Who is the best Jam Band? The people say Pearl Jam
Written by TJ Mahony (contact - e-mail) -- November 10th, 2006 | Recommend ThisA jam band is a band that tours regularly, doesn’t promote heavily, hasn’t sold-out to corporate sponsors, has a loyal and viral fan-base, improvises on stage…and of course rocks. At a recent party the question was proposed, “Post Grateful Dead, who’s the best jam band?” I would have assumed that the clear winner would have been Phish, but the majority of music buffs voted Pearl Jam as the winner. My sample size was 20 drunk hippies, so I applied the question to Compete data.
To be fair this isn’t a totally fair comparison. First of all, Pearl Jam just released a new album in May. In addition, Phish certainly isn’t touring these days and Widespread Panic is beginning to collect social security. However, there are no excuses in Jam Band Land and Pearl Jam wins…
On a side note, Widespread Panic’s double disc “Light Fuse, Get Away” was the only thing that got me through college. Not much of a consolation prize, but worth a note.
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November 10th, 2006 at 2:27 pm
RAQ IS THE BEST JAMBAND.
http://www.RAQMUSIC.com
November 11th, 2006 at 2:39 pm
Government Mule http://www.mule.net/
Taking a page out The Allman Brother’s playbook, this band is outstanding and pretty much unparalelled at this point.
Widespread Panic is up there too, but The Mule takes it.
November 13th, 2006 at 11:27 am
This is not a new band, but I’ve always liked the Black Crowes. They’ve had a lot of personnel changes recently, but the Robinson brothers and the drummer remain the same. I don’t think they’ve done anything totally new in a while.
December 22nd, 2006 at 11:02 pm
Phish 1998 Dallas Texas and 2003 Deer Creek day 1, I think. With ANTELOPE Second Set. Listen to that song and that is why PHish is the best ever! Just that 1 tiny powerful song. Do it do it.
January 28th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
what about ol’ dave matthews and his cronies
argueably the greatest jam band of all time
January 31st, 2007 at 6:41 pm
Perpetual Groove is the best touring band right now
February 6th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
Who ever that took this poll got it from a very screwed audience. Phish and Panic are twice as good as Pearl Jam when it comes to being a true jam band. JB from panic has a very distinctive voice just as the head guy from pearl jam. All 3 bands kick ass but if you want to hear drums, check out panic, if you want sweet guitar, check out phish, if you want awesome vocals check out pearl jam. I am out!!!
March 9th, 2007 at 8:00 am
“jamband” is the dumbest word I’ve heard in my life. Widespread panic is a southern rock band. I don’t hear 30 minute spaced out nonsense during their shows. When phish was selling out madison square garden in 1995 i don’t recall anyone referring to them as a “jamband”. It is a made up term that is atarting to annoy the piss out of me. People are starting to call pearl jam a “jamband”? Jesus christ.
June 20th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
best dave matthews
Please visit my site, ..Dave Matthews
August 16th, 2007 at 11:55 am
Pearl Jam is not a jam band, the best post-dead jam bands are:
1. Phish
2. Widespread Panic (yes they are a jam band)
3. Dave Matthews Band
4. String Cheese Incident
5. Yonder Mountain String Band
Don’t get me wrong, pearl jam is a great band
August 22nd, 2007 at 2:42 pm
What’s the point? I’m only 16 and all these new bands just make me want to listen to the dead MORE. Here’s some advice: if these posts get you interested in bands that jam, dont bother with anyone else. Buy live/dead, Europe ‘72, and skulls and roses. Never mind anything else.
August 27th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
fuck pearljam and fuck dave mathews, anyone who is really into the jamband scene knows these fuckers are shit compared to the greats like the dead and phish, maybe pearl jam’s and dave’s hit songs on the radio are enough to get all the frat boys, their screaching drunk girlfriends and their mothers dancing at a show, but no real jam band listens to thats hit
August 31st, 2007 at 2:05 pm
pearl jam as a jam band? are you an idiot?
