Tom Hamilton & Aron Magner Perform Aboard Jam Cruise 12

Next week Jam Cruise 15 will set off for five days of music in the Caribbean aboard the Norwegian Pearl. The annual travelling music festival is known for being fertile ground for collaborations – both planned and unplanned – during the full days and nights of performances. Full Show Friday today focuses on a set by keyboardist Aron Magner of the Disco Biscuits and guitarist Tom Hamilton of American Babies in the atrium of the MSC Divina as part of Jam Cruise 12 in 2014.

Magner utilized the venue’s piano and Hamilton played acoustic guitar throughout the January 5, 2014 pre-planned joint appearance. Magner and Hamilton had previously held duo performances together in Philadelphia and kicked off their Jam Cruise set with American Babies’ “Invite Your Friends.” After some playful banter about its live performance history, the pair offered the Bisco mega-rarity “Soul Is Shaking.”

Next came a cover of David Bowie’s Hunky Dory classic “Oh, You Pretty Things” followed by the rarely played tDB original “The Unspoken Rhyme.” A take on The Beatles’ “In My Life” was followed by Hamilton leading “Simple Gift Of Man” by his former band Brothers Past. Bisco classic “Smoothie King” was dusted off ahead of a preview of Hamilton and Magner’s work in Billy & The Kids with Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann (as well as the Locknstep Allstars) which they debuted later in 2014. Magner and Hamilton worked up covers of the Dead’s well-known trifecta “Help On The Way” > “Slipknot!” > “Franklin’s Tower” to close out their set in the atrium.

Listen to the full show below thanks to taper Eric McRoberts:

Here’s a short bonus video clip of “Soul Is Shaking” captured by alexis kantor: