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?