Dead Again
Groove rock rises as an antidote to mainstream
mediocrity
By Allen Czelusniak
newtimes.rway.com
After the death of frontman Jerry Garcia in 1995, the Grateful Dead
decided to call it quits, ending the storied career of the definitive
American improvisational-rock band. Suddenly, the flock of fans who
migrated across the country regularly in search of the Dead's psychedelic
aura found themselves without a shepherd. Fans who had relied on the
Dead to supply their fix of sunshine daydreams were forced to look
elsewhere.
Five years later, a new crop of bands fills the void. On both the local and
national scenes, self-described "jam bands" present their own spin on the
Dead's trademark trippy style. "It definitely starts with the Dead," notes
Syracuse promoter Herby One, who regularly books jam shows at
Planet 505 and Old Parochial League (OPL). "They were the first jam
band. However, they really never hit the mainstream until 1987's 'Touch
of Grey.' That was the catalyst. The scene started growing in the early
1990s.
"When Jerry died in '95, Phish was already playing larger theaters on the
West Coast," One says. "I knew right away that Phish would carry the
torch, and they have. That's when people realized it wasn't just about the
Dead, it was about the genre they created."
While Phish initially seemed like the second coming, the absence of a
dominant force on the scene allowed for diversification within the
genre. Instead of just one band leading the way, variety became the spice
of the scene. The fans stayed loyal; they just found more bands to
follow.
"When it started, the vibe was more like Phish and Grateful Dead
knock-off bands," explains Brandon Berry, assistant to jam icon Maceo
Parker and promoter for Syracuse's High Peaks Productions, which
books jam bands locally. "Now, it's evolved into its own scene, where
there are actually subcategories of the jam-band scene: bluegrass, jazz,
hip-hop. There's so many different styles now. A lot of jam bands are
now popping up with deejays and turntables," Berry adds, citing New
York City's DJ Logic and Buffalo's the Waz.
"In the last five or six years, things have changed a tremendous amount,"
agrees Eric McElveen, bass player with Syracuse jam band Tim Herron
Corporation. "Variety creates a good tension. I think that's something
that wasn't necessarily mature in the scene a few years ago."
Locally, faithful fans regularly make their way to jam hotspots such as
the Planet 505 and OPL as well as area festivals such as Harvest Moon,
the Grassroots Festival in Trumansburg and summer shows at the Amp
in Vienna and Sterling Stage in Hannibal.
Last Halloween, New York City jam band Schleigho packed the OPL,
drawing a crowd of modern hippies sporting dreadlocks, flannel shirts
and patchwork skirts and trailing the faint aroma of pachouli and pot.
Like their musical brethren, Schleigho is anything but a pop band. Its
lengthy instrumentals hark back to their Grateful predecessors, happily
shuffling along in no particular direction. No one moshes at a Schleigho
show. Mountainous jazz-rock riffs in songs like "43" please the crowd
in a way that no Backstreet Boys single ever could. The freedom of the
players to venture off during their leads speaks more to individuality
than conformity.
"The kids who are into the scene are into it because they can listen to a
band for hours on end," says Sara Molloy. As owner of the
now-shuttered No Borders, No Boundaries coffeehouse on the Syracuse
University Hill, Molloy hosted plenty of jam bands. "It's a free-form
improv. You're going to see this band play a bunch of songs, but they're
going to play them differently every time you see them. There's an
element of surprise that keeps people interested."
That quirkiness also keeps the scene largely out of sight to most fans of
mainstream music. Donna the Buffalo singer Tara Nevins notes that
radio executives want songs less than five minutes long and of a more
predictable sound. Nevins' band predates the recent trend, but Donna the
Buffalo's penchant for long leads at its live show has endeared it to the
jam scene.
"Since the music of most jam bands doesn't fit those requirements, they
don't receive radio play," Nevins says. "Yet radio isn't essential for
jam-band success. There are always new movements in music, and they
don't depend on radio.
"Jam bands are just into making music, going for it," Nevins continues.
"Luckily, there's a lot of people that dig that. That's why it's a whole
sociopolitical thing: Be yourself; do your own thing. Jam bands see
majors {labels} as limiting the brains of an audience. Radio has really
put blinders on. If Americans were exposed to more music on a grander
scale, they'd like a ton of stuff. Good music is good music."
The scene, however, manages just fine without radio support. Unlike
most major-label acts, and like the Dead, jam bands routinely allow fans
to tape shows. Fans on the circuit regularly trade tapes of shows,
spreading the music free of charge.
"I do a little bit of taping, but I trade a lot," explains jam fan Aaron Fried
of Syracuse, who estimates that he attends between 60 and 80 concerts
per year. "In fact, that's how I got into a bunch of bands. I traded a
Medeski, Martin and Wood disc for a {DJ} Logic disc, and it really
made me want to see the show."
A proliferation of Web sites and fanzines devoted to the scene also
keeps admirers up to date with the latest music and news about their
favorite acts. Most bands on the scene maintain a site, and
clearinghouses such as www.jambands.com provide touring schedules,
set lists, links, regional reports and features on all the major players
currently flying under the mainstream's radar.
"The Internet has led to the development of different communities that
has spurred the development of the scene," Berry says. "I would put the
jam-band scene in closest congruence with the punk scene. It's a small
thing for those in the know. It's kind of familial; you'll see the same kids
from show to show. These fans are very devoted. They'll drive on the
road for two weeks to see their favorite band play because they're
always going to see a different show, and it's always going to be
exciting."
Herby One, who also publishes The Revolving Door, a zine dedicated to
the groove-rock genre, sees the jam-band family growing. "When I
started The Revolving Door a few years back, I couldn't give them away.
I had to basically hand them out person to person, letting them know
what the whole thing was about. Now when I show up at a venue with
new Rev Doors, I'm practically tackled instantly. I've seen 200 people in
a bar, all glued to the calendar to see what's coming up next."
And while it might make purists cringe, the jam sensation has even
penetrated the holy realm of jazz. The venerable Blue Note records, the
American jazz label, recently signed Soulive and the Jazz Mandolin
Project, adding to a roster that already features Medeski, Martin and
Wood. If radio won't accept the jam bands, Blue Note apparently will.
"Acid jazz and funk have almost taken over the jam scene on the East
Coast, and the older, established jazzbos have taken notice," Herby One
observes. "Basically, it's about improvisation and experimentation."
Berry agrees. "If anything, the jazz community is looking at the
jam-band community as introducing people to jazz at a level that they
can initially comprehend," he explains. "When you see Medeski, Martin
and Wood play, and you're enjoying what they're playing, and you get on
their mailing list, you'll find out who they're listening to: Miles Davis,
Charlie Parker, John Coltrane."
Whether influenced by jazz, funk, bluegrass or techno, jam bands
continue to wake the Dead. And while bands in the genre are a long way
from topping the Billboard charts, they've at least made a splash in the
mainstream.
"It definitely has hit the malls of late," Herby One says. "However, being
a 'hippie' is not a trend; it's a lifestyle. It's easy for me to tell the
difference." |