September 17th, 2007 at 8:22 pm
Pearl Jam is a Jam Band? Someone is smoking some serious crack!!
September 25th, 2007 at 5:30 pm
Dave Matthews Band is defiantly without doubt the best jam band ever, and people who disagree are ok, but are wrong.
October 8th, 2007 at 10:45 pm
I can’t believe that all of you so called jam band experts didn’t even mention umphrey’s mcgee.
November 16th, 2007 at 10:51 pm
Okay, let’s get this out of the way first: Pearl Jam is not a “jam band” per se, but they do have jam incorporated into their name.
I suggest the pollsters should have removed Pearl Jam as they do not fall into this category and replaced them with Dave Matthews or Blues Traveler as they are more to the jam band moniker then Pearl Jam will ever be.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Pearl Jam and have seen plenty of live shows. The third night in Boston, back in 2003 I think, is absolutely in my top-5 all-time greatest concerts. Again, the Black Crowes are another band that should not be labeled a “jam band”, as they are more rock then anything.
The Grateful Dead are far in away the greatest jam band ever and no one will EVER match their fan base, touring regime, or anything. Phish may be a close second in terms of popularity. As for these newer jam bands showing up on the scene nowadays, there is no way any of them will fill the shoes of this two giants.
The Breakfast - No doubt in my mind these guys bring it every single night. Too bad they had to change their name from Psychedlic Breakfast to simply The Breakfast. Tons of people always seem to be bashing these guys in some form or another and don’t show them the respect they deserve. They have paid their dues and will soon be dominating the jam scene in 2008 for sure. At their recent Fonghoulish Freakout show, they actually covered Phish’s LawnBoy. I was there and they nailed. Mike Gordon showed up for a surprise jam session, which gives them al the more credibility. Not only can these guys jam but they can rock, and have the lyrics to boot. Tim Palmieri can shred any lead guitarist in the music business today. I suggest downloading some of their stuff via bit torrent or archive.org. If Phish is more your thing, I believe that Halloween show is available. Check it out.
Umphrey’s McGee - Give me a break. They may becoming more popular to more people but in no way possible will they become the next big deal. I don’t mean to offend any of their fanbase but their jams go nowhere and they need to work on most of their lyrics.
String Cheese Incident - These guys were definitely big for quite some time and I used to be into them hardcore. They were well on their way, but now they are no longer touring and it looks like it is the end of an era for them. It really is too band because they were great, but they did what they did and now they are moving on. I suggest we all do the same.
Younder Mountain String Band - Love these guys too, but don’t really listen to much of them as I should.
Gov’t Mule - All these guys are is a recreation of the Allmans Brothers Band. I hated Warren, especially when he toured with the reincarnated The Dead a few years back. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a great guitar player, but he noodles around too much and I can’t stand him. I remember for a while he was playing with everybody. Pick a band and stick with them, don’t trying to do it all. Plus I really dislike how his wife, Stef Scamardo, plays WAY too much Warren-related material on Sirius Satelitte Radio Jam_On 17.
Perpetual Groove - Definitely heard of these guys, downloaded a couple live shows from archive.org. Really didn’t like what I heard and not by cup of tea.
RAQ - So I’ve been getting into these guys a lot lately, but I really don’t have much to say about them at the moment. If you’d like more check out my blog. vinylDorm.blogspot.com
January 1st, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Pearl Jam is one of my favorite bands of all time but they aren’t a jamband. Phish, I would say, is at the top along with The Dead. As far a new jambands, Umphrey’s McGee and Disco Biscuits are the next big thing.
