Jahfin Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Ever been to a house concert? That's probably the best experience I've ever had as far as going strictly to enjoy the music. It's not a church like setting as people hoot, holler and are allowed to drink but they only do it inbetween songs. That's also how performers like John Prine usually conducts his concerts, you can't even get up from your seat to exit the venue unless it's inbetween tunes. It's not nearly as Naziesque as it sounds, it's mainly done that way out of respect for the performer so there's no distractions while they're playing. As far as standard concerts, as long as no one is slinging their beer all over me, standing on my toes or hollering in my ear I have no problem with dancing, singing, twirling, etc. Everyone has their own way of getting into music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfman Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Well I love hippie bands (huge Dead band) and hate shit like Slayer. Talk about sounding the same. To each their own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anarchy2Howard Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 You know, Zeppelin could be referred to as a "hippie jam band" too... Imho, ability to jam is one of the best qualities of a musician. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swede Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 I think jam band is the strangest term ever used to describe a genre.. What the heck qualifies a band to belong to the jam band genre, how much of their concert has to be jams. I look at it this way, either a band is good at jammin' or not. If they're good at it, I probably like it. A band sounding the same all through a concert doesn't have much to do if they're a jam band or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgetguru Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 I think jam band is the strangest term ever used to describe a genre.. What the heck qualifies a band to belong to the jam band genre, how much of their concert has to be jams. It's a term like 'classic rock'. It's made up. Seems most people that are passionate about popular music, older rock etc. will have an idea of bands under these type of groupings. First thing that may come to mind with 'classic rock' is the FM top 40 of the 70s like Aerosmith, Zep, Fleetwood Mac, on and on. For 'jam bands', you get The Greatful Dead and Allman's (from the old school for instance) and then Widespread, Gov't Mule, String Cheese Incident, Leftover Salmon, The Slip, Phish..and on and on, the nuevo 'hippie' twirling bands. You could lump any band you want in this subgenre's that 'jam', but there's that element of the "lost in a lost world" display that many of the audients live. I agree about if a band is good and moves you, that's what's important. A great jam is a great jam, but sometimes the noodling becomes very boring, at least to me. I know I've generalized, but those who understand will and others will try to deny or disseminate it and expound further. Just google "jam band" and see what I mean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swede Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 It's a term like 'classic rock'. It's made up. Seems most people that are passionate about popular music, older rock etc. will have an idea of bands under these type of groupings. First thing that may come to mind with 'classic rock' is the FM top 40 of the 70s like Aerosmith, Zep, Fleetwood Mac, on and on. For 'jam bands', you get The Greatful Dead and Allman's (from the old school for instance) and then Widespread, Gov't Mule, String Cheese Incident, Leftover Salmon, The Slip, Phish..and on and on, the nuevo 'hippie' twirling bands. You could lump any band you want in this subgenre's that 'jam', but there's that element of the "lost in a lost world" display that many of the audients live. I agree about if a band is good and moves you, that's what's important. A great jam is a great jam, but sometimes the noodling becomes very boring, at least to me. I know I've generalized, but those who understand will and others will try to deny or disseminate it and expound further. Just google "jam band" and see what I mean. Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm just questioning the term which I never use, same goes for Classic Rock. I agree with you that long jams can be quite boring, especially if nothing happens in the jam. But then again, that's not a great jam. What I meant was bands with three chords, two minutes songs can be quite boring too. Actually, I prefer short concerts, like 45 or 60 minutes, that way it never gets boring, unless the band sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgetguru Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm just questioning the term which I never use, same goes for Classic Rock. I agree with you that long jams can be quite boring, especially if nothing happens in the jam. But then again, that's not a great jam. What I meant was bands with three chords, two minutes songs can be quite boring too. Actually, I prefer short concerts, like 45 or 60 minutes, that way it never gets boring, unless the band sucks. Yeah, and you know, when you like a band and say, "Wow, they jam", that's just meaning you like their sound, not that they're jamming (like an extended improv). So the term can be ambiguous. I was just reading and "The Flaming Lips" were included in a 'jamband' listing. I personally don't consider them in that sub-genre. They may play at those festivals, but for my definition they don't fall into those parameters. To each their own in respect to that. Now would I put a jazz band in there ? Sometimes I would if they fall into that 'hippie groove'. I can't pinpoint that other than the generalized characteristics of their fans, so to speak, but Bela Fleck and the Flecktones seem to embrace that grouping and they're progressive jazz and they DO JAM !!!! Miles Davis ? No, I wouldn't have included him back in the day, but he's go off on his jams for a LONG TIME, and was one of the first to blend the jazz and rock into those extended improvs. And he played at those BIG 'hippie' fests, like the Isle of Wight in 1970 as Bitches Brew was brewing. I read though, that many of the attendee's went for food and drinks during his set because they were bored. I quite enjoyed his set, even the 'noodling' he went off on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmie ray Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Well I love hippie bands (huge Dead band) and hate shit like Slayer. Talk about sounding the same. To each their own. Guitar "shredding" all sounds the same to me. Jamming with interaction between the instruments or letting each musician take their turn can be very unique and interesting. Traditional music such as Celtic or bluegrass is structured this way. I prefer seeing a band that jams live without a lead singer that does not play an instrument, as they tend to ham it up and distract from the experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfman Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Guitar "shredding" all sounds the same to me. Jamming with interaction between the instruments or letting each musician take their turn can be very unique and interesting. Traditional music such as Celtic or bluegrass is structured this way. I prefer seeing a band that jams live without a lead singer that does not play an instrument, as they tend to ham it up and distract from the experience. I'm with you on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xtazy Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Jimi Hendrix jammed ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mountain Hopper Posted January 9, 2009 Author Share Posted January 9, 2009 Can't say I'm a huge fan of "jam" bands either but I do love the Grateful Dead and the Alllman Brothers Band. I also don't mind Widespread that much but the fan aspect can be rather annoying. I also like Donna the Buffalo and Yonder Mountain String Band. A friend took me to see Phish at the now defunct Boathouse in Norfolk back in the early 90s. I liked them well enough but have never really understood what all the fuss is about them and still don't. It's funny you mention it but Yonder Mountain was the opening act. But they are from here in colorado. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mountain Hopper Posted January 9, 2009 Author Share Posted January 9, 2009 Man, I'M in pain just thinking about it! Just in case anyone is wondering, my avitar was a picture taken of a real person in Mexico City during last years Cinco de Mayo celebration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virginia Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 I like the Grateful Dead, Little Feat, Allman Brothers and the Dave Matthews Band. Phish is ok but I prefer the others. Not familiar with some of the newer ones but it's probably advisable to stick with bands who are in your own age range (or older) with this sort of music; rather than skewing younger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JethroTull Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 I just might take in a show by The Dead. Maybe they'll play a bunch of covers. First, I need to know....what is twirling? Let me guess, people who stand by themselves dancing wildly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JethroTull Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Just figured it out.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgetguru Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 These might pass for the "lost in the moment" twiriling, sorta. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninelives Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 I just might take in a show by The Dead. Maybe they'll play a bunch of covers. First, I need to know....what is twirling? Let me guess, people who stand by themselves dancing wildly? "A name given to people usually spinning in circles with their arms spread out swaying back and forth in rhythm to the beat. Could once be found attending Woodstock and any Grateful Dead concert with a head full of acid. I imagine the feeling of doing this would be unbelievable amazing and euphoric, or nauseating and there wouldn't be any sensation worse. Twirlers moved and would flow gracefully as if they were an extension of the music, but could reek of b.o. from following the band for months at a time in a VW bus only to bathe in a river when time and weather permitted. These twirlers would spin until they fell over, even twirling non-stop between songs. They would only twirl in open areas, this was so they could twirl without being interrupted. Making it through a field of twirlers without being hit was a challenge most people wouldn't want to take, but for some they attempted their hand at fate and would go head on against the flailing appendages of the twirlers." According to everything2.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgetguru Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 ^ yeah, like the pictures I posted above ninelives post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jahfin Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 While there a few hints of truth to the definition posted above I do have to take issue with it as it is full of stereotypical aspects that are continually perpetuated about fans of the Grateful Dead; like they all drove VW buses and never bathed. That's bullshit. We all know that many bathed in patchouli oil to cover up the smell of having not bathed for days. I always associated the twirlers with the Whirling Dervishes. Fans so caught up in the music that they went into some spiritual type rapture. My experience was that Grateful Dead fans came from all walks of life both young and old, rich and poor, some were diehard hippies, others were there just for the love of the music. Unfortunately once they started to become more famous (circa the success of In the Dark and their first number one single, Touch of Grey) a whole new breed of "fan" started to attend their shows. Sadly many of them were there just because of the party aspect of the parking lot scene and didn't have a clue about the music or the history surrounding the band. This led to gatecrashing and many other things not normally associated with Grateful Dead shows. In their latter years the scene surrounding the Grateful Dead (and the Grateful Dead themselves) started to unravel. Part of this had to do with a whole new breed of fans that had the wrong idea and problems within the band itself that had to do with Garcia's ever declining health and drug issues. It's pretty well documented that some bad shit started going down in their last few years of performing. In addition to the gatecrashing there were death threats made against Garcia, the still unsolved murder of longtime fan Adam Katz and the untimely death of some fans gathered for one of their shows up North when the makeshift plywood stand they were sitting on collapsed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JethroTull Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 Thanks to gadgetguru, ninelives and Jahfin for the education. (I think). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgetguru Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 I'd like to say, I've been to several "jam-band" concerts. I enjoyed each very much. In particular, I saw the Grateful Dead toward the end of their existence. I sat in the taper section just slightly above the floor level directly in front of the band back about 100 feet or so. Security actually kept the people out of the aisles for the most part and I didn't see any ruckus or uncontrollable behavior. The section I was in was very quiet (tapers deluxe) so the dynamics of the band that night were easily absorbed. Jerry was tender, he played like he knew his time was near the end. Emotion permeated the arena. I'm very lucky to have caught such a wonderful performance. In addition, I've seen the Allman Bros., Government Mule, Widespread Panic, Medeski Martin and Wood, The Flecktones, Phish and a few others that slip my mind, oh yeah (The Slip) too. I had fun, enjoyed the music and the crowd and didn't have any negative experiences. Everyone was live and let live. The twirlers are amusing when Im not paying strict attention to the band, otherwise I make sure they're behind me. Of course not everyone at these shows are the same, but you see more hippie twirler types here than at shows like Elvis Costello, Return to Forever or even Led Zeppelin, for instance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JethroTull Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 The Story of My Life - I'll go see The Dead and start twirling myself. Couple of people won't like the way I'm twirling and proceed to beat the shit outta me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgetguru Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 The Story of My Life - I'll go see The Dead and start twirling myself. Couple of people won't like the way I'm twirling and proceed to beat the shit outta me. Nah, Some Hell's Angel who's hired for security will stab you just for the fun of it. Polite, but firmly implanted into your quivering cadaver ! : Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swede Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 Those twirling moves, feels like every hippie kid in the late 60's used to do them.. Watch the Woodstock and Isle of Wight movies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mountain Hopper Posted January 12, 2009 Author Share Posted January 12, 2009 My problem with the twirlers was that it was my job to keep them out of the aisles because it is a fire hazard. About half way through the show I just gave up. It's an impossible task. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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