Recommendations of the Editorial team
Evaluating the results forced us to make some considerations. Pearl Jam and the Red Hot Chili Peppers received a lot of votes, but simply didn’t improvise enough during their shows to qualify. Led Zeppelin was a more difficult case. They did have songs that stretched over 30 minutes and improvised in those moments, but the majority of their show was rehearsed and unchanged. In the end, they didn’t make the list, even when other borderline cases were taken into account.
10. Moe.
The sudden end of The Grateful Dead left many jam band fans without a group to follow across the country. This helped Phish become a touring giant, but also brought in smaller acts like Moe. benefit. The quintet, which was founded in 1989 at the University of Buffalo, saw a significant increase in attendance in the mid-1990s.
They go to great lengths to make each set unique, mixing their own tunes with covers like “The Weight” and “Blister in the Sun.” In the summer they can be seen at Mountain Jam and the All Good Music Festival.
9. Pink Floyd
At first we were unsure whether Pink Floyd should count as a jam band. Their concerts from 1973 onwards were quite heavily rehearsed, although songs like “Dogs” and “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” lasted almost 30 minutes. But things were different during the Ummagumma phase, and in the Syd Barrett era they played extended, improvised marathon sets in London. They later moved far away from it, but jamming remains part of their DNA.
8. Umphrey’s McGee
Jam bands and prog groups have some of the most passionate fans in the music scene. This sextet from Indiana offers a perfect combination of both genres, earning them a dedicated following and allowing them to perform at major venues like Red Rocks, even though many people have never heard them.
If you’re not yet a convert, you should see them live: their album “Live at the Beacon Theater” contains breathtaking versions of “Where Is My Mind” by the Pixies and “Layla” by Derek and the Dominos.
7. Gov’t Mule
If there ever is a Jam Band Hall of Fame, Warren Haynes deserves his own wing. The guitarist not only took over Duane Allman’s role in the Allman Brothers in 1989, but also took on the Jerry role in The Dead in 2004.
For several years he split his time between both acts, while also touring and recording with Gov’t Mule. The band combines many of the best aspects of The Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers – and seems to get better every year.
6. Widespread Panic
There may be two types of people: those who are obsessed with Widespread Panic and counting down the days until the next Red Rocks shows – and those who barely know the band exists.
The group has toured regularly for three decades and has never had a classic hit, but their legendary live sets have made them one of the most successful touring bands of the past 20 years. In 2002, guitarist Michael Houser died of cancer, Jimmy Herring joined in 2006 and continues the legacy impressively.