January 7th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
ok first of all….umphreys mcgee is the best band in the scene right now….although they are more prog rock than traditional jambands….jake and brenden are top notch guitarists…..ive seem them roughly 35 times and they keep getting tighter and more over the top. will they be bigger than phish? maybe…who knows….phish is phish, the dead was the dead…..although these bands may have the label of “jamband”, most of the them are very different from each other and i think an educated music fan will acknowledge that its hard to compare these bands considering all the different sub genres in this scene
January 17th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
I def think Widespread Panic is the best. I’ve seen Umphrey’s and I have to say they don’t throw down as much energy, but hey, if you wanna discuss this more, check out jam.lefora.com
January 17th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
oh, i forgot this… pearl jam is not a jam band… in my mind
January 18th, 2008 at 11:02 am
This is a great discussion. IMO The Dead will always be at the top of the heap, they set the standard and kept the flame alive through decades that would otherwise have been much more dismal.
While not wanting to get into the merits of any of the other bands mentioned above, so of whom I really dig, I’m wondering if anyone on this thread has checked out a band out of New England called The Brew?
I’ll leave at that. Thanks for the great discussion!
btw, I always thought the name Pearl Jam was a really clever metaphor for semen…
January 18th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Indeed, Bill. Right on with the Pearl Jam metaphor. Never heard of The Brew though, what’s their story? The String Cheese Incident is also pretty damn good, the only problem… they no longer play together, but I would’ve put them at the top of the list with Panic.
January 20th, 2008 at 10:13 am
Pearl Jam is an awesome band but i would not classify them as a jam band. Probably the best jam band that is more recent would be Phish. (I don’t like the term “Post Grateful Dead” because everyone worships the Grateful Dead, they are a great band don’t get me wrong, but i actually probably like The Allman Brothers more than The Dead.) But anyway Phish is really sick and i think is the undisputed winner of the best recent jam band argument.
As far as jam bands who are still playing, I’d have to say that moe. is my favorite. You guys should definitely check them out they are really nasty.
January 21st, 2008 at 9:42 pm
yo, I saw moe. a couple nights ago in SF, and I was impressed, but not blown away. The crowd was a little weak, but im not sure if that was a sf thing, because ive never seen a show there, but yeah… id say they were solid, but not the best jam band currently rockin. i still think panic takes the title
January 23rd, 2008 at 10:12 am
The Brew are a quartet that’s been playing out of MA for about six years, same unit since high school (then called Used to be called Blue Fungus Brew :) ) Really strong songcraft, head-snapping live performance. They’re about to master their latest CD, Back to the Woods, produced down in VA with one of Bruce Hornsby’s guys.
Not sure if this is cool, but you can learn more at http://www.myspace.com/bluefungusbrew
Speaking of Hornsby, I think the Hornsby/Noisemakers band deserve a mention, on the monster level of panic. Those guys can truly jam. Great free downloads from a St. Louis summer ‘07 show on the Hornsby main site.
January 24th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
nice, thanks bill
January 26th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Phish is by far the best jamband of the last 15 or so years by far, IMO Dave Matthews Band, widespread panic, Gov’t Mule, Umphreys Mcgee, these guys cant hold a candle to the improvisational talent that phish had. Listen to the Weekapaug Groove from the newly released vegas 96, listen to how tight the jam is and then all of a sudden the band all stop on a dime. That is listening to each other and that is what jam band music is really about. Also check out portland meadows 7/15/98 for some truly funky stuff.
January 31st, 2008 at 8:44 pm
Hey Bill,
Wanted to let you know that I have been a Brew fan since you could see them at the Amesbury Playhouse for $5! They are fantastic, and I’m glad to see they are getting some of the fame they deserve. Keep spreading the good word!
On the jamband topic… I think it’s pretty difficult to compare bands. They’re all so different. They might share a philosophy and/or a fanbase, but each band is unique. I love Phish’s long unscripted grooves, the Dead’s incredible range and variety, and Hot Buttered Rum’s tight playing.
Anyone else here a Railroad Earth fan? There is a truly great band - six guys from Jersey (more or less) who might best be described as “an amplified string band with drums”. I don’t think you could label them as bluegrass, rock, jam, folk, or traditional musicians but they do all that and more. Check them out on archive.org. It’s so worth it. The first time I saw them it was completely on a whim and was hooked from the first song (a ripping “Old Dangerfield”). Honestly, those guys come together and make magic every time I see them. And they just keep getting better!
P.S. I dig Pearl Jam, but… having “Jam” in their title doesn’t qualify them as a jam band. :) They’re great, and they’re not sell-outs, and they do awesome covers… but, still not a jam band.
January 31st, 2008 at 8:46 pm
P.P.S. Sorry, I didn’t mean to write so much. I guess I got carried away. :)
January 31st, 2008 at 10:59 pm
moe. end of story.
February 3rd, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Regarding The Brew, I just learned that their MySpace address has changed. It is now http://myspace.com/thebrew1 …
Sorry about the misinfo
Thanks Erica for the second on The Brew. They’re true believers, for sure.
And they sure can play.
btw, I agree with Justin, moe is an awesome band. The Brew played snoedown last winter and will probably support moe later this year.
February 17th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Pearl Jam? Please. They are a 90’s grunge band. the 2 best are obviously Phish and Grateful Dead. I saw my only Grateful Dead shows in ‘92 and ‘93 and the Band was a shell of their former self. Jerry was fat, old and his voice was shot. I had a good time but when I went to college I got into Phish and saw them live at Penn State in ‘93. I gotta tell you it was soooo much better. They were in their prime and had much more enthusiasm on stage and in the songs. I know the Dead had that earlier in their career as well.
I think it is a toss up for who is better though. the Dead have songs that touch people with lyrics that haved meaning and probably have a more “normal” sound. Phish is more intense with upbeat songs but with sometimes ridiculous lyrics. Listening to live versions of the Dead doing Loser or Phish playing Wilson both me going. Unfortunately, I have found any bands that should even come up in conversation with these 2. I have listened to all bands in this thread and it just isn’t good enough. Hopefully, the next great one is around the corner.
February 18th, 2008 at 12:40 am
The best Jamband and the best band in the world is without a dought “Dave Matthews Band”
February 18th, 2008 at 10:54 am
I have been listening to Jam Bands since their inception. I believe the Dead were the best of their time. Since then we have been hearing fantastic second and third generation type Jam bands. I believe Phish, DMB, moe., WSP, SCI, and Gov’t Mule are excellent. I am really glad that these type individuals beleive in what they do.
However, I can hear Pearl Jam as a Jam Band.
February 29th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
there’s no such thing as best, but check out apollo sunshine… particularly “lord” or “phyllis”. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVTVhvGMDrI
March 4th, 2008 at 12:36 am
im actually pretty surprised that people are even THINKING of putting dave matthews in the same category as the dead or phish. the dead phish string cheese and panic are called jam bands for one reason, their music is magical and makes you feel good and free. they improvise increible solos and just “jam” and let the music, among other things, take them over…dave matthews is good and fine but his music is streamlined and he writes what he thinks will make him the most money… jerry just wrote and played what came to mind…nothing can be compared to the dead or phish or any of those other true jam bands..
March 7th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
joey if you have gone to a dave show then go to one and try and tell me they are streamlined and a sellout because DMB is a definite jam band
March 11th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Joey- I have top agree with Myles. DMB can Jam. As for Pearl Jam I believe they are not a Jam band at all. However, they are good at what they do.
March 12th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
The dead is the best Jamband ever. Not just because they were the first but because they do that “thing” that no other jambands can do (yet). Yes, phish can take you to that similar place but it’s just not the same. When I here phish I here awsome jams and it just seems like “fun”. But when I here the dead play and Jerry solo it is like he (and then band) are telling you something like “come to this place, I know something that you don’t.” I don’t know you might not get me but to me, Phish = bouncy childish fun and the Dead = Pure enlightenment. Just my opinion…..
March 18th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
jam music is so great. pearl jam isn’t a band i would call a jam band though. and although DMB is one of my alltime fav’s, they aren’t super jammy. they kill it, no doubt, with some increadible 20 minute epic “jams” that have melted my brains, but they basically rock the same style for a tour. if you catch them more than 5 times a tour, things do get noticably redundant. but its still great music.
