Music

Favorite Jam Bands Part 2

The Other Half - Not to be mistaken with the Other Ones (Grateful Dead members), this band was one of the first of the new crop of jam bands (before they were called jam bands) I got to see. My first gig was when my friend Tracey suggested I check out her friend's band that was opening up for Popper's side band called Wasabi with Mark White of the Spin Doctors and others. I drove into the city to the New Music Cafe (one of the greatest losses of the 90s) and got to meet Wasabi and the Other Half. Both incredible bands. Too bad my car got broken into and my school books stolen. Oh well. Before they broke up I had to have seen them a dozen times.
West End Bleecker Blues is easily one of the coolest jam band tunes ever.

Blindman's Holiday - These guys are local favorites. They grew up, for the most part, with the guys from God Street Wine. The singer, Alyssa, was my cousin's roommate in college and sang at her wedding. Needless to say these guys rock. It doesn't hurt having a crush on the lead singer. The Other Half was the same way. Open Wide was the album of choice when I wanted to think about the city while living in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Phish - These guys are a given, so I put them down toward the bottom. To date (1/31/00) I have seen these guys 89 times not including side projects. Not much else to say really...

The Allman Brothers Band - Probably the oldest "Jam Band" still playing today. These guys still rip it up, albeit with the help of talented younger musicians like Derek Trucks and Oteil Burbridge. Continue to see these guys just about once a year at least. Keep it going guys!

ULU - This band is very interesting to me. There are few bands that I can say the following about - many different circle of friends love these guys - and thus I get to see them each time Ulu plays. Shoutouts to the following that got me into this Jazz instrumentalist troupe: Kilgore, Todd Kabeck, Benny aka bennyoc, Tela and the guys from Mountain Valley. The band is good. The lead sax guys is actually very good - they get better each time I hear them. My opinion - they should do what the Flecktones do, introduce a new guitarist (or other instrument) every so often. They are good but can't always pull it off by themselves. I think they look too young to be as talented as they are which sadly, hinders their appeal. 

Deep Banana Blackout

Percy Hill

The Slip - I got a few live shows burned on disk from Sod drummer Jeff Kilgore and right away I liked these guys. These guys were meant to play festivals like the High Sierra gig and others like it.

Moe. - This band, in all honestly didn't do it for me at first. My friend Mara played them one night recently and it really hit the mark. Some songs I remembered from the lots at shows but didn't know the connection. Go moe.

The Big Wu - Up and coming, though I am sure they have been around for some time - this band is quite different. I like what I have heard.

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