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Best Jam Band

Music is perfect in that there is something for us all.

Tell us your thoughts.
I was a columnist for jambands.com ~20 years ago.

My current personal band is Govt Mule. Warren Haynes bridges the Allman Brothers with the Dead. IMO, he’s the best combo of vocals, lead rhythm and slide guitar and songwriting in the business. The current lineup has been in place for 10 years and they effortlessly play everything from the Miles of ”Kind of Bird” (ABB) and Sco-Mule with Scofield, to reggae, Dark Side of the Mule, Dead sets, Stones sets, AC/DC sets…and all of Warren’s catalog from his solo, ABB, The Dead and all the Mule originals going back to ‘95. Not much they can’t play, We are taking our 4th trip to Jamaica in January for their Island Exodus gigs. Last time I watched every show from a beach chair 15 feet from the monitor board and got hugs from Lukas Nelson and Don Kinsey (Wailers). Everybody there is awesome. Lots of ABB fans and Deadheads.

I once said that Warren Haynes was the one person I’d follow into battle…he’s a true Bard. The Warrior Poet.

While Mule can jam, and they play everything I love, it’s rare that they melt my face and/or suspend time.

I never got to see the Grateful Dead. I wasn't quite “there“ yet in ‘95 and missed my chance. Ive seen Phil and Friends and The Dead with Warren, RatDog. Havent seen Dead & Co.

It took me a couple more years to really get Phish and went to my first show at Alpine in ‘97 and it was transformative. I’m bummed I missed the ‘95 and ‘96 shows in Lincoln and Omaha. That Lincoln setlist is an all-timer.

I’m probably in the 20 Phish show range, +/-. We are seeing them in Vegas on Oct 30. From Jerry’s death to early 2000’s, it’s hard to argue that Phish wasnt “the best Jamband” during that era.

more later…
 
No question Jerry snd the dead. Back in the day while the majority of bands played 25 min to 60 min sets Jerry brought you a 2 to 3 hour show Keep up if you can.

Moe.. just down right Awesome

last but surely not least Gov Mule

Taking over for Jerry with the dead, to Allman brothers. warren Haynes is in a class all by himself and he could take you wherever you wanted to go. you’d always end up in a fantastic place

We need to end up at a show together sometime!

Half of moe will be playing my buddy’s annual birthday party in Omaha next month. wWillie Waldman with Vinnie and Chuck from moe and John Avila from Oingo Boingo on bass is the usual lineup, but this year I think it’s Al not Chuck.
 



Moe is a fascinating show to observe. They are a unique jam band in that they extend pieces not just by sitting on a couple chords and letting whomever go off. Rather, they create new sections and transitions that blend pieces together. Really interesting and crafty composition.
One group not mentioned in this thread, but worthy of note is Wet Willie. I saw them with Allman Bros in Memphis, and a jam or two did occur. At that show, before the Wet, a group came on stage, without introduction, and set the tone with fine instrumental Southern Rock. Halfway through a cut, the music stopped and a fellow stepped to the mike, "We're the Allman Brothers' road crew, and we like to play too."
 
I was a columnist for jambands.com ~20 years ago.

My current personal band is Govt Mule. Warren Haynes bridges the Allman Brothers with the Dead. IMO, he’s the best combo of vocals, lead rhythm and slide guitar and songwriting in the business. The current lineup has been in place for 10 years and they effortlessly play everything from the Miles of ”Kind of Bird” (ABB) and Sco-Mule with Scofield, to reggae, Dark Side of the Mule, Dead sets, Stones sets, AC/DC sets…and all of Warren’s catalog from his solo, ABB, The Dead and all the Mule originals going back to ‘95. Not much they can’t play, We are taking our 4th trip to Jamaica in January for their Island Exodus gigs. Last time I watched every show from a beach chair 15 feet from the monitor board and got hugs from Lukas Nelson and Don Kinsey (Wailers). Everybody there is awesome. Lots of ABB fans and Deadheads.

I once said that Warren Haynes was the one person I’d follow into battle…he’s a true Bard. The Warrior Poet.

While Mule can jam, and they play everything I love, it’s rare that they melt my face and/or suspend time.

I never got to see the Grateful Dead. I wasn't quite “there“ yet in ‘95 and missed my chance. Ive seen Phil and Friends and The Dead with Warren, RatDog. Havent seen Dead & Co.