Umph. in my opinion, the best band touring right now. they have incredible prog rock grooves, but they seriously shred, harder than anyone i’ve seen, then they trance your brains out with jams like nothing to fancy. man… these guys are the real deal. anyone saying they don’t compare to phish is out of their mind. these guys KILL it.
Bisco. well people like to love them, others don’t give them the credit they deserve. one thing is for sure, the endless variations in their music separates them from the crowd right now. plus, its the BISCO. who doesn’t have bisco fever for the 2 weeks before and after seeing them? the post show UNZZ that doesn’t go away just makes you wanna get down. i love these guys. their light shows mash brains too.
p-groove- oh hell yea. these guys are sick live!
String Chee - i think, although they got serious hype a while back, are very underrated. i’ve had as much fun at their shows as any shows i’ve ever been too. they can hit some crazy grassyjamrock as well as some funky trance beats, thanks to the drummer and perc man( now touring as EOTO)
EOTO- go see them. shit is dance party USA in your face! these guys lay down the live house groove like no other.
sts9 - love them, just wish they soloed, you know? they could go down some insane paths if they’d solo and build more. but they are great at what they do.
phish - someone please tell me why phish fans hate all other music in the world. nothing is good to them. in fact, most of the people i’ve met in my life that rubbed me the wrong way ( very few, but still i can remember them) were die hard phish fans. and i’m sure they talked a good amount of garbage about DMB. trey loves dave!
too much good music to go on and on. so i’ll list some of my fav’s that you guys should check on archive
Signal path - 03-19-05
Umphrey’s 4-21-07 ( this one is so good, you should pay 10 to DL the mp3 from their site)
Lotus 2-17-06
Umprhey’s show from Reno in 07. can’t rmember the exact date right now
Eoto 10-09-07
hope you guys dig at least some of the songs from these
March 18th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
Top Tier Jam Bands of All Time:
Grateful Dead (Absolutely Best Ever)
Phish (Also Absolutely Best Ever)
Widespread Panic
String Cheese Incident
moe.
Allman Brothers
As we all know the Grateful Dead and Phish are the best “jam bands” of all time. These other bands seem to be thrown around a lot too but moe deserves some more credit than they are getting. They are the ones poised to be the next big jam band. They are still coming out with great new stuff plus their old stuff should already be considered classic. Rebubula, Timmy Tucker, Kids, Kyles Song - just to name a few songs, are all incredible. These guys are the best going these days.
Although, Panic just got a lot better with the booster shot of Herring joining the band.
2nd Tier:
- Bela Fleck & the Flecktones (Don’t really get mentioned at all either but are maybe the
best musically)
- The Breakfast (Palmieri the guitarist is unbelievable and is probably the best out there
behing Jimi Herring of Panic)
- Pgroove
- Umphrey’s McGee
- Big Wu
- Disco Biscuits
- Govt Mule
- Keller Williams
Worst of the Worst:
Dave Mathews Band
Pearl Jam
March 19th, 2008 at 7:12 am
Moe- Have to agree with you.
Dead is the best ever!!!!
Allman Brothers
moe.
Widespread Panic
String Cheese Incident
Govt Mule
March 24th, 2008 at 3:32 am
huge call on the big wu. and no doubt the flecktones are the most talented. more grass than jam, i’d like to give huge credit to Leftover Salmon. those guys were the late night KINGS.
March 31st, 2008 at 5:43 am
Since its creation the band has won love of an enormous number of people and I’m one of them. I’ve followed them and tried to attend as much as possible of their concerts. But what make me upset is ticket prices. There some prices I could not afford and. But my friend, thanked for that, has recommended me a site where to compare ticket prices before reserving a seat. The site provides the list of ticket brokers and prices offered.
http://www.ticketwood.com/concerts/Pearl-Jam-Tickets/index.php
Tickets
I want to give up loving this wonderful love because they really touch me while singing. I want to attend their concerts but my purse is thin thus I’m looking for the best ways to save few dollars.
