River Jam Music Festival: Save the Date – May 15-16
Readers of this blog know that we are big fans of the Alabama Roots Music Society (ARMS). We are huge supporters of live music, and try to get out there as often as our busy schedules will allow. It’s easy to complain about the live music scene in Montgomery (“Nobody good ever comes to town”), but you can’t fairly do so if you aren’t giving a chance to the local and regional groups that may be flying under the radar. That’s where ARMS comes in. They eliminate your chance to gripe. They are constantly putting on good shows at incredibly affordable prices. There may still be some gaps in musical genres, but thanks to the hard-working folks at ARMS, local fans of rock, country/Southern rock, and funk/blues ought to be constantly happy and stimulated.
We previewed the River Jam last year on this blog, but because of a conflict, we weren’t able to attend. We were genuinely bummed to be missing out on Chuck Leavell. Also, the fact that it was free was extremely exciting. World class music for free? Yes please.
Fortunately, we’ve got a chance at redemption. River Jam is back again this year and it’s free again. If lawn chairs and blankets and good food and drink are your idea of valuable accessories to outdoor music, you’ll want to pay attention. Music starts Friday, May 16 at 6 p.m. at the Train Shed. The blankets and chairs on the lawn part will be the next day at 4:30 p.m. at the Riverfront Amphitheater. The most famous performer is probably Jess Meuse, who’ll be headlining with a Nashville group called Blackjack Billy. Meuse is well-known locally, but also got a lot of attention for doing quite well on the TV show, American Idol. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of show she puts on with a band that describes their music as “Redneck rock.”
The festival kicks off Friday with a band called Soul Tree. We’ve never seen them, but judging from what we can find online, they seem to be a rock trio with solid original music. They’ll be followed by a band called Outside the Inside. They’re local, and it seems like they’ve got several songs about zombies. Kind of a metal vibe. The Friday night headliner is a band called King Bee. They play blues and rock.
Saturday will get off to a great start with Glen David Andrews, a celebrated New Orleans musician whose trombone stylings have received national attention. Sounds like a fun way to start the day. Next on the bill is a Mississippi group called The Weeks. Their new album is evidently titled “Dear Bo Jackson,” and their music sounds like it can vary from cool and blues-influenced to flat out rock and roll. Finally, if Blackjack Billy‘s website is any indication, we can expect a smooth Southern sound to round out the bill.
We’re excited to check out some new music and happy that ARMS continues its great work bringing quality music to Montgomery.
Recent Comments