Jambands.com - Need We Say More?

Published: 2010/07/28
by I. Fletcher

I’m getting old, cranky and snobby. Things that used to ignite my spirit are now ho-hum episodes in mediocrity. I used to talk incessantly, to anyone, could talk the paint off a wall. These days, the worst environmental disaster in our nation’s history will rouse me into a profanity-laced, half-educated leftist rant about the ills of western consumpionist society, but otherwise I generally keep to my random thoughts to myself.

However, one of my enduring favorite pastimes is to wiggle into the corner of a comfortable gathering of like-minded, gently inebriated and experienced souls to toss around educated music opinions, tour war stories and, often, many “what-ifs.”

I’d like to toss some “what-ifs” at you. I want you to toss some back, with varying amounts of creativity blended with your own experiences and flavors. You’ll get it…

Here we go.

Imagine you’ve unlocked the gift of time travel. You’ve been given 10 opportunities to venture backwards into history to experience anything you want. While many may choose massive historic events such as the signing of the Declaration of Independence or the fall of the Berlin Wall or epic sports events (who wouldn’t have wanted to see “The Miracle On Ice” or Ali vs. Foreman’s “Rumble in the Jungle”), this trip shall be a musical foray…it is, after all, jambands.com.

One rule, you can only choose one band/artist and their one show. For example, you can’t say “Woodstock” and imply the entire weekend of awesomeness. You could travel to Hendrix’s Sunday morning set that included the epic “Star-Spangled Banner,” just not the whole event. You get the idea.

Now, this is my 10. This is not THE TEN. It’s just my 10. It’s meant to get the conversation started.

10. Rage Against the Machine Aug. 27, 1993 Reading Festival Reading, England

- “Evil Empire” Tour. The zenith of RATM’s popularity, raw energy and revolutionary power. You’re in the middle of a massive wave of 70,000 crazed, drunken and sweaty Britons, pressed together as Morello rips into the intro to “People of the Sun.” Hell yes. Pure primal musical experience.

9. The Miles Davis Sextet Sept. 9, 1958 The Plaza Hotel, New York City

- Davis, Coltrane, Adderley, Evans, Cobb and Chambers. The elite of American Jazz, the “Kind of Blue” musicians before the ’59 recording of the seminal album. These guys would influence jam and improvisation as much as anyone ever. For jam fans, this is like Genesis, Chapter 1, Verse 1, no?

8. Talking Heads Aug. 5, 1983 Saratoga Springs PAC, Saratoga Springs, NY

- This is the show from “Stop Making Sense.” We’ve all seen it. We’ve all said we’d love to have been there. Me too. That’s why it’s on my list. The movie leaves out some big Talking Heads standards like “Cities,” “Houses in Motion,” and “Eyes Wide Shut” that you get to see…

7. Led Zeppelin June 16, 1972 Memorial Col., Portland, OR

- Jimmy Page said he thought this period was when the band was at its best. Portland in the 70’s. Make sure you’re sitting down when you check out the list from this show, including the “Stairway to Heaven” OPENER.

Stairway To Heaven, Going To California, That’s the Way, Tangerine, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, Dazed and Confused, What Is and What Should Never Be, Moby Dick, Whole Lotta Love, and Rock and Roll

6. James Brown April 5, 1968 Boston Garden, Boston, MA

- The night MLK was assassinated. “The Godfather” and the JB’s bring it, potentially diffusing a riot in the racially charged city (the show was also aired on Boston TV, then re-aired immediately afterward the concert’s conclusion). Being there on such a dramatic evening would have been tough, as I’m sure the energy would have tense or even awkward…but such is the healing power of music in the hands of a grand master.

5. The Beatles Jan. 30, 1969 Rooftop, Apple Records, London, ENG

- Ok…yeah, they only played five songs and two of those they played multiple times (filming the movie “Let It Be”). Whatever, it’s ’69 Beatles, their last performance ever. If you’ve seen any pictures, there’s 10 or 12 people on the roof with them watching, all of them sitting contentedly, probably clueless that this was to be it. Still…”Get Back,” “Don’t Let Me Down” and “I’ve Got a Feeling” made it before the cops shut the thing down.

4. The Allman Brothers Band Mar. 12, 1971 Fillmore East, New York City

- Duane Allman at his prime, feverishly dueling with Dickey Betts through soul-dripping, mongo jams on “Whipping Post” and “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.” Was there a band that was better at the art of jamming than ABB in its prime? Was there a better guitar combo than Betts and Duane and/or a better rhythm section than Trucks, Jai and Oakley? This is improvisational rock music at its absolute finest. Time machine…what are you waiting for?

3. Grateful Dead Dec. 31, 1978 Winterland, San Francisco, CA

- Ok. Tons of possibilities for the Dead. Egypt would have been an easy pick, maybe Red Rocks or Cornell, one of the Acid Tests would have been killer. Why Winterland? I prefer ’77 and ’78 Dead. They’re in their hometown. Dan Aykroyd counted down the year. The setlist is what I would have written out in a “what if” Dead show setlist blog. I can’t imagine being closer to the epicenter of everything that was magical about that band then maybe being in the middle of that room on that night. (contented sigh).

2. Bob Marley & The Wailers Dec. 5, 1976 Kingston, Jamaica

- Marley survived an assassination attempt two days earlier, but took the stage at the “Smile Jamaica” festival to try and bring together the country’s feuding political parties. Bob agrees to do one song, then stays on with the band for an emotional 90-minute experience which ends with the leaders of both parties joining Marley in a handshake on stage in a gesture of cooperation and peace. Awesome…the power of music again…Marley bails Jamaica the next day and doesn’t return for a year and a half. Wailers staples “Trenchtown Rock,” “Jah Live,” “Get Up Stand Up” on the setlist.

1. The Jimi Hendrix Experience June 18, 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, Monterey, CA

- His first US performance with the Experience, basically unknown and sharing the bill with The Who, Otis Redding, The Dead, Janis. Owsley acid has the entire festival firmly in its grip. Hendrix thoroughly rips the faces off everyone there or whoever has seen “Hendrix: Live At Monterey” with “Hey Joe,” “Foxy Lady” and Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone.” The show ends with “Purple Haze” moving into distortion, only to fall into the sudden, jagged start of a noisy and crunchy “Wild Thing,” which ends with Jimi falling to his knees, pouring lighter fluid on his axe and setting it ablaze before smashing it into pieces. This, while Monterey sits in stunned, tripped-out awe, fear, wonder, etc….curious as to whether they should applaud or run for cover (seriously, can you imagine?). Holy shit, Batman…this guy isn’t messing around. That’s Rock n’ Roll. Put me there.

DUDE…how the hell could you leave out (insert name here)????

- Yeah, no Stones, no Mozart, no Who or Floyd, no Doors. Like I said, it’s my own imperfect list. With more room, I probably would have added Bill Monroe, definitely Janis, some hip-hop, Dylan, maybe Van Halen from the “1984” tour?

Your turn! Where would you go?