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:03 am
PEARL JAM ALWAYS WINS! I’m not interested in their search volume! I know what I search for…I read everything posted on Pearl Jam that’s why I’m here…. I just saw a war protest Pearl Jam video that Rawked and read an insanely touching memory about the song Jeremy and that was just today! Anyone interested should check it out!
http://www.jamsbio.com/index.php?page=memory&memoryId=c08d68f7175ba55b0117604803fe0036
Eddie Vedder Rawks!
Thanks :)
April 6th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Check out the up and coming jam generation with the Latham Band at theLATHAMband.com!!
April 7th, 2008 at 3:42 am
Has everyone forgotten about The Outlaws and Blackfoot??!!
April 15th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
who the hell are they?
April 18th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
OK let me begin with the best jambands ever…..Obv pearl jam isnt even a jam band so lets just not talk bout that…i just wanna show you what kids actually know about what a jamband is and what it is about and what not quite their. As for Who wants to know who was the best jamband of all time. Easily stated the grateful dead is the best jamband of alltime, simpily because they are the first band to ever hit the levels of climaxes and isprovisationaly masterpieces, Plus they have more shows recorded than any other jamband because they played for that many more years than any other band. By the time late 70’s and the 80’s the band was at their peak. ok so any kids who dont think the dead is the best jamband they obviously have not heard them to the full degree. they are as serious as they come and they can promote better feeling than you even thought posible. As for phish, not as serios as the dead but they take well to one guitarist and one drummer. phish is easily the second best jamband ever ..well to this day at least, phish has a style that bends your mind and teases you at times but it always relults in barreling climaxes that are nearly out of this world. i dont think any bands anytime soon will compare to the dead or phish they are both truly remarkable and if u think anything nowadays is better than those to bands u dont know wat your thinking and i sugest u rethink your ideas.. ans by the way the dead started the madness why wouldnt thy get credit obv they are the best jamband….and as for peal jam lol um they would be suited well for best 90’s alternative band. and people who think these bands rule ..gain some comon sence please..and those current sucky bands are keller williams horrible ever song sounds the same, biscuits shouldnt really be considered great jam band more like technoe rave not to good , moe is like a wanna be phish rip off with 1/50 the talent.. some people are happy with currents but the ones who are smart and know about the deepness of music thats for the dead to decide maybe some phish
April 23rd, 2008 at 3:46 pm
anyone who is into jam bands you have to check out moe by far one of the greatest jam bands out there have all there cd’c been to 3 of their concerts not known by a whole lot of people but they will be check them out at moe.org
May 12th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
Are you serious? HAHA PEARL JAM ATS THE BEST JAM BAND? Ok, first of all, Phish is 1,000 times better than pearl jam or any other jam band, period. They could own any band on stage, and that is fact.
May 12th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
I would also like to point out that you are comparing visits of websites from a band that retired four years ago to two bands that are active today.
June 16th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
The best are definitely Grateful Dead and moe.
Honorable mention goes to Gov’t Mule.
Widespread Panic is pretty good as well.
Phish are pretty bad in my estimation.
July 9th, 2008 at 10:17 am
I wish all the teeny boppin’ 13 year old girls and natty light drinking college freshmen frat boys would stay on DMB tour. You and your shitty band stay away far away from the real scene. Please, k? Thanks!
Oh, and news flash…
DMB nor Pearl Jam are “jambands”.
phish > you
sts9 > you
July 10th, 2008 at 1:25 am
THere’s nothing like a Grateful Dead Show and there NeVer will be… they’re the best without any replacement whatsoever. And F.Y.I., Pearl Jam isn’t even on the list considered to be a “jam band”. Get Skeletons from the closet, American Beauty, Workingman’s Dead,,,, I only listen to the GD, that it, that’s all I need.
