merlin

Featuring: Nero, Fat Cats, Caution Jam, ZEN TRICKSTERS & more; 08.10.02 & 08.11.02 Stevensville, Ontario, CANADA

The honest truth about the Can-Am Jam is that we built it and few people came. We built a 7,000 person, bowl-shaped grass amphitheatre, and put together an awesome line-up of Canadian jam bands, PLUS The Zen Tricksters, and then we failed to get the word out in enough time, to enough people. Those who showed up were hard-corp and witnessed some incredible sounds and moments. Check this out:

Saturday at noon, groovemeisters “Tin Cup Saloon” opened the festival with a solid rock set, paving the way for 2 + hours of Nero. WOW. 3-piece, jammed out, spaced out porno soundtrack music from Ottawa. WOW. Followed by an outstanding set by the seasoned and professional Fat Cats whose mileage wears well on their infectious original material.

From the beginning, the intention of the Can-Am Jam was to celebrate the music of the Grateful Dead with live music from both sides of the Canadian & U.S border. As the promoter, my intention was to maximize the unique and acoustically fine qualities of the amphitheatre built by my cousins with their landscape business, in their newly launched naturepark, Zooz, in Canada, 15-minutes from Buffalo. I envisioned a space that inspired the artists who performed to feed off the energy from the ambience of animals, sculptures, and of course the sound of the venue itself, and create moments of magic in the music much like the Dead could do when they toured. Modern music from the band members is great, but different, and we set out to create music closer to the past.

Day 2 of the festival was designed to go in that direction and create the zone we all crave. Blackberry Blossoms stepped up and set the pace with a rousing set of “old & in the way” type material, stretching into JGB and acoustic Dead numbers. They had a hard time ending their set as the audience couldn’t get enough of their energetic music.

After a short changeover, Caution Jam pulled out the jams with a U.S. Blues/Shakedown opener, demonstrating their skilled improvisation and crafty sense of doing things differently, weaving many various influences into their 2 + hour set:

Set 1

U.S. Blues, Shakedown Street > Down on the corner, Up on Cripple Creek, China Cat Sunflower > I know you rider

Set 2

Bertha, Stop that train, Stagger Lee, Alligator > Drums > Caution Jam > Can't judge a book > I just want to make love to you > Sugar Magnolia

A 4:20 start time had the Zen Tricksters display their loose, exploratory jams and creative improvisation through a blend of hauntingly accurate, yet fresh and inventive Dead covers, mixed with user-friendly original material. For the first time in 2 days the red deer behind the bandshell moved in closer and appeared to groove with the sounds. The setlist as edited with Klyph:

Set 1

Travelin' light > JAM > Night & day, Estimated prophet > Goin' down the road feelin' bad, Watching the river flow, Till the morning comes > JAM > Mother found a gun > JAM > Comes a time > Say that I am

Set 2

Terrapin station, The idea > The one > Easy wind, Unbroken chain, Lay your love > JAM > Wharf rat > Summertime blues

Encore: Expressway to your heart

To emphasize the magic the Zen created, Randi had to slip a note to the band informing them that we had no lights and that when it gets dark, it gets really dark. Being in the Zen-zone, they forgot that the amphitheatre is currently a daytime venue, and that the Zen Tricksters had been playing for close to 4-hours. Fantastic event … truly magical.

I’d like to acknowledge that the quality sound had much to do with the equipment supplied by JB Sound, with mixing professionally done by the master, Poncho, who’s skills facilitated a smooth festival turnover for all 6 bands.

I’d also like to thank all those in attendance, and congatulate them on being part of a truly magical event. A Zen Tricksters event. Thank you to all the bands, and a heartfelt appreciation for the mythical performance that Zen put out.

Peace, Jim

P.S. As this is our first year, I’d like to try to spread the word earlier and give everyone time to plan for a 2003 Can-Am Jam.

Can-Am Jam

new name = Annual Summer Gathering

new price = FREE w/park admission

same line-up; see http://www.zooz.ca//index.php/SCN/calendar/curMonth/8 for a downloadable poster.

Help spread the word ... let's make it successful so that there's a new home for Jambands on both sides of the nearby Can/US border. PEACE

CAN-AM JAM

Celebrate The Music Of The Grateful Dead @ Planet ZooZ Amphitheatre (in association with Goodforest Productions).

Annual Summer Gathering starts at noon and features:

Saturday August 10

Tin Cup Saloon

Nero

Fat Cats

Sunday August 11

Blackberry Blossoms

Caution Jam

Zen Tricksters

Planet ZOOZ Amphitheatre is a 7000-person outdoor venue, shaped into a bowl and naturally acoustic for unique musical experience. Can-Am Jam features talented bands from both Canada and the United States, and we feel that good music mixed with good people, wildlife and nature will provide a unique and exciting, fantastic musical weekend with nature. For the low daily cost of $10, families are encouraged to come by offering children under 12 free concert access with park admission.

From Toronto: We’re only an hour from Toronto ….. follow the Queen Elizabeth Highway south past Niagara Falls to Sodom Road. Turn right onto Sodom Road and drive approximately 3 miles to ZOOZ.

From Buffalo: We’re only a 10 minute drive from the Peace Bridge … follow the Queen