It took me a couple more years to really get Phish and went to my first show at Alpine in ‘97 and it was transformative. I’m bummed I missed the ‘95 and ‘96 shows in Lincoln and Omaha. That Lincoln setlist is an all-timer.

I’m probably in the 20 Phish show range, +/-. We are seeing them in Vegas on Oct 30. From Jerry’s death to early 2000’s, it’s hard to argue that Phish wasnt “the best Jamband” during that era.

more later…
The '96 Omaha show, IMO, was forgettable. The Lincoln show, on the other hand, is up there with Crawford v Gamboa for most amazing live event I've ever attended. The first set was absolutely perfect. I saw a half dozen or so Phish shows in '95, '96, and '97 and then kind of moved on. But, yeah, there's no denying they've driven the jamband scene since Jerry died.
 
I was a columnist for jambands.com ~20 years ago.

My current personal band is Govt Mule. Warren Haynes bridges the Allman Brothers with the Dead. IMO, he’s the best combo of vocals, lead rhythm and slide guitar and songwriting in the business. The current lineup has been in place for 10 years and they effortlessly play everything from the Miles of ”Kind of Bird” (ABB) and Sco-Mule with Scofield, to reggae, Dark Side of the Mule, Dead sets, Stones sets, AC/DC sets…and all of Warren’s catalog from his solo, ABB, The Dead and all the Mule originals going back to ‘95. Not much they can’t play, We are taking our 4th trip to Jamaica in January for their Island Exodus gigs. Last time I watched every show from a beach chair 15 feet from the monitor board and got hugs from Lukas Nelson and Don Kinsey (Wailers). Everybody there is awesome. Lots of ABB fans and Deadheads.

I once said that Warren Haynes was the one person I’d follow into battle…he’s a true Bard. The Warrior Poet.

While Mule can jam, and they play everything I love, it’s rare that they melt my face and/or suspend time.

I never got to see the Grateful Dead. I wasn't quite “there“ yet in ‘95 and missed my chance. Ive seen Phil and Friends and The Dead with Warren, RatDog. Havent seen Dead & Co.

It took me a couple more years to really get Phish and went to my first show at Alpine in ‘97 and it was transformative. I’m bummed I missed the ‘95 and ‘96 shows in Lincoln and Omaha. That Lincoln setlist is an all-timer.

I’m probably in the 20 Phish show range, +/-. We are seeing them in Vegas on Oct 30. From Jerry’s death to early 2000’s, it’s hard to argue that Phish wasnt “the best Jamband” during that era.

more later…

Let me preface this by saying I love Warren Haynes and Gov't Mule, got introduced to them at a show in Asheville, NC in the mid 90s when they were still more of a regional band, and have loved them ever since. However, my one complaint is he occasionally, especially when he plays with Derek Trucks, likes to embellish and remind the audience just how amazing he is. Sometimes I enjoy it, but there are others times it just becomes too much. When he was touring with the remnants of the Allmans on one of the last tours before Gregg Allman got too sick, the show became more the Warren Haynes show than it did an Allman Brothers show.
 



I went to a James Taylor outdoor concert. BORING beyond belief. I slept through a good part of it.
I really like James Taylor, but have to admit we thought him pretty dull at the outdoor venue we went to.

My joke was that (all at the same venue - seat about 10 K) we went to see CSN and a lot of weed was being smoked, we went to Springsteen and a lot of cigarettes were being smoked... went to James Taylor, and I saw exactly one guy smoking a cigar!

A pretty lame crowd, including us...
 
I can believe that, too. I'll bet that he also introduced almost every song by mentioning that he was either high or recovering while writing and/or recording it.
Or that Harrison borrowed a number of lines... :Biggrin: after sitting in on his A&R demo pitch session...

I always wondered why they both had a pretty similar song... :Biggrin: I guess not suing was probably part of getting out of his contract...
 
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No question Jerry snd the dead. Back in the day while the majority of bands played 25 min to 60 min sets Jerry brought you a 2 to 3 hour show Keep up if you can.

Moe.. just down right Awesome

last but surely not least Gov Mule

Taking over for Jerry with the dead, to Allman brothers. warren Haynes is in a class all by himself and he could take you wherever you wanted to go. you’d always end up in a fantastic place
Gov Mule is definitely up there. Hard to argue who would be at the top spot but for me, Dave Matthews Band and Phish have to be on the list as well.
 
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