Jam bands are special to me. Any music I listen to, I try to find a live version. There’s something about knowing a band can recreate their music and actually seeing a band perform that’s so exciting. My favorite part about Jam Bands is that each and every night they create, for one fleeting moment, music that will never again exist in the same form.
Nothing says jam band like playing over three thousand shows, but never in the same way for the same set list, and the granddaddy of them all never played the same show twice. Go to The Live Music Archive (a great website for getting free live shows for hundreds of bands) to listen just a few thousand of the Dead shows they offer. Born from the psychedelic movement in San Fransisco during the 1960’s, the Grateful Dead created flowing jams that fused their psychedelic core with folk, blues, jazz and other American roots music. Listening to the Dead, while always enjoyable, can be best described by the men themselves, “What a long strange trip its been.”
If you think record sales and radio airplay indicate popularity, you’ve never been to Dave Matthews Band concert. I just was watching my sister’s Dave videos from the postponed Governor’s Island shows and it was nuts just how crazy the crowds were, not to mention the band was as good as ever. The diverse instrumentation (electric violin, acoustic and electric guitars, and a horns section) coupled with Dave’s crazy personality and always fascinating lyrics makes this band one of my favorites.
There’s no I in team, but there is an I in Dispatch, which is weird because they’re the ultimate team. Most songs feature all three members singing, with each one singing lead at different points and all three switching instruments like it’s their job (which it is of course). In addition to singing harmonies, all three individuals play guitar, bass and some type of percussion. Their most popular song is “The General,” but all the songs they play live are really good, especially the following entitled Mission.
The Music Court 
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