What do you guys think?

[squire758]

Since we've all spent alot of time watching the music industry for a long time, I have some food for thought looking forward. What do you think will be happening in mainstream music in the next ten years? What will be the future of jam bands? Do you see any trends working in favor of improvisational music? What do you guys see happening that you would love to see stop? What would you like to see more of?

[smokestacklitng]

I like to think that the future of the jam scene is going to be a good one. The way I look at it is this: the jam scene was the Grateful Dead, then after Jerry died phish eventually captured the scene. Now phish is no more. I think a band will come along and capture the attention of a lot of people. As far as other music there is a lot of it out there that I could easily do without...mostly the "main stream" stuff, hip hop, even a lot of the so called "indie" stuff. I find that music terribly unoriginal and lacking any sort of emotion or real skill. It's unfortunate that it recieves so much attention.

[weedar]

I hope a great jamband is born in Europe sometime soon,
you guys have been spoiled with 40+ years of jambands.

[shakedown_04092]

Since we've all spent alot of time watching the music industry for a long time, I have some food for thought looking forward. What do you think will be happening in mainstream music in the next ten years? What will be the future of jam bands? Do you see any trends working in favor of improvisational music? What do you guys see happening that you would love to see stop? What would you like to see more of?

I'll tell you what I'd like to see stop:

These "corporate" folks leeching onto the jamband scene to make a quick buck. Case in point: Bonneroo & Vegoose Festivals. The first couple of years for Bonneroo was all about jam bands, and same goes for the first year of the Vegoose Festival. Now, all these "main stream corporate bands" have hitched their wagon to them, and I think it stinks.

Not that I'm against seeing Tom Petty (although I think his production on stage is pretty lame), The Killers, Jurassic 5 (who I like), Fiona Apple, etc. or anyone else, but I liked the Festivals when they were all about the jam band scene. I've gone to both Vegoose Festivals (haven't gone to Bonneroo yet) and the reason I liked the first one more was because of the acts that they had playing. Year 1 was LOADED with jam bands, some of which I had never heard of before, and I was psyched to get out there and see them live for the first time and have so many to choose from. This year, there were only a few acts that qualified as "jam band" material, and I Was dissapointed with that. Still had a great time, don't get me wrong, but I don't think I hada good a time "musically", if ya know what I mean.

So I say this to those main stream bands: Let our festivals be OUR festivals!!! Go find your own!


As for the upcoming scene, who knows what's gonna happen. I would bet money on Phish eventually getting back together in some sort of fashion, though I don't think it's going to be like it was before, but if/when that happens, I'd expect everyone to jump on their ship for a little bit. But you'd have to assume that some band is going to step up and take that "#1" status, but who? Maybe they haven't arrived yet. SCI had a good chance to do it before Billy called it a day. WSP has been around too long to do it, I think, but now that they've got Jimmy Herring, maybe they turn a corner. I like Railroad Earth, but I don't know if they have enough punch to get to the top. I see "the top" as being a rock n' roll act, ya know? Some band that can really scream and make people go nuts, ala the GD or Phish.

[phreaker]

I'd take Jurassic 5 over almost any other Bonaroo band any day. Not really, but I'm into J-u-r-a-capitol S-anotha s-i-c 5!

I think now that jam lovers and heads everywhere have kinda of rejected O.A.R., we're a little bit more safe from all that is corporate...except for of course some festivals (Bonaroo and Vegoose)

Those festivals would still be excellent if they werent featuring bands such as Bob Dylan, the Dead, Willie Nelson, Phish, etc. 2 years ago. Not saying I dont like those bands, but look how far they have sank in such a short amount of time.

If it was a festival that started out with bands like Elvis Costello and Radiohead, I might like it. But seeing how they had much better bands two years ago, I'll gladly pass for another fest.

With Phish AND SCI gone from the list of jam bands...man there's just bound to be something big happening in the next couple of years.

[runawaymatt]

I'm not sure if there is the market for any jamband out there right now to take the number #1 spot as y'all are saying. I think the scene is great right now it's just scaled down a little bit. Less arena shows more theater shows. That being said very few jambands besides phish, and the dead and a few others could ever consistently sell out very large venues by themselves.

Right now I'm enjoying theater shows and smaller festivals. I think the bands on the rise are tea leaf green, perpetual groove and railroad earth.

[jck_strw]

"jam" bands will always be a niche of the music scene. I'm sure that some band will have a "Touch of Grey" moment in the future, but that will be the exception rather than the rule.

As far as the music industry goes, I'd like to see the following:

--RIAA die in a fire
--the lyric/tab Nazis die in a fire as well
--the artists realize that they have more power than the music industry and it's the industry that needs them more than they need the industry.
--I'd like to see artists/"the industry" realise that digital music is not evil and it's the way of the future.
--For them to finally realise that sharing music is better for them than not.
--DRM die in a fire as well

All wishful thinking but it's the holidays. :)

[BrothaEsau]

The disco biscuits got a good chance of making it really big

[phreaker]

Bisco is hella good, wouldnt miss a show for the world if they rolled through town.

but i dunno...as far as electronic type jam bands go...Sound Tribe takes the cake.

[mttourpro]

I think WSP is "it" for now....though, I think they've pretty much maxed out to where they're gonna be....The only band that comes to mind that may have a real shot at getting very large is probably Umphree's McGee. While I think they're a bit too "hard" for the masses, they can certainly play their asses off, write some good tunes and put on a worthwhile show.

Another band that I've seen several times and am ALWAYS blown away by is The CodeTalkers. Those guys are way sick and should not be missed under any circumstance by those who like music at all. If you get to see them with Jimmy or Col Bruce, it's just an additional bonus. Bobby Lee Rodgers is Unfreakingbelievable!

Thankfully, I think we still have quite a few years left of Phil and Bob et al.

[squire758]

[quote="mttourpro"]I think WSP is "it" for now....though, I think they've pretty much maxed out to where they're gonna be....The only band that comes to mind that may have a real shot at getting very large is probably Umphree's McGee. While I think they're a bit too "hard" for the masses, they can certainly play their asses off, write some good tunes and put on a worthwhile show.

Another band that I've seen several times and am ALWAYS blown away by is The CodeTalkers. Those guys are way sick and should not be missed under any circumstance by those who like music at all. If you get to see them with Jimmy or Col Bruce, it's just an additional bonus. Bobby Lee Rodgers is Unfreakingbelievable!

Thankfully, I think we still have quite a few years left of Phil and Bob et al.[/quote]


yea i would have to agree that panic is the best jam band out right now. they may be a little up in age like someone said earlier but man, when i went to see panic i was not expecting a show like that, they blew the doors off the joint seriously, though alot of people there said it wasnt there best show i was hardcore impressed. and as far as umphreys,they are a damn good band but, i agree with them being pretty "hard" for a jam band, i would love that band alot more if they turned the gain down a bit

[China Cat]

until the late 90s-now, jam seems like it was always dominated by one band (65-95 the dead, then phish). now, it seems like there are far more bands in the jam genre that can hold their own and are great and have great potential. moe., WSP, Umphree's, disco biscuits, trey, DTB, gov't mule all have great things going for them, and i hope the scene expands even more.

[shakedown_04092]

Yup.

I think WSP, the DB, & Umphree's have the most "potential" to take it bigger, but as y'all said already, thank god we still have Trey, Phil, & Ratdog for (hopefully) a few more years or more, though I think Trey has a lot more than that in him, especially since the arrest. He was quoted as saying to the sherriff "You know what, I have a problem and I need to take care of it. Everything happens for a reason"

Let's hope that's true, and not to go too far off this topic:

Though at the same time, I wonder how much the drugs inspire or allow him (or others) to open up and create some of that amazing music. Anyways, that's for another thread.

[dead ed 65]

Hey jck_strw, I hope you get everything you wish for on your list! Amen! But seriously, I fear that the machine will always consume the most popular thing. In other words, once any jam band gets noticed by the mainstream, then it becomes the mainstream. It can't be separated, nor kept to itself at the exclusion of the outsiders who are curious about it and want to join in. I think that's what happened to Bonnaroo.

As for my own Christmas wish, I want the Other Ones to tour again (and again).

[confusions_prince]

So much of the jam band stuff out ther now sounds like countified metal. Does anyone else get that impression?

DRM doesn't exist in my world. Ignore it. It's bullshit and there are easy ways around it.

While giving free music to you and I would benefit the bands because we would go to concerts, etc., most bands are not meant to be seen live or, in the case of pop music, performed ever.

Any speculation on SCI's last show? I bet it'll be Red Rocks, and I look forward to going. When do ticket sales start?

As for the future... no one mentions Derek Trucks. Now, I haven't seen him live yet, but I get the feeling from what I've read about him that he is both awesome musically and has room (and TIME) to grow.