Jam Cruise 21: A Perfect Day At Sea – 7 Highlights From Day 2

Jam Cruise 21 made tracks towards Mexico on Saturday, the first full day of the trip. Over 16 hours of music and music-related activities were presented aboard the MSC Divina and some tough choices needed to be made.

Hot Buttered Rum took the Pool Deck stage at 12:15 p.m. and the music was still going in the Jam Room and Disco at 4 a.m. when I went to sleep. There are four main stages and several auxiliary venues with the music often running concurrently. So, it’s a “Choose Your Own Adventure” type situation on Jam Cruise and dozens of different paths could be taken depending on your preferences.

I tried to see as much as I can and moved between rooms with a quickness. While the venues are a short walk from each other, I did realize I may have spent too much time walking that could’ve been better utilized watching music.

That said, I still saw plenty of amazing music and here’s six of my highlights from Saturday aboard Jam Cruise.

Brock Butler Provides A Sunny Soundtrack

One of the big stories of the first full day of Jam Cruise 21 was just how nice the weather was throughout. The sun was shining until late in the day and the temperature was warm without being stifling.

Perpetual Groove frontman Brock Butler, on his 11th Jam Cruise, packed plenty of action into one hour at the Garden Pool. This year, the stage was oriented in a way so that those taking a dip had a head-on view. In past years the stage direction was reversed.

Brock has a new solo album in the works and showcased some of the material from the LP. He was joined for his whole set by Bill Jarret (formerly of Moonshine Still) on percussion and guitarist Joe Marcinek. The latter contributed to Butler’s forthcoming LP.

Butler mixed news tunes, including one he wrote about his wife, with a killer array of covers. My favorite was a take on Paul Simon’s “Under African Skies” sung as a duet with vocalist Katrina Fortier. Another was Bob Dylan’s “Meet Me In The Morning” played with Frasco guitarist Shawn Eckels and Jeff Lloyd of The Heavy Pets.

A Bubble For The Bubble From ALO

Fresh off the start of this year’s Tour d’Amour, ALO fired on all cylinders at the Pool Deck. A full circle moment came when Pigeons Playing Ping Pong guitarist Jeremy Schon emerged for fan-favorite “Plastic Bubble,” the perfect tune for Jam Cruise due to its groovy feel and lyrical content about escapism.

“Plastic Bubble” was the song Schon’s college roommate would spin in their dorm more than any other, which left a lasting impact on the guitarist. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong surprised ALO guitarist Lebo a few years back by bringing him out for a guest spot during one of the their own songs and segueing into “Plastic Bubble.” Lebo’s reaction that night was special as he realized PPPP learned his band’s tune. On Saturday, Jeremy Schon had his first chance to play “Plastic Bubble” with the original artist and the guitarist was all smiles as he laid down a killer solo and traded licks with Lebo.

Kanika Moore Is The Total Package

Vocalist Kanika Moore showed off a different side of her musicality from the proggy Doom Flamingo and collaborations with TAUK for which she’s best known during an intimate set in the atrium. Jam Cruisers packed the three floors overlooking the atrium to get a view of Moore and the ovation she received at the end of the set was one of the biggest I remember.

Kanika Moore was accompanied by The Psycodelics for most of a set focusing on jazz and standards. The Psycodelics, like Moore, are from Charleston, South Carolina. Kanika slayed as she belted out such varied tunes as “That’s Life,” “Tennessee Waltz,” “Always” (Stevie Wonder) and “Let’s Go Get Stoned.” The set grew in intensity with each passing tune, culminating with an otherworldly cover of Radiohead’s “High & Dry” featuring a jazz arrangement.

Nikki Glaspie Takes Over The Pool Deck

While Nikki Glaspie may not have gotten the Primus drummer gig, she was one of the few who made the final round of the audition process. Glaspie is such a badass and Jam Cruise was treated to performances from two ends of her musical wheelhouse.

First, Nikki took part in a The Nth Power set featuring a slew of special guests including former keyboardist Courtney Smith and vocalist Shira Elias. Glaspie, guitarist Nick Cassarino and bassist Nate Edgar spread their message of love and understanding through a performance focused on powerful original material.

Glaspie wasn’t done yet as she was behind the kit for talented ensemble Snarky Puppy's return to the Jam Cruise stage. Bassist Michael League and company began with several new songs they recently recorded for a live album in Europe and then drew from older material. Glaspie crushed each tune with League taking a few moments to talk to the crowd, which he eventually revealed he was doing to buy Nikki sometime to rest on such a busy night for the drummer.

Andy Frasco Lets The Dogs Out & Pigeons Fly

Last year, Andy Frasco & The U.N. embarked on a joint tour with Dogs In A Pile and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. The three bands gave Jam Cruise a taste of the collaboration-heavy run as they loaded the stage for a fun version of Chumbawumba’s “Tubthumping” after inviting Dogs to team on one of Frasco’s originals.

Andy went light on the schtick and heavy on soul-stirring music while still keeping the crowd entertained. Among standouts from the core lineup sans guests was new single “Try Not To Die” and a frenetic cover of Cheap Trick’s “I Want You To Want Me.

Mildlife Makes The Trip From Melbourne

The toughest conflict for me was Snarky Puppy performing at the same time as Mildlife. The latter made the trip from Melbourne, Australia and doesn’t perform in these parts too often so I spent most of my time watching Mildlife throw down. Both Snarky Puppy and Mildlife’s music defies genre-classification. While Snarky Puppy are all about intricate grooves with Michael League one of the more badass bassists on the planet, Mildlife grooved as well in a more basic fashion. However, there’s something to be said for the potency of the more straight-forward approach.

lespecial Goes All In On Vibes With “Jam Dad” & Welcomes Skerik For A Special Sit-In

A did not have lespecial drawing the biggest crowd of the day on my JC21 bingo card. Yet the trio filled the Pantheon Theater and made the most of the opportunity. Bassist Luke Bemand addressed the elephant in the room as drummer Rory Dolan was another finalist of Primus’ global search for a new drummer. Bemand joked they would’ve sued Primus had Dolan been selected. lespecial’s music was so clearly influenced by that of Les Claypool with Bemand thumping away on the bass and Dolan channeling the Colonel on vocals.

But lespecial is far from derivative and worked elements of electronica into their progressive stew. lespecial was joined by percussionist Mike Dillon for multiple songs. Bemand explained that Dillon is the trio’s “jazz dad” and at one point the three members of lespecial gathered with Mike D. on vibes for an impressive eight-armed attack on the instrument. The band also teamed with another one of their heroes, saxophonist Skerik, for The Specials’ ska classic “Ghost Town.” Trombonist Alex Wasily also contributed to the cover.

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Jam Cruise 21 docks in Cozumel, Mexico on Sunday. Stay tuned for more coverage.