July 28th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
THE TRAGICALLY HIP IS THE BEST JAM BAND EVER SECOND BEST TO OF COARSE….DAVE MATTHEWS BAND
July 29th, 2008 at 1:43 am
All the bands mentioned are good at their trade.
However, anyone who has seen hundreds of shows by many bands over the 2.5 decades since the dead left their prime in the mid eighties knows the answer to this question is clearly PHISH.
All are good, but only 1 can clearly be the best. All emotion and favoritism aside. The best jam band since the dead is Phish.
July 31st, 2008 at 4:44 pm
-umphrey’s mcgee most talented, 2nd to the dead overall
-moe.,the biscuits,sts9,panic,phish
-fuck pearl jam,dave mathews is over rated
-honorable mention, check out boombox and chicago afrobeat project, also north mississippi all stars
-umphrey’s is on top right now then the biscuits and moe.
July 31st, 2008 at 4:47 pm
i forgot about MMW,lotus,and keller all amazing
August 20th, 2008 at 11:37 pm
TEA LEAF GREEN, they are rising with speed
September 13th, 2008 at 12:45 am
Check out New Monsoon. There are a ton of their shows on archive.org. I’ve never seen them but listen to quite a few of their shows and the more I hear them the more I like them. Used to be a huge Dead head and then jumped on the Phish bandwagon. Managed to beat both bands to death. Looking for something new. Will try some of the bands on this thread i haven’t heard yet.
September 29th, 2008 at 4:42 am
Honestly, there is no reason to fight over who is the best jam band. That is going to be a never-ending argument, because everyone has different opinions (even the guys who say DMB is the best jam band.. my opinion is they are very good but not near as good as the greats). Dave, Carter, Boyd, Stefan and of course LeRoi are very talented musicians and one of the more talented bands touring today. However, that talent can not touch the talent of the likes of Jerry, Trey, Jimi, and a guy who i think alot of people have forgotten about - Duane Allman.
My number 1 choice for jam bands has to be The Grateful Dead. I wouldnt say that they are my favorite band, but the amazing talent that they had was unbelievable. Jerry’s swift guitar licks brought with it an almost tangible enlightened euphoria.
I don’t think that Phish is too far behind, though. Yeah, you can say that phish may seem like bouncy, childish fun. But to see a group of guys get up on stage and play as well as they did and run around the stage entertaining the crowd, that is a different type of “special” as compared to the dead. The look on Trey’s face as he shreds on YEM, Reba, or any others just puts me in the state of mind of “perfect”.
There are many other great bands out there that are very talented and great jam bands, but I just don’t see any of them ever even touching The Dead or Phish.
Some of my other favorite jam bands:
1. Allman Brothers Band (back in the day with duane, gregg, dickey betts, and butch and Jaimoe dualing it out on the drums..wow!)
2. Widespread Panic
3. String Cheese Incident (awesome band they could really do alot of things)
4. Umphrey’s
5. moe.
6. Tea Leaf Green (some say they will be the next Phish, but i just don’t see it, still a damn good band)
7. The Disco Biscuits (a little too much elctronic, but still a very chill band that’s great to listen to.
Other notables: John Mayer (possibly the most talented and professional guitar players of our generation), Jimi Hendrix (one cool cat..), John butler (some think he has sold out but the man can play guitar), Galactic, and so many more great bands that I could list.
It is a shame that I never had the chance to see the dead, however, Oct. 7th, I will see the Allman brothers play with phil lesh (should be a great show). And also, can you say PHISH REUNION?
“On September 6, 2008, Phish performed three songs as part of former tour manager Brad Sands’ wedding ceremony: Suzy Greenberg, Julius, and Waste. The news of this reunion has led to rekindled discussion amongst fans about the chances for a possible comeback and reunion tour”. The boys are back again.
I would like to leave a link to the song in which Trey said “I would give my left nut to play YEM five times in a row every day until i die”.
September 29th, 2008 at 4:46 am
sorry, here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqmCPDqqNg8