Probably the most subjective of all these lists, the ranking of my favorite improvisational moments: the jams. I’ll be upfront, I’m a sucker for a great jam. Often times a criticism of the jam scene is that jam bands will play 10-30 minute musical excursions that don’t go anywhere and kill any chance of accessibility to mainstream culture. While there may be some truth to this criticism, the reality is that, when done right, an epic jam can be the transcendental moment that changes the way a listener experiences music. Live music is intrinsically visceral and powerful, but when you add an element of exploration, it turns the experience into one that is more communal. It becomes a unique moment shared by everyone in attendance; it becomes a one-of-a-kind version of the song that music nerds can make blog posts about, arguing whether or not their moment was more meaningful than the others’. A great jam can make a great song even greater, and the allure of a jam band is the understanding that, when done well, they can elevate any one of their songs at any given time to an experience that can never be replicated completely. Here are my picks from the #spacetapes 2019 archives!
#10: Cycles – “Sunday Night” (2019-03-02 @ Zio Romolo’s Alley Bar, Denver, CO)
Starting things off are Denver power-trio Cycles, performing their morbid micro-tale of home invasion, “Sunday Night”. Any time the group performs a surprise show at Zio’s, it always manages to get pretty crowded by the second set, and this night was no different. The band played off this palpable energy, especially during “Sunday Night”, which featured a dark and ominous jam that echoed the band’s creepy lyrics with a fierce and pointed attack that stirred the packed crowd.
Listen to Cycles – “Sunday Night” below or check out the full show here.
#9: Kaleid – “The Slime” (2019-04-05 @ The Fox Theater, Boulder, CO)
Moving up to a show in Boulder, our next big jam comes from Kaleid, with a 17-minute version of their original, “The Slime”. Once again we see the slow, instrumental build, setting the mood for a big jam, landing the verses and chorus, and then launching the big excursion into improv territory. The song finds several peak moments led by lead guitarist Nik Francis‘ swift guitar licks.
Listen to Kaleid – “The Slime” below or check out the full show here.
#8: Flash Mountain Flood – “White Lightning” (2019-05-24 @ The Fox Theatre, Boulder, CO)
The next epic jam comes from Boulder-based group, Flash Mountain Flood. Celebrating their new record release, “Speak Of Heaven”, the band performed a headlining set at the legendary Fox Theatre to showcase several new tunes off the new album.
The centerpiece of their set was a thorough exploration of “White Lightning”, a tune off of the recent release. The performance featured a sit-in from Envy Alo saxophonist, Kevin Supina, who smoothed out the corners of both the composed section, as well as the jam, with his refined playing.
Listen to Flash Mountain Flood – “White Lightning” featuring Kevin Supina below or check out the full show here.
#7: Phour Point O – “Waves” (2019-06-21 @ Be On Key Psychedelic Ripple, Denver, CO)
Denver’s best (and my personal favorite) Phish tribute crushed a spot-on interpretation of “Waves”, featuring an exploratory section that traverses jam waters not many Phish tributes are able to so astutely navigate. From the patient intro to the expansive mid-section and finally the hefty jam, the band succeeds in delivering a Phish experience with all the trappings of what makes the band great, proving once again that Phour Point O is your best bet in getting that sweet Phish phix in-between Dick’s appearances.
Listen to Phour Point O – “Waves” below or check out the full show here.
#6: Magic Beans – “Lost & Found” (2019-06-28 @ Rancho Del Rio, Bond, CO)
The dance party never stops with Denver-based Magic Beans—especially when playing host to 2,000 fans at their annual Beanstalk Music & Mountains Festival. This pick comes from night two of the 2019 festival and features secondary percussion from Lespecial‘s Rory Dolan to help contribute to the rhythmic foundation for the jam voyage.
Listen to Magic Beans – “Lost & Found” below or check out the full show here.
#5: The Higgs – “Freddy” (2019-01-31 @ Cervantes’ Other Side, Denver, CO)
Hailing all the way from the city of Angeles, California-based jam band, The Higgs, started off their late-night set at Cervantes’ Other Side with a massive 20-minute take on their warning tale of over-indulgence, “Freddy”. The intro build was patient and helped ease the crowd into the band’s sound and style. As the mesmerizing jam carried through the 15-minute mark, it was clear that The Higgs were well versed in the art of improvisation, laying down a multi-layered psychedelic jam that paid proper tribute to the lyrics; by the end, I think we all felt like we had forgotten to take half of Freddy’s shit.
Listen to The Higgs – “Freddy” below or check out the full show here.
#4: moe. – “In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed” (2019-06-01 @ Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, CO)
This particular jam is the ultimate tri-fecta that can, and likely will, make several appearances on this year’s Fish Picks. First of all, there’s the incredible sit-in from Phish bassist Mike Gordon. Second, it’s a great cover choice of an Allman Brothers classic that takes full advantage of moe.‘s dual guitar attack. All of this is then coupled with the fact that the jam itself is an epic, 19-minute+ excursion, fully exploring all four corners of the instrumental and reverberating off the walls of the legendary Red Rocks venue. It’s no shock that this remains one of the most well-rounded performances of the year.
Listen to moe. – “In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed” featuring Mike Gordon below or check out the full show here.
#3: Magic Beans – “Contraband” (2019-06-27 @ Rancho Del Rio, Bond, CO)
Coming in with their second jam on the list are the Magic Beans, once again, performing at their annual music festival, Beanstalk. This time, we have the first night opener, “Contraband”, which is a punchy-funky-dancey number with an infectious melody that sticks in your head as it drifts into the spacey jam segment, led by keyboardist Casey Russell‘s impressive work on the Nord. It was a spectacular way to kick-off their first set of three at their yearly throwdown and was one of the highlights of the entire weekend.
Listen to Magic Beans – “Contraband” below or check out the full show here.
#2: Amoramora – “Oh Brother” (2019-12-21 @ GOAT Soup & Whiskey, Dillon, CO)
Clocking in at the longest jam on the list, Boulder-based Amoramora performed a scorching 30-minute+ version of their grassy-tinged-tune, “Oh Brother”. The segment was a multi-faceted beast with several evolutions that showed a band on an absolute tear, performing a fiercely focused jam that would prove not only the highlight of the evening, and not just the highlight of the two-night-run, but easily the best jam I’ve ever seen the band perform.
Listen to Amoramora – “Oh Brother” below or check out the full show here.
#1: Magic Beans – “Mr. Scientist” (2019-06-29 @ Beanstalk Music & Mountains Festival at Rancho Del Rio, Bond, CO)
Coming in at #1 we have some familiar faces—once again, Magic Beans performing at their annual Beanstalk Festival. If I’m being honest, I could have had three different tunes simply from night one of this festival in the top 10, but I figured we needed some more variety than that. But that shouldn’t count against the band for performing three sets jam-packed to the gills with epic moments that illustrate why they have become one of the premier jam bands to come out of Denver in quite some time. This particular performance of “Mr. Scientist” clocks in at just shy of 30 minutes, as the band closed out the third set of the weekend with one of the strongest showings yet. From the moment the signature bass slaps drop, to the moment the band drops back into the main riff, the performance is drenched with everything that makes the Beans great. My pick for jam of 2019.
Listen to Magic Beans – “Mr. Scientist” below or check out the full show here.
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