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Words by: Stephanie Jacoby | Images by: Ian Rawn
Asheville Music Jamboree :: 05.23.08 – 05.25.08 :: Deerfields, NC
 AmJam 2008 |
There's no better way to celebrate a long weekend than with a sweet camping festival, and no better way to spend a sweet camping festival than in the lush green peaks and valleys of Asheville, N.C. The Asheville Music Jamboree, a homegrown bluegrass, funk and good ole' Southern rock fest featured the likes of New Orleans natives Dumpstaphunk, husband-and-wife team Larry and Jenny Keel, one man hit parade Keller Williams and a stellar performance by Gov't Mule, whose set on Saturday evening kicked off the band's "Mighty High Summer Tour."
As families and music fans of all ages set up camp around the glorious and very chilly ponds, the body painting and hula-hooping officially began. The beauty and benefits of attending such a small event is that AmJam guests were able to attend virtually every single set due to the fact that there were only two stages. The Main Stage was situated between the local food vendors and hiking trails, and the Pond Stage was literally a stone's throw away. The steep slope of the mountain in front of the small Pond Stage made standing and dancing relatively awkward, but when viewing the band from the back of the stage, across the pond, especially in the evening, it was a tranquil and stunning experience.
Friday
 Bela Fleck with the Sparrow Quartet
AmJam 2008 |
Friday night's highlights commenced with a gritty performance by Bloodkin at the Pond Stage, complete with a slow rendition of the song Widespread Panic made famous, "Can't Get High." That set was quickly followed by Asheville locals Afromotive throwing down lyrical beats on the Main Stage. Saxophonist Jeff Coffin (Bela Fleck and the Flecktones) sat in and complimented the catchy Afrobeats. Ping-ponging back and forth, music fans flocked towards the pond to catch Bela Fleck play with Abigail Washburn's Sparrow Quartet featuring Casey Driessen on violin, Ben Sollee on cello and Washburn singing vocals and wailing on banjo alongside Fleck's picking.
"I like the vibe. I like the loose, relaxed quality of it; it makes you play good, it makes you feel good. I think sometimes the more uptight the gig is, the more uptight you play and I like it better when I'm relaxed. The best musical energy happens when you're feeling really relaxed and open, and [Asheville Music Jamboree] fosters that kind of feeling, so I'm all for it," Fleck said. "I like playing bluegrass festivals where there are lots of acoustic musicians, but I also like being one of the only acoustic musicians. There's a whole wide variety of music here and we're sort of representing that kind of music here in an unconventional way."
Burning Spear's original reggae rhythms summoned the crowd back to the Main Stage a little later in the evening, emitting gentle calypso sounds that tickled the eardrums while also accomplishing a sort of straightforwardness with their lyrics and overall melodies - fun for both parents and children, and boy were there children at AmJam.
The late night shows were comprised of three very high energy performances by Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, Outformation and RAQ. Dumpstaphunk brought together keyboardist Ivan Neville, bassists Nick Daniels and Tony Hall, drummer Raymond Weber and Ivan's cousin Ian Neville (swoon... gush) on guitar. This funky set preceded Outformation's intense energy as Sam Holt channeled Mike Houser's natural guitar essence through his own solid skills.
Vermont quartet RAQ, known for their innovative blend of progressive rock and psychedelic interplay, was the final late night set on Friday. The band was introduced with an impressive story about one time when they delivered such a powerful set that the headliner they opened for refused to go on, claiming that they simply could not follow such a performance. The band lived up to its legend and brought an energy that riveted and stirred the small crowd of no more than 100 fans into a fist-pumping roar.
Saturday
 Matt Abts - Gov't Mule :: AmJam 2008 |
The Sparrow Quartet held a repeat performance the following day on the Main Stage, sandwiched between gorgeous local bluegrass babes, the Barrel House Mamas, and the gospel and funk-influenced steel band, The Lee Boys from Miami.
Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band's guitarist-songwriter Josh Phillips took the Pond Stage at dusk with his Asheville-based band, The Folk Festival. Phillips' side project seemed to be more focused on simpler forms of folk and bluegrass tunes, which provided a nice segue way into the Keel and McMurry Farms set on the Main Stage. Keel, who is always a down-to-earth musician that straddles the line between traditional and contemporary bluegrass, delivered yet another impeccable show - the first of the two sets he played that weekend.
As Gov't Mule made its way to the Main Stage, a tangible sensation of excitement hung in the air. This set marked the first local (non-Christmas Jam) gig for frontman Warren Haynes since Bele Chere in 2006.
"Performing in the Asheville area is always special," Haynes told the Asheville Citizen-Times. "I'm definitely really happy that the scene has flourished like it has. There's always been a special vibe, musically speaking, in Asheville, and there's always been a scene, though it's much larger now."
The Mule crew was riding high after its respite from the road, and seemed eager to integrate some old favorites with a few new jams that melted faces as the crowd cheered and danced for the entirety of the band's two-and-a-half hour set. The band teased Bob Marley's "Get Up Stand Up" during their mid-set performance of "Play With Fire," and threw in a few "Shakedown Street" chords during "Unring The Bell." As the show neared completion, Keller Williams joined the group to sit in on Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth," which was quickly followed by Haynes' gruff voice belting out Gov't Mule's staple encore, "Soulshine."
BoomBox (a.k.a. DJ Russ Randolph and Zion Godchaux, son of Keith Godchaux and Donna Jean) kicked out the intergalactic space jams as soon as the last Mule note was struck. Strapped with his funky bass and trusty mixer, Godchaux donned his trademark furry pink pimp hat and cranked out a disco-breakin' set. The Jeff Sipe Trio brought Coffin's incredible horn skills back to the stage with a free-flowing format, wiggling in and out of what could only be described as a blend of jazz, funk and techno.
Sunday
 Keller Williams :: AmJam 2008 |
While the local Asheville bands were present throughout the entire weekend, the final day of the festival seemed somewhat reserved for lesser-known bluegrass and Southern rock artists that are native to the small mountain town.
It seemed as if nobody strayed too far from the Main Stage, as most Pond Stage acts were short and easily miss-able. The New Familiars? Not so familiar with them. Delicious? Mmm... perhaps.
Sipe played a full set with the beautiful and talented Shannon Whitworth and The Refugees on Sunday afternoon. Her incredible voice hit each note just right, and her genial attitude and overall gratitude for the audience was quite refreshing.
Former Drive-By Truckers guitarist Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit's sound felt vaguely redundant and was very difficult to get excited about. They kept at a slow but steady rock pace that didn't waver or exhilarate the crowd at any point throughout the set. The question of whether or not they are talented musicians was not the issue, the problem was that at 3 p.m. on Sunday, most folks had already headed home or they were just killing time until Keller Williams' set.
Williams finally took the stage with Larry and Jenny Keel, and blew everyone away with their intricate string fingering. Williams, the ham that he is, kept everyone laughing with humorous cover songs like "Stephen Lynch's Vanilla Ice Cream" and his newly adopted Frank Sinatra voice that he seems to slip into every other song.
When he returned to the Main Stage for his solo set, Williams effectively captured the crowd's attention as he danced and flailed about through songs like "Dear Emily," "Novelty Song," "Best Feeling" and "Cadillac." And, of course, no Williams performance would be complete without a cute sing-along ditty like the one he sang about the secret joint he held in the front pocket of his shirt while moving through airport security.
As the festival came to a close, families took down their tents, food and goods vendors took down their booths and everyone bid a fond farewell to one of the most peaceful, natural and overall inspiring music experiences of this young festival season.
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 The Afromotive
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 The Afromotive with Jeff Coffin
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 Ivan Neville - Dumpstaphunk
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 Dumpstaphunk
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 Burning Spear
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 Burning Spear
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 Gov't Mule
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 Keller & The Keels
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 Larry Keel
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 Keller Williams
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 Abigail Washburn
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 Jason Isbell
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 The New Familiars
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 Shane Pruitt Band
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 RAQ
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 RAQ
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 Acoustic Syndicate
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 Sam Holt - Outformation
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