The Big Game Meets The Big Boat: Jam Cruise 22 Day 2 Highlights

The Big Game and the Big Boat collided yesterday as Super Bowl LX unfolded during the first full day of Jam Cruise 22. Both the ocean and the music were in constant motion and cruisers managed to celebrate touchdowns on deck and on stage.

Sunday aboard the MSC Divina was a whirlwind of sunshine, salt air and sound. With the ship plowing through turquoise Caribbean waters en route to Grand Turk, music erupted by noon and didn’t stop until the sky began to lighten again. The weather was ideal, warm and breezy with just enough cloud cover to keep the sunburns at bay. In short, it was a perfect setting for a Day at Sea on Jam Cruise.

Game Day Vibes on the High Seas

Sunday’s “Game Day” theme turned the Divina into a floating tailgate. Jam Cruisers sported jerseys spanning nearly every sport imaginable, from football and baseball to roller derby. Some were custom made while others were traditional. Many friend groups coordinated outfits, making it easy to spot their “teams” across the ship’s decks and dancefloors.

The Super Bowl broadcast party in the Pantheon Theater created one of the day’s most communal moments. Fans cheered on big plays from their chosen sides, and judging by the volume, the Seattle Seahawks faithful was out in force. The venue reached its peak energy during the halftime show when the dancefloor morphed into a full-on party as revelers got down to Bad Bunny's electrifying performance.

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Musical Highlights From Day Two

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Kendall Street Company Gets “Cars” On The “Road To Nowhere”

Virginia’s Kendall Street Company kicked off Pool Deck festivities with their first-ever Jam Cruise set, and a statement one at that. Each band member wore a hockey jersey emblazoned with their lemon-headed mascot, Lenny, as did dozens of loyal fans around the pool. Their feel-good vibe was contagious.

The quintet wrapped the set with a clever one-two punch, pairing their early tune “Cars” with a buoyant Talking Heads cover that became “Boat to Nowhere,” a tongue-in-cheek twist tailor-made for the occasion.

The Sun Finally Smiles on Lebo’s Garden Pool Set

ALO frontman Lebo (Dan Lebowitz) is a Garden Pool fixture, famously battling everything from downpours to oppressive heat in years past. This time the weather gods finally cut him a break.

Joined by bassist Ashley Galbraith and Eggy‘s Alex Bailey on drums, Lebo delivered a breezy, joyful set of ALO favorites like “Try” and “Undertow.” Matt Butler of Everyone Orchestra hopped in on percussion at points and on drums for a fiery “Sympathy for the Devil,” while Anna Moss joined for the aptly chosen “Garden Party,” a Jam Cruise tradition in its own right.

The Wood Brothers Welcome Kanika Moore

The Wood Brothers packed both their performances into the cruise’s first 24 hours, and Sunday’s Pool Deck set shone with surprise guests. Saxophone wizard Skerik, fiddler Jake Simpson and powerhouse vocalist Kanika Moore all joined the trio.

Oliver Wood and Moore’s chemistry was instant, with their duet on Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s “Up Above My Head” radiating old-school gospel fire and new-school flair.

Kingfish Brings the Blues to the People

At sunset, Grammy-winning blues phenom Christone “Kingfish” Ingram made his Jam Cruise debut with a blistering performance. Armed with a wireless guitar, Kingfish roamed deep into the crowd mid-song, shredding licks face-to-face with fans as the glowing horizon framed the scene.

Backed by DeShawn “D’Vibes” Alexander on keys, Paul Rodgers on bass and Chris Black on drums, Kingfish channeled the spirit of the Delta straight into the Caribbean air, a highlight for blues lovers and first-timers alike.

Galactic Spreads Positivity With a Little Help From Their Friends

No Jam Cruise lineup feels complete without Galactic and Karl Denson, both veterans of every voyage. The New Orleans funk staples tore up the Pool Deck with featured vocalist Anjelika ‘Jelly’ Joseph steering the ship for the bulk of the set. Her commanding energy had the crowd locked in from the jump.

Midway through, Cuban dynamo Cimafunk joined for an exhilarating bilingual call-and-response. Later, first-time cruiser Datrian Johnson stepped up to duet with Jelly on Allen Toussaint’s “Yes We Can Can,” leaving no doubt that positivity and funk are still the lifeblood of Galactic’s marathon run.

Dave Harrington’s Pranksters At Sea

The night’s most unpredictable chapter unfolded in the Black & White Lounge. Billed mysteriously as Dave Harrington’s Pranksters At Sea, the two-hour improvisational odyssey played out like an underwater Acid Test.

Dave Harrington, of Taper’s Choice and Darkside, guided a fearless collective through spontaneous grooves that moved from tabla-based jams led by Mike Dillon to spacey Miles Davis-inspired breakdowns from keyboardist Zach Tenorio-Miller. Eggy drummer Alex Bailey anchored the chaos, showcasing mind-bending fluidity that pushed boundaries far beyond his usual style.

Cultural Exchange at The Spot

While Bad Bunny made Super Bowl headlines performing almost entirely in Spanish, Cimafunk embodied the same cultural bridge right on the ship. Late into the night, the Cuban firestarter and his bandmates wandered into “The Spot,” an informal jam space hosted by The Sweet Lillies. What followed was pure Jam Cruise magic.

Cimafunk freestyled in Spanish over the Lillies’ groove, weaving in bits of Parliament’s “P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)” and even Snoop Dogg’s “Bow Wow (That’s My Name).” The intimate crowd sang, clapped and grinned ear to ear as the moment crescendoed with a communal singalong to “Hey Jude.” In a place often abuzz with chatter, the audience’s reverent hush made the impromptu performance even more transcendent.

As Day Two gave way to a quiet Caribbean dawn, Jam Cruise 22 showed once again why it’s more than just a festival. It is a floating microcosm of musical freedom and shared joy.

Next stop: Grand Turk, with Medeski Martin & Wood, The Jazz Mandolin Project and Grace Bowers waiting in the wings.