Wow, what a thread!!!
Has just taken me dog knows how long to read it, but a few points from the outsider perspective (ie, not raised on jambands and never having seen the dead nor the breakfast - both unfortunate facts, but I digress...
):
In no particular order...
* I second the request for more effects for Ron - not to hide his most excellent work, but to give jordan even more space to wig out!
* regarding steffmo\'s comment: "but Particle is a much easier band for folks to digest" - only if you are brain dead! I HAVE seen them live and believe me it was not an experience I care to repeat.
* regarding the moe.bashing: I have been a fan of moe for ages and though I went off them for a while, they are beginning to grow on me again. True, their guitarist is not as pyrotechnic as Timmy, but they are a solid band, who I wanted to see when they came here on tour, but unfortunately, work intervened.
The Breakfast have been my favourite extant band for a number of years now, but that does not mean I won\'t accept that others are good at what they do (except gangsta (c)rap of course!)
* regarding shared bills with other bands: I agree another show with moe. would be advantageous, but please let there be enough breakfast merch available to feed the frenzy. Building a touring relationship with Raq could be a good move, as could a double headlining tour with Tea Leaf Green, who seem to be going from strength to strength. Hell, even a tour with UM would bring more attention - at least it would not be as surreal and awful as Hendrix opening for the Monkees!!
*regarding touring costs: employing a non-playing road manager might make tours too expensive. Having a member of the band as manager is not ideal, but even established bands like Jefferson Starship only have 1 techie (for Paul Kantner), while Country Joe toured the UK with his band in a people carrier - all backline was borrowed/hired and the band did all their own setting up/taking down, with only minimal help from the promoter.
*regarding phish and the scene in general. As has been said, phish made it because there was nothing else like it around. Yes, they may have had lots of financial backing from rich parents, but you cannot deny they didn\'t deserve their success; trey and mike remain two of my favourite all time musicians to this day. Nowadays, there are so many great bands out there who just never quite make it - Ancient Harmony, Hubinger Street, Drifting Through and Likwid spring to mind, but there are lots more. Bands need a break, which the jamband scene cannot easily provide. A band either has to be noticed at a big event, in support of someone more established, or dare I say it, they need a hit single. Blues Traveler made it here when Runaround got airplay after its use in a film, but I doubt they would have otherwise. Not a jamband, I know, but I first came across Maroon5 two years ago when they were opening for Jason Mraz (saw something on the lama about the opening act and downloaded some on a whim). They later got a big single and now they are uberfamous (but still trotting out the same set based on the debut album, I know, but you get my drift?!) We have to accept that we are fans of a growing, but very unknown genre of music - any breaks are going to take time. We just have to be there for the guys and show our support by raving about them and spreading the word, as indeed most of us do now.
