BEST OF FEST - SKYRIDE

If you've been to Mountain Jam before, you know that there are always a number of fun activities and exhibits at the festival. This year there will be some activities that you've seen in years past and some new ones that you will definitely want to check out. One old favorite we're showcasing today is the Skyride.

The 5,500 foot long Skyride spans 1,600 vertical feet to the summit elevation of 3,200 feet above sea level. Take a ride on it with a friend or two and half way up Hunter Mountain you can get an amazing view of the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts, the Green Mountains in Vermont, and the majestic Catskill Mountains as you've never seen them before. The Skyride is a truly round trip experience, so once you're on there's no getting off until you're back where you started. The Skyride runs daily during the festival from 11am to 7pm, so when you want to take a break and experience a really unique view of all the greenery surrounding the festival, make some time to ride the Skyride. Keep checking back every Friday to get more info on all the cool stuff offered up at this year's Jam.

MOUNTAIN JAM ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: THE WHIGS

The festival is about 6 weeks away and one of the bands I'm looking forward to seeing live is those hard rockers from Georgia - The Whigs. There's a huge amount of buzz around these guys, and they are often talked about in the popular "hip" indie rock blogs. I first caught them at the Mile High Music Festival in Colorado a couple of years ago and they were fierce. Now the guys have a new album (their third) called IN THE DARK. The Whigs have been touring recently with some other really cool bands like Kings of Leon, The Kooks, and Drive-By Truckers. It's clear that the band took a slight artistic turn with their new songs - Tim Deaux (bass) and Julian Dorio (drums) laid down the foundation for IN THE DARK and really shaped the sound of the new album before Parker Gispert (guitar/vocals) began writing any lyrics. With lots of echo and heavy guitar riffs, this album rocks really hard. I'd have to say that my favorites are "Someone's Daughter", "So Lonely", and the Pink Floyd-esque "Dying". Needless to say, I can't wait to see them do the new songs live.

The album is out in stores now and to grab some free downloads and check out some videos from the guys, especially the single "Kill Me Carolyne", be sure to head over to http://www.atorecords.com/. They are also offering free downloads and other stuff for another band at this year's Jam, Drive-By Truckers. If you like what you hear, make sure that you get your Saturday ticket for the fest, because that's when both bands will be rocking the mountain. We'll be featuring bands (and telling you where you can get free music downloads) every Monday before the festival here at the blog. Plus, every Friday we'll give you some much needed info on the cool exhibits, events, and activities happening at the fest this year, so keep checking back.

Lineup Additions: Round 3

Woodstock, NY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Alison Krauss & Union Station

featuring Jerry Douglas

ADDED TO FESTIVAL LINEUP

and some very special friends for Levon's

70th B-day Jubilee including

Warren Haynes, Ray LaMontagne, Steve Earle,

atterson & David Hood

and Jackie Greene!

Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas have joined the lineup for the 6th annual Mountain Jam Music Festival. Krauss is the recipient of a staggering 27 Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year for her collaboration with Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant, Raising Sand. She is the most awarded female artist (and the second most awarded artist overall), in Grammy history.

Legendary drummer for The Band and longtime local Woodstock resident Levon Helm will celebrate his 70th Birthday by closing Mountain Jam on Sunday, June 6th with a little help from a few well-known friends. Billed as "Levon Helm & Friends," the performance will feature a number of world class guests, many of whom will make the trip to Hunter, NY solely to pay homage to one of the most important musicians in rock history. Helm's influence continues to be felt by a new generation of indie, folk, and jamband musicians, and the drummer won Grammys for both 2007's Dirt Farmer and 2009's Electric Dirt.

Having recently collaborated onstage at the world famous Apollo Theater, the ever soulful Ray LaMontagne will bring his raspy voice and guitar to Levon Helm's set. Hardcore troubadour Steve Earle, having appeared already at Levon's Midnight Ramble, will travel to Mountain Jam for the first time as part of the drummer's birthday bash, while noted singer/songwriter Jackie Greene, a two-time Mountain Jam veteran, will also join in the celebration.

"We are going to make this a night to remember forever, as some of the greatest musicians in the world come together to be a part of the celebration of a true rock & roll legend who has meant so much to so many for so long. We expect to announce more guests in the coming weeks," says Mountain Jam founder and promoter, Gary Chetkof.

Levon Helm will also welcome many of Mountain Jam's previously confirmed performers, including Gov't Mule/Allman Brothers Band frontman and festival co-presenter Warren Haynes, as well as Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers. Patterson will appear alongside his father, David Hood, who has toured and recorded with classic artists such as Traffic, Simon & Garfunkel, The Staple Singers, Aretha Franklin, and many more. Allison Moorer, who will perform on The Awareness Village Acoustic Stage earlier in the afternoon, will join her husband, Steve Earle, on stage with Levon. Others are expected to confirm their participation in the next few weeks.

New Artist Additions!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

LEVON HELM & FRIENDS, DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS, GRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS, DR DOG, THE WHIGS, THE NEW MASTERSOUNDS, JAY FARRAR, TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE, THE DUKE & THE KING, JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE, JERRY JOSEPH & WALLY INGRAM AMONG LATEST ADDITIONS TO MOUNTAIN JAM

LEGENDARY DRUMMER FOR THE BAND TO CELEBRATE 70TH BIRTHDAY WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

GROWING LINE-UP INCLUDES TWO NIGHTS OF GOV’T MULE, MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD, DEREK TRUCKS & SUSAN TEDESCHI BAND, THE AVETT BROTHERS, LES CLAYPOOL, YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND, MATISYAHU, TOOTS & THE MAYTALS, DARK STAR ORCHESTRA, DAVE MASON, LETTUCE, ALO AND THE LONDON SOULS

TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE

(Woodstock, NY) - Radio Woodstock and Warren Haynes (Gov’t Mule, The Allman Brothers Band, The Dead) have confirmed that Levon Helm & Friends, Drive-By Truckers, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Dr Dog, The Whigs, The New Mastersounds, Jay Farrar (of Son Volt), Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, The Duke & The King, Justin Townes Earle, Jerry Joseph & Wally Ingram, The Bridge, Zach Deputy, The Brew, Simone Felice, Gandalf Murphy & The Slambovian Circus of Dreams and Van Ghost have joined the sixth annual Mountain Jam Music Festival’s growing lineup. Mountain Jam will return to New York’s Hunter Mountain from Friday, June 4th-Sunday, June 6th, 2010, featuring performances by Gov’t Mule, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band, The Avett Brothers, Les Claypool, Yonder Mountain String Band, Toots And The Maytals, Matisyahu, Dark Star Orchestra, and Dave Mason, along with dozens of other bands and a full Awareness Village. Gov’t Mule, who has headlined Mountain Jam each year since its inception, will play two full headlining shows. Ticket information and a full list of confirmed acts are available at www.mountainjam.com.

Known as the drummer, singer and eternal spirit of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees The Band, Levon Helm will return to Mountain Jam for a guest-heavy Sunday night performance. Helm’s show is part of the longtime Woodstock-area resident’s star-studded 70th birthday celebration. Helm, who has recently jammed with the likes of Elvis Costello, Norah Jones, Donald Fagen, Allen Toussaint, Phish’s Mile Gordon and the Black Crowes in his barn performance space, will draw from the festival’s pool of performers and some additional special guests.

Having already hosted legends like The Allman Brothers Band, Phil Lesh and Friends, Bob Weir & RatDog and Richie Havens in past years, Mountain Jam’s 2010 lineup will showcase a diverse mix of up and coming groups—from funk and jam acts to Americana and modern rock buzz bands.

Drive-By Truckers, long-time mainstays of the festival circuit, return to Mountain Jam in 2010 with their alt-country and Southern rock sound. Vermont-bred Mountain Jam favorites Grace Potter & the Nocturnals will perform in support of their forthcoming Hollywood Records release, and Philadelphia indie retro-rockers Dr. Dog will return to Mountain Jam on the heels of their Anti- record debut, Shame Shame. Having recently toured arenas with the Kings of Leon, garage-rockers The Whigs will make their Mountain Jam debut, while lauded English funk ensemble The New Mastersounds will head across the pond for a rare area performance. Currently one of New Orleans’ most talked about exports, former Lenny Kravitz and Galactic sideman Trombone Shorty will perform with his band Orleans Avenue. Part of a new wave of critically acclaimed songwriters, Woodstock’s own Duke & the King, an offshoot of acclaimed Mountain Jam veterans the Felice Brothers, will offer their modern take on traditional American roots music. In addition, Duke & The King frontman and Felice Brothers veteran Simone Felice will perform a rare solo set on Mountain Jam’s acoustic stage.

Several more established musicians will also bring their newest projects to Mountain Jam: Stockholm Syndrome bandmates Jerry Joseph (Little Women, The Jackmormons) and Wally Ingram (Sheryl Crow, Jackson Browne) will play a rare duo set, while alt-country pioneer Jay Farrar (Son Volt, Uncle Tupelo) will make his debut at the festival for an intimate performance on the Acoustic Stage.

Indie-folk troubadour Justin Townes Earle, rising jambands The Bridge and The Brew, Southeast songwriter Zach Deputy, modern folk rockers Gandalf Murphy & The Slambovian Circus of Dreams and Chicago-based Americana band Van Ghost will also perform throughout the three-day event. Many of these emerging acts will perform in Mountain Jam’s fully enclosed indoor venue, Colonels Hall at Hunter.

Many more bands will be announced in the coming months, with 40 bands to appear on the 4 stages throughout the weekend.

Originally conceived as a celebration for Radio Woodstock's 25th anniversary, Mountain Jam has grown into an annual stop for some of the biggest names in live music. Since its 2005 inception, Mountain Jam has hosted the likes of The Allman Brothers Band, Phil Lesh and Friends, Bob Weir & RatDog, Richie Havens, Drive-By Truckers, Dr. Dog, Medeski Martin and Wood, Mike Gordon, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Jackie Greene, G. Love & Special Sauce, Ozomatli, Galactic, Xavier Rudd, Umphrey’s McGee, Brett Dennen, Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings, and Robert Randolph & The Family Band, among many others.

The Hunter Mountain Lodge will provide fans with 24-hour access to both food and indoor bathrooms, while onsite camping and a smorgasbord of nearby hotels and lodges will ensure that all attendees have a wide variety of accommodations. Mountain Jam will once again offer expanded VIP options, and will bring back its highly acclaimed “Tavern in the Woods” featuring a private bar area and hammocks, as well as a shaded hospitality tent, and a variety of gourmet food and beverages.

Hunter Mountain is located within a short drive from anywhere in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut and is considered the unofficial kick-off to the northeast festival season. Fans unable to attend will be able to experience the music as well, thanks to the festival’s interactive blog and innovative webcast.

Tickets are on sale now at www.mountainjam.com. A limited number of discounted Early Bird Tickets are still available at $141.50 for a festival pass or $166.50 with camping. A limited number of Early Bird VIP Passes are available for $404.50. Ticket pricing is tiered, so that prices will be raised after allotments are met. Buying tickets now will save up to $33 compared to prices at the door!

A very small number of RV tickets are available at $199.50, plus a camping festival ticket.

Single day tickets will be available at a later date - there will be no Friday-only single day tickets issued.

Initial Artist Lineup Announced

GOV'T MULE will anchor the multi-band bill for the sixth year in a row with two headlining performances. Haynes’ fellow Allman Brothers Band guitarist DEREK TRUCKS will introduce a new band featuring his wife, singer SUSAN TEDESCHI, to Mountain Jam. The new group will feature an original mixture of rock, soul, blues and roots songs by Trucks and Tedeschi, both of whom received 2010 Grammy Award nominations. Mountain Jam favorites MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD, hot off the success of their breakthrough song, “Say Hey (I Love You),” will make an exclusive northeast summer festival appearance with their return to Mountain Jam for a 5th consecutive year.

Mountain Jam’s initial lineup also includes many performers who are making their debut at the Festival, including current indie darlings THE AVETT BROTHERS, touring behind their major label debut, I and Love and You, Primus bassist LES CLAYPOOL, performing a late-night outdoor set on the Mountain, reggae architect TOOTS AND THE MAYTALS, Colorado jamgrass sensations YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND, Hassidic reggae star MATISYAHU, ALO, LETTUCE, JONATHAN TYLER & THE NORTHERN LIGHTS, ELMWOOD and THE LONDON SOULS.

* Above is an excerpt from the Official Press Release ~ 1.21.2010

A limited number of Super Early Holiday Tickets ON SALE NOW!
Just in time for gift-giving season!

Also, first 150 orders receive free digital download card for an EP preview of the upcoming release, Best of Mountain Jam Vol. I audio CD.

Holiday Presale!

A limited number of Super Early
Holiday Tickets
will go on sale
T O M O R R O W !
right in time for gift-giving season!

Mountain Jam VI Dates!

Start planning for the next year!

June 4-6
2010

~ Mountain Jam VI ~ Tickets will be available
early 2010.

Mtn Jam in Pictures

...through Dino's lens

Richie Havens

B K 3

The Bill Kreutzmann Trio (BK3) which in this case was BK4... Tara Nevins from Donna The Buffalo was sitting in on vocals, acoustic guitar, and violin. Also featuring Scott Murawski (guitar) and Hutch Hutchinson (bass).

Gene Ween Band

Gene Ween

Featured Photos From Fans

If your an amateur photog and would like to share some of your photos here on the blog, send em my way. If we like them, we'll post em for all to see.

Chris Couse has been hitting Mountain Jam every year and loves to take photos as a hobby. I think he got some very nice shots, judge for yourself.

Thanks Chris!

Shilly Shally Fire Arts Video

Here's an HD video made by Shane Valcich. A fantastic job by Shane capturing the Shilly Shally Fire Dancers as they danced with fire during each evenings headliner. Everyone loved Shilly Shallyin' on the mountain. Check out this cool HD video and see why they were such a big hit!

Alberta Cross / Black Taxi

Alberta Cross

Black Taxi

Mountain Jam kicked off the weekend
with these two great bands!

late night funk party

Chapter 2
w/ George Porter Jr.
Mountain Jam V

Gov't Mule ~ Night II

Dino Perrucci caught these spectacular images

of one heck of a show!
Mountain Jam ~ May 30, 2009

MOUNTAIN JAM MULETRACKS ARE LIVE
The Mule Tracks from 5.29 & 5.30 are now live and available!
http://www.muletracks.com/
Go start downloading right now!

Media Coverage

Mountain Jam:
Fun, love, food, music, success

Keyboardist Gregg Allman signals to the sound technician for a little more volume as the Allman Brothers Band take the stage to close Mountain Jam on Sunday.Times Herald-Record/JEFF GOULDING

By TIM MALCOLM

Times Herald-Record

The toothpick-skinny Bernie Pociask of Salisbury, Conn., rumpled, white hair aflutter, in his American flag T-shirt and stained suspenders, was waxing about the importance of music and love.

"The one thing that everyone has in common," he said, "is music. And music is happiness.

"Nobody could argue with that theory — smiles adorned the crowd during the final day of Mountain Jam V at Hunter Mountain.

Click Here to read entire article

Tapers Section

I give you yet another installment of the Mountain Jam Taper Section. Here we pass along the links to the goods. As they become available, I will link to the audio recordings from Mountain Jam V.

...and now for your listening & downloading pleasure here are the latest sets available.

The Lee Boys ~ May 30, 2009

Marco Benevento Trio ~ May 29, 2009


Click Here for:
Mountain Jam Tapers Section
~ First Installment ~

Fire Jam

All Photos above by
Peggy Fusco

One week later...

This is how the Mountain Jam concert slopes look today... just one week removed from having thousands of dancing fans and amazing jamming bands!

JamBase reviews Mtn Jam V

Words by: Bill Clifford

Mountain Jam :: 05.29.09 – 05.31.09 :: Hunter Mountain, NY

Summertime has arrived and the hills are indeed alive again with the sound of music. For some, music is a direct inspiration in their choice of a career as a musician. For others, it may inspire their best work, whatever the mundane job or chore may be. For many however, music simply inspires us to get up and shake our asses, clap our hands, spin around in circles and holler at the top of your lungs. And where better to be inspired than the great outdoors with spectacular blue skies and stunning mountains, together with a mass of like-minded music lovers who just want to lose the winter blues.
To read the entire article click below:

READ ~ Mountain Jam | 05.29 - 05.31 ~ READ

Angelical!

These wonderful shots from our own Allison Murphy.

She caught Coheed & Cambria in full flight on Saturday night!

~ Allison Murphy ~

Mtn Jam Dreams

The Allman Brothers performing Dreams.
Courtesy a fan post on YouTube.

Tapers Section

Listen to the Jams!

Ever since the Grateful Dead opened the door for tapers in the early 80's, taping bands live has been a great way for bands to get the music out, and for music fans to take home a souvenir after the show. Ever year we have quite the taper section at Mountain Jam and in the spirit of sharing the great music, here are links to a bunch of the amazing sets!

Keep checking back as I will be posting links to more of the great
Mountain Jam Sets soon!

Friday ~ May 29, 2009

Umphrey's McGee ~ May 29, 2009

Tea Leaf Green ~ May 29, 2009

Porter Batiste Stoltz ~ May 29, 2009


Saturday~ May 30, 2009

Gomez ~ May 30, 2009

Railroad Earth ~ May 30, 2009

Jackie Greene ~ May 30, 2009

Gene Ween Band ~ May 30, 2009

Karl Denson's Tiny Universe ~ May 31, 2009


Sunday~ May 31, 2009

Michael Franti and Spearhead ~ May 31, 2009

Derek Trucks Band ~ May 31, 2009

Martin Sexton ~ May 31, 2009

The Brew ~ May 31, 2009

Thanks to all the tapers for sharing!

Bad Little Doggie ~ Gov't Mule ~ 5/30/09