioneer the jam band scene.

After the Crested Butte show, the band returned to Boulder, their other Colorado home, where they played two nights leading up to New Year’s Eve at the historic Boulder Theater. It was a family gathering and the vibe was one of optimism and hope as the Emmitt-Nershi Band took to the stage to open things up.

As we awaited Salmon’s arrival, it seemed appropriate that just Herman and Emmitt appeared first on the stage for an acoustic rendition of a Woody Guthrie tune and a heartfelt welcome and thanks for twenty wonderful years.

“Everybody came out of the woodwork, all the old friends. It was wonderful,” says Emmitt. “To be honest with you it was a little more overwhelming when we did our last shows at the Fox before the hiatus. That was intense, with a lot of emotion. This was more relaxed and happy. I think this was more of a beginning, with a sense of something we are going to keep doing, and finally after twenty years we have figured out how to do it and have it make sense and have everybody still be able to do their other projects. And it’s great. It was a real nice way to kick off a new era for us.”

Leftover Salmon & Friends :: NYE :: Boulder Theater
By Jackson Photo

Like many New Year’s shows, the anticipation began building early and the room was charged with a special glow. It is said in Salmon folklore that it was a blue moon the night of their first show in 1989. So, it was only appropriate to celebrate twenty years of this band in a special, surreal way on the night of another blue moon. It seems with these fish, things really get done, well, twice in a blue moon.

Salmon was scheduled to play three sets with no opener. When the lights dimmed, we were off. There are many simultaneous things happening to make this sound called Leftover Salmon and if you have been to a Salmon show, you know the carnival atmosphere I’m speaking of. So, peruse the setlist (at the end of the story) and use your imagination to envision how this band rejoiced in their rebirth at twenty years and how this following of LoSers helped bring in the New Year.

To commemorate this historic four-night run, the band and their management went the extra mile to accommodate the fans. The Eldo show in Crested Butte was broadcast on KBUT and streamed live on their website. It was a great way for all the folks that didn’t get tickets to this intimate show or just couldn’t make it out to Colorado to listen. Likewise, the Boulder shows were streamed in High Definition and will be available through the On Demand stream throughout the month of January. Both shows were also filmed for a possible future DVD.

Continue reading for more on Leftover Salmon’s 20 Year Celebration…

Leftover Salmon & Friends :: NYE :: Boulder Theater
By Jackson Photo

“The Millennium Hotel was Salmon headquarters over the New Year’s run in Boulder. Most of the band and many fans were staying there,” explains John Joy of Salmon’s management team. “An organized poster signing on New Year’s Day took place at the hotel bar and it was dubbed ‘Bloodys with the Band.’ Longtime Leftover Salmon artists Jason Rizzi and Scramble Campbell, who collaborated on the poster art and the set design that went with the 20th celebration run, where both on hand displaying their work. It was a fantastic event where the entire band was there signing posters for over three hours straight with a constant flow of fans, some great storytelling, and even some picking going on in the hotel lobby with some of the members of Elephant Revival along with Vince Herman’s two sons, Colin and Silas. It was the perfect way to erase the hangover from the night before and to reminisce on what a great twenty years it has been.”

“Painting with Leftover this New Year’s was like riding a roller coaster into a new decade,” says Scramble Campbell. “There were plenty of friendly, familiar faces with the music, which simply made my brushes dance. Friday’s gathering was the perfect way to start the year off smooth. It was an honor to be invited to be in their historic 20th anniversary.”

Emmitt & Herman :: 01.02.10
Ogden Theatre by Jackson Photo

“Needless to say it was a trip to work with Scramble to commemorate twenty years of LoS,” says Jason Rizzi. “Scramble has a deep respect for music, art and culture; I appreciate that about him. It’s a blast just to be around him. He’s got amazing intuition, a big heart, and a swell sense of humor if you catch him at the right moments. This three piece project was a joy to work on and has certainly ‘Scrambled’ my mind up real good in the process.”

“I feel this 20 Year Celebration undoubted marks a new era for Leftover Salmon and their Polyethnic Cajun Slamgrass following family,” adds Rizzi. “The band is really playing at the edge of magic, and honestly embodies the spirit of renewal and celebration.”

But just when you think it can’t get no better, it does! The final show at the Ogden Theatre in Denver on January 2 was billed as “Salmon and Friends” with Herman and his Great American Taxi opening.

“From the twenty year perspective, it was really cool to be able to do that, because that is where my focus is now, [with] Salmon being a thing we revisit at times,” says Herman. “It’s a great repertoire of tunes that I would hate to see go away because it’s really fun to play them and share them with the family we’ve had listening to those tunes. But, the focus of my writing now is in Taxi.”

“I think we might start integrating some of our newer stuff since Salmon stopped touring and there might be the possibility of introducing some other stuff, here and there. I think as we get more in the groove with this that will begin to happen,” says Emmitt. “In my opinion, I think it’s still okay to put this thing back together as it is and as it was. By in large, that’s what people really want to hear anyway. I think we are playing some of these songs better than we ever have. There is always the possibility for something new. Just let things unfold. I think at this point with this band we don’t need to push it, just let it all happen – just see what happens and what develops and go from there.”

There were many guests and friends that sat in with the band in Boulder and that began right from the start of the final night. Just sighting two drum kits onstage, the crowd knew we were in for a rousing treat. It was an underlying tribute and benefit for Little Feat drummer Richie Hayward, who is suffering from severe liver disease. With both longtime Salmon drummers, Jeff Sipe and Jose Martinez, behind the kits, the band sounded better than ever.

“It was like a monster – powerful, with a light laughter thing over the top of it,” remarks Herman about the two-drummer set-up.

Leftover Salmon & Friends :: 01.02.10
Ogden Theatre by Joe Belinky

Guests kept filling up the setlist, with Bonnie Paine of Elephant Revival on washboard, the Peak To Freak horns (Danny Sears and Justin Jones), Joe Jogerst on accordion, and Yonder Mountain String Band‘s Jeff Austin on mandolin as well as Sally Van Meter, who played a big role in the evening, ripping through many tunes on the pedal steel.

“It had been so long since we played with Sally. You hear her play the acoustic stuff and you kinda forget she gets absolutely raunchy on that thing,” says Herman. “Her and Drew definitely had a great dueling, slippy-slidey thing going on.”

Pete “Dr. Banjo” Wernick was also a friend that sat in on a number of songs, bringing a real full circle moment for Herman.

“It had been way to long since I had seen Pete,” says Herman. “Hot Rize is the reason I moved to Colorado, wanting to get out of West Virginia and get into some new bluegrass scene. And Hot Rize was the center of that. I thought it was incredibly poignant to have Pete there.”

But, the bulk of the evening was dedicated to the numerous rousing renditions with Cracker‘s David Lowery and Johnny Hickman, who’d once played a New Year’s gig in Denver with Leftover, then stayed on to recreate some of the magic found on the collaborative 2003 O’ Cracker Where Art Thou? album. Herman sums it up, “The Cracker stuff was just so fuckin’ fun.”

As the Ogden show wound down four magical nights, you could see the infectious joy across the faces of everyone on the stage and in the crowd. The music spoke for itself and now after twenty years of ups and downs, it might be said that Leftover Salmon may have found a new niche.

The LOS family has now grown to encompass a number of side projects, and the delicate balance of these influences has set a new direction. Salmon has always been a unique and special sound and gathering, so it should be no surprise that when this bunch assembles the magic is sure to follow.

They are bringing the goods and are once again throwing the special kind of party that they’ve become famous for. So, when the call comes, both band and fans will be ready to reconvene and come together in the church of Polyethnic Cajun Slamgrass.

This video is from the Boulder Theater HD Live stream that was offered the night of the shows. Both Boulder Theater shows are available now for on demand streaming in HD. Details available at leftoversalmon.com.

Download the entire Leftover Salmon Celebrating 20 Years

free double album sampler here:


Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4

Continue reading for NYE Run setlists and album track list details…

Collaborative Art by Scramble Campbell & Jason Rizzi – Celebrating 20 Years of Leftover Salmon

Show poster available here.

12.28.09 :: The Eldo :: Crested Butte, CO

Set I: Intro, Ain’t Gonna Work, Zombie Jamboree, Whiskey Before Breakfast > Over The Waterfall, Rabbit In Log, Tu N’as Pas Aller, Gold Hill Line, Soul Shakedown Party >
Hot Corn/Cold Corn, Squirrel Heads And Gravy, Almost Cut My Hair, Bosco Stomp >
Rocky Road Blues > The Shape I’m In > Hell Yea I Drink > Rocky Road Blues

Set II:
Tangled up in Blue > Sing the Blues > Funky Town > God Save The Queen > Sing the Blues > Tangled up in Blue, Jugband Son, Bill’s Boogie, Other Side, Dear Ole Dixie, Lovin’ In My Baby’s Eyes, Down In The Hollow

E: Band Introduction, Steam powered Airplane, Rise Up

Download the 12.28 Eldo show here.

12.30.09 :: Boulder Theater :: Boulder, CO

Set I: Woody Guthrie (acoustic w/ only Drew and Vince), Voodoo Queen Marie (w/ Gerry Cavagnaro), Look Mama A Boo Boo (w/ Gerry Cavagnaro), Get Me Outta This City, Hot Burrito Breakdown, Get ‘er Rolling (w/ Tyler Grant & Joe Jogerst), Zydeco Boogaloo (w/ Joe Jogerst), Blue House (w/ Joe Jogerst), Let’s Give A Party (w/ Joe Jogerst), Delta Queen (w/ Gerry Cavagnaro), Hard To Handle (w/ Gerry Cavagnaro), Doing My Time > Danger Man > Doing My Time (w/ Andy Thorn), Y’all Come (w/ Guests)

Set II: Riding On The L&N, Midnight Blues, Tu N’as Pas Aller, Railroad Highway, Wild Bill Joes (w/ Silas Herman, Eric Torin, Eli Emmitt) Alfalfa’s, Whipping Post, Head Bag (w/ Joe Jogerst), She Caught the Katy (w/ Gerry Cavagnaro), Oklahoma (w/ Glenn Keefe, Gerry Cavagnaro, Joe Jogerst), Quinn the Eskimo (w/ Billy Nershi)

E: Iko Iko > Rise Up (w/ all guests in the house)

Download the 12.30 Boulder Theater show here.

12.31.09 :: Boulder Theater :: Boulder, CO

Set I (Acoustic): Rocky Road Blues, Come On In My Kitchen, Molly and Tembrooks, Lovin In My Baby’s Eyes, Shuckin The Corn (w/ Bonnie Payne), Blue Moon of Kentucky (w/ Bonnie Payne), Just Before The Evening, Blue Night

Set II: I Know your Mother > I Know You Rider > Jack London > Honkey Tonk Woman > Jack London > Honkey Tonk Woman > I Know Your Mother> I Know You Rider, Dance on your Head, 99 Years (w/ Gerry Cavagnaro), Washington at Valley Forge (w/ Gerry Cavagnaro), Just Keep Walkin, Breakin Thru, Carnival Time, Troubled Times, Rodeo Geek, Whispering Waters, Euphoria

Set III: Just when you think it can’t get no better (w/ Joe Jogerst), New Year’s Countdown > Auld Lang Syne, This Is The Time, Up On The Hill Where They Do The Boogie, Mama Boulet, River’s Risin, Two Trains (w/ Gerry Cavagnaro), Ooh Las Vegas (w/ Gerry Cavagnaro), Wheel Hoss (w/ Silas Herman), Going around the World (w/ Silas Herman), Madam Rosin (w/ Joe Jogerst & Gerry Cavagnaro), Big Mamou (w/ Joe Jogerst & Gerry Cavagnaro)

E: Let it Bleed (w/ Joe Jogerst & Gerry Cavagnaro), White Freightliner

Download the NYE show here.

01.02.10 :: Ogden Theatre :: Denver, CO

Set I: Jokester, Down In The Hollow, Steamboat Whistle Blues (w/ Pete Wernick), Day Break in Dixie (w/ Pete Wernick), High On A Mountain Top (w/ Pete Wernick), On The Road (w/ Pete Wernick), Gimme Da Ting (w/ Sally Van Meter & Bonnie Payne), Bend In The River (w/ Joe Jogerst, Bonnie Payne & Sally Van Meter), Get Off This (w/ David Lowery & Johnny Hickman / Horns – Danny Sears & Justin Jones), Mr. Wrong (w/ David Lowery & Johnny Hickman / Horns – Danny Sears & Justin Jones), Teen Angst (w/ David Lowery & Johnny Hickman), 44 Blues (w/ Sally Van Meter / Horns – Danny Sears & Justin Jones), Better (w/ Sally Van Meter / Horns – Danny Sears & Justin Jones)

Set II: Let’s Give A Party (w/ Sally Van Meter / Horns – Danny Sears & Justin Jones), Lonesome Road (w/ Sally Van Meter), Who Put The Pepper In The Vaseline (w/ Pete Wernick, Sally Van Meter & Bonnie Payne), Out In The Woods (w/ Sally Van Meter), Little Maggie (w/ Sally Van Meter & Pete Wernick), Bosco Stomp (w/ Sally Van Meter & Joe Jogerst), Can’t You Hear Me Calling (w/ Jeff Austin & Sally Van Meter), Bill’s Boogie (w/ Jeff Austin & Sally Van Meter / Horns – Danny Sears, Justin Jones), Sweet Potato (w/ David Lowey, Johnny Hickmen & Sally Van Meter / Horns- Danny Sears, Justin Jones), Eurotrash Girl (w/ David Lowery, Johnny Hickman, Sally Van Meter & Jeff Austin), Lonesome Johnny Blues (w/ David Lowery, Johnny Hickman, Sally Van Meter & Jeff Austin)

E: Pasta On The Mountain (w/ all guest)

The Ogden show is free with your NYE download.

Continue reading for Leftover Salmon Celebrating 20 Years track list…

Just unzip the folder and play. If you drag in to iTunes, all show information, comments, and even album art will be imported and displayed. Download and add each part to your iTunes or burn to CDs as they become available to complete the double album set!

Track Listing for Part 1 of the Leftover Salmon Celebrating 20 Years Sampler

1. Blister in the Sun 3:59 – 05/04/1991 McCabe’s Boulder, CO

Band: Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Mark Vann, Gerry Cavagnaro, Michael Wooten, Rob Galloway

Songwriter/Composer Credits: Violent Femmes

2. Just Before The Evening 4:02 – 05/04/1991 McCabe’s Boulder, CO

Band: Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Mark Vann, Gerry Cavagnaro, Michael Wooten, Rob Galloway
Songwriter/Composer Credits: Drew Emmitt – Leftover Salmon

3. Whiskey Before Breakfast/Over The Waterfall 3:47 – 05/04/1991 McCabe’s – Boulder, CO

Band: Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Mark Vann, Gerry Cavagnaro, Michael Wooten, Rob Galloway

Songwriter/Composer Credits: Traditionally arranged by Leftover Salmon

4. Who Stole My Monkey 4:42 – 05/25/1991 Stage Stop – Rollinsville, CO

Band: Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Mark Vann, Gerry Cavagnaro, Michael Wooten, Rob Galloway

Songwriter/Composer Credits: Zachary Richard

5. Mystery 4:19 – 10/02/1993 – Fox Theater – Boulder, CO

Band: Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Mark Vann, Michael Wooten, Tye North, Joe Jogerst

Songwriter/Composer Credits: Mark Hallman

6. Weights 3:53 10/02/1993 – Fox Theater – Boulder, CO

Band: Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Mark Vann, Michael Wooten, Tye North, Joe Jogerst

Songwriter/Composer Credits: Drew Emmitt – Leftover Salmon

7. Dance On Your Head 4:12 – 10/19/1994 Music Farm – Charleston, SC

Band: Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Mark Vann, Michael Wooten, Tye North

Songwriter/Composer Credits: Vince Herman / Mark Vann – Leftover Salmon

8. Head Bag 5:34 10/19/1994 Music Farm – Charleston, SC

Band: Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Mark Vann, Michael Wooten, Tye North

Songwriter/Composer Credits: Vince Herman – Leftover Salmon


Track Listing for Part 2 of the Leftover Salmon Celebrating 20 Years sampler:

9. Hot Burrito Breakdown 3:47 – 08/07/1995 The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA

Band: Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Mark Vann, Michael Wooten, Tye North

Songwriter/Composer Credits: Chris Ethridge / Gram Parsons

10. River’s Rising 6:59 – 07/14/1996 Great American Music Festival – Winter Park, CO

Band: Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Mark Vann, Michael Wooten, Tye North

Songwriter/Composer Credits: Drew Emmitt – Leftover Salmon

11. Funky Mountain Fogdown (with Pete Sears) 4:43 – 04/14/1997 The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA

Band: Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Mark Vann, Michael Wooten, Tye North

Songwriter/Composer Credits: Mark Vann – Leftover Salmon

12. Up On The Hill Where We Do The Boogie 4:16 – 02/16/1998 JR’s Dickson Street Ball Room – Fayetteville, AR

Band: Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Mark Vann, Jeff Sipe, Tye North

Songwriter/Composer Credits: John Hartford

13. Little Maggie 4:12 – 02/22/1998 Tipitina’s – New Orleans, LA

Band: Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Mark Vann, Jeff Sipe, Tye North

Songwriter/Composer Credits: Traditional, Arranged by Leftover Salmon

14. Mama Look a Boo Boo (with Karl Denson) 4:11 – 04/22/1999 Ogden Theatre – Denver, CO

Band: Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Mark Vann, Jeff Sipe, Tye North

Songwriter/Composer Credits: Harry Belafonte

15. Ooh Las Vegas (with Trey Anastasio) 7:38 – 09/20/1999 Rialto Theater – Tucson, AZ

Band: Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Mark Vann, Jeff Sipe, Tye North

Songwriter/Composer Credits: Graham Parsons

16. Nobody’s Fault But Mine (with John Bell, Jeff Austin, Pete Sears and John Cowan) 8:47
09/09/2000 Planet Salmon – Lyons, CO

Band: Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Mark Vann, Jeff Sipe, Tye North

Songwriter/Composer Credits: Nina Simone


Track Listing for Part 3 of the Leftover Salmon Celebrating 20 Years sampler:

17. Austin Five (Mark Vann Original, Never Released) 5:53

03/26/2001 The Canopy – Urbana, IL

Band: Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Mark Vann, Bill McKay, Greg Garrison, Jose Martinez

Songwriter/Composer Credits: Mark Vann

18. Teen Angst (with David Lowery) 5:12
09/24 & 09/25/2002 David Lowery’s Studio – Richmond, VA

Band: Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Noam Pikelny, Bill McKay, Greg Garrison, Jose Martinez

Songwriter/Composer Credits: David Faragher/David Lowery/John Hickman – Cracker

19. Dark Hollow (with Del McCoury) 4:09

11/09/2002 The NorVa – Norfolk, VA

Band: Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Noam Pikelny, Bill McKay, Greg Garrison, Jose Martinez

Songwriter/Composer Credits: Bill Browning

20. Rocky Road Blues (with Mike Gordon) 4:30

12/04/2002 Higher Ground – Winooski, VT

Band: Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Noam Pikelny, Bill McKay, Greg Garrison, Jose Martinez

Songwriter/Composer Credits: Bill Monroe

21. Ain’t No Use (with David Grisman) 7:28

01/29/2003 McNear’s Mystic Theatre – Petaluma, CA

Band: Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Noam Pikelny, Bill McKay, Greg Garrison, Jose Martinez

Songwriter/Composer Credits: Joseph Modeliste/Arthur L Neville/Leo Nocentelli/George Porter Jr.

22. Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow (with Sam Bush and Ross Martin) 6:47

02/20/2003 Fox Theater – Boulder, CO

Band: Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Noam Pikelny, Bill McKay, Greg Garrison, Jose Martinez

Songwriter/Composer Credits: Traditionally arranged by Leftover Salmon


Track Listing for Part 4 of the Leftover Salmon Celebrating 20 Years sampler:

23. Breakin Thru 7:36

12/31/2004 Fox Theater – Boulder, CO

Band: Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Noam Pikelny, Bill McKay, Greg Garrison, Jose Martinez

Songwriter/Composer Credits: Drew Emmitt – Leftover Salmon

24. Catfish John (with Michael Wooten) 7:55
12/31/2004 Fox Theater – Boulder, CO

Band: Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Noam Pikelny, Bill McKay, Greg Garrison, Jose Martinez

Songwriter/Composer Credits: Bob McDill / Allen Reynolds

25. Valley Of The Full Moon 4:02

07/28/2007 Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO

Band: Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Noam Pikelny, Bill McKay, Greg Garrison, Jeff Sipe

Songwriter/Composer Credits: Drew Emmitt – Leftover Salmon

26. Ask The Fish 11:00

07/28/2007 Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO

Band: Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Noam Pikelny, Bill McKay, Greg Garrison, Jeff Sipe

Songwriter/Composer Credits: Vince Herman – Leftover Salmon

27. Vampire Blues 7:04

10/31/2008 Fillmore Auditorium – Denver, CO

Band: Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Noam Pikelny, Bill McKay, Greg Garrison, Jeff Sipe

Songwriter/Composer Credits: Neil Young

28. Rise Up, Wake and Bake 3:19

07/03/2009 High Sierra Music Festival – Quincy, CA

Band: Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Noam Pikelny, Bill McKay, Greg Garrison, Jose Martinez

Songwriter/Composer Credits: Drew Emmitt/Vince Herman – Leftover Salmon

JamBase | 20 Years Strong

Go See Live Music!


Bear Creek 2010 Initial Lineup

BEAR CREEK MUSIC AND ART FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES INITIAL LINEUP

Soulive

The Bear Creek Music and Art Festival will return to The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fl., November 12-14, 2010. The festival is proud to announce it’s 2010 initial artist lineup which includes Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Soulive, Lettuce, George Porter’s Runnin Pardners, The Will Bernard Band, Toubab Krewe, John Brown’s Body, Break Science and many more bands.

Artists at Large include Fred Wesley, Mike Dillon, Skerik, Kofi Burbridge and The Shady Horns.

More acts and headliners will be announced in the coming months. Early-bird tickets are on sale for $99 until February 17. Thursday night, November 11, Pre-party tickets are also available for $40. More information here.

Bear Creek Music and Art Festival Initial Lineup
- Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk x 2
- Lettuce x 2
- Soulive
- George Porter’s Running Pardners x2
- Papa Grows Funk
- Toubab Krewe x 2
- Zach Deputy x 2
- John Brown’s Body x 2
- Will Bernard
- DubConscious
- Garaj Mahal x 2
- Rebirth Brass Band
- Eric Krasno
- Adam Deitch and Break Science
- The Dead Kenny G’s
- Big Sam’s Funky Nation
- The Tony Hall Band
- Brian Stoltz
- Dr. Claw
- Sam Kininger Band
- Rubblebucket Orchestra
- The Macpodz x2
- Lubriphonic x2
- The Nigel Hall Band
- The Legendary JC’s
- Avis Berry’s Soul Revue
- Matt Grondin Band
- Snarky Puppy
- Cadillac Jones
- The Malah
- Green Hit
- Greenhouse Lounge
- Burnin Smyrnans
- Entropy
- Spiritual Rez
- Cope
- Diocious

Artists at Large
- Fred Wesley
- Skerik
- Mike Dillon
- The Shady Horns
- Kofi Burbridge


Jam Cruise Vote to the Boat

JAM CRUISE AND RELIX MAGAZINE PRESENT “VOTE TO THE BOAT”

ONE LUCKY BAND WILL WIN THE CHANCE TO PERFORM ON JAM CRUISE 8

VOTE JULY 15 – SEPTEMBER 15 AT WWW.JAMCRUISE.COM

Jam Cruise 7 by Smith

Jam Cruise, the ultimate fan experience where everyone has a backstage pass, is bringing even more to fans with their Vote to the Boat contest. Partnering with Relix Magazine, Jam Cruise 8 will offer fans a chance to get their favorite band on board. Between July 15 and September 15 fans can vote (only once) for one of 10 bands: Big Gigantic, Dubconscious, Flowmotion, Josh Phillips Folk Festival, Nate Wilson Group, Ryan Montbleau Band, The Heavy Pets, The Macpodz, Trampled by Turtles, or Underground Orchestra. Voting begins on July 15 at www.jamcruise.com.

The lucky winner will join incredible lineup, which includes STS9, The Word feat. John Medeski, North Mississippi Allstars & Robert Randolph, Zappa plays Zappa, Galactic, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Maceo Parker, Dark Star Orchestra, JJ Grey & Mofro, Railroad Earth, Steve Kimock’s Crazy Engine, Lotus, Fantastic 4 feat. Robert Walter, Adam Deitch, Eric Krasno & Cheme Gastelum, Toubab Krewe, Eric Krasno & Chapter 2, The Motet plays the Talking Heads, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Hot Buttered, Rum, John Brown’s Body, Kyle Hollingsworth Band, Mike Dillon’s Go Go Jungle, The Mother Hips, Break Science feat. Adam Deitch, Dragon Smoke feat. Robert Mercurio, Ivan Neville, Stanton Moore & Eric Lindell, Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes, George Porter’s Super Jam, DJ Logic, Pretty Lights, and special guests Col Bruce Hampton, Skerik, and Will Bernard.

Jam Cruise 8 will set sail January 3-8, 2010 from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, FL on board the beautiful MSC Poesia and will visit the tropical ports of Ocho Rios, Jamaica and George Town, Cayman Islands. In addition to nearly round-the-clock music while on board, Jam Cruisers can enjoy all the adventures Ocho Rios and St. George have to offer: ziplining through the jungle or hiking to Dunn’s River Falls in Jamaica, scuba diving and snorkeling in The Caymans, or just basking in the sun during that first week in January.

To book a cabin or to find out more about Jam Cruise 8, please visit www.jamcruise.com.

Check our coverage of Jam Cruise 7 here.