# Dopers into jam bands?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-into-jam-bands/342762>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 3, 2006, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-into-jam-bands/342762 "2006-02-03T01:13:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-into-jam-bands/342762/21 "2006-02-04T08:22:14Z")

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Chalk me up as another who thinks jam bands suck ass. I’ve been to 1 Phish show (it was alright) seen moe a few times, Disco Biscuits, String Cheese and a handful of other bands (I have a buddy who is _very_ into the jam band scene).

By and large, I would rate these shows as terrible. The bands often exhibit some passing musicianship, but they lack substance and style. They have no **oomf** , no heart, no gut-bottom love that shines thru in their playing. They all (yes, even Trey) come off as white-bread wannabes. The same drive, the same brilliance that drove such greats as Frank Zappa, Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Guy, Duane Allman… it just doesn’t exist in the jam bands. Instead all that’s left is a bunch of guys who can’t write songs, trying to jam around the crappy framework they’ve built. No thanks.

But, Bo, you say, then why have you seen so many shows? \<shrug\>Nothing else to do, plenty of smoke, free tickets, and lots of chicks. Why not go?

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**Author:** ![Taber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac91a4/32.png) [@Taber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taber)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-into-jam-bands/342762/22 "2006-02-04T09:59:08Z")

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> [@OLAP Cube](#):
>
> I’m a casual fan of the genre, but I absolutely LOVE [Umphrey’s McGee](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umphrey%27s_McGee)! Rolling Stone tagged them as “the number one contender to Phish’s jam-smeared crown.”, which is somewhat odd, because they sound nothing like Phish. These guys are much harder, with a distinctly progressive bent.
> 
> I saw them recently live and they were super superb!
> 
> Check 'em out.

Seconded. I’m only casually interested in their studio work, but I have no qualms saying the Umphrey’s Mcgee conert I went to was the third best concert I’ve been to.

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**Author:** ![wheelie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b4bc9f/32.png) [@wheelie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wheelie)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-into-jam-bands/342762/23 "2006-02-04T13:47:27Z")

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[Jam band?](http://www.weebls-stuff.com/wab/band/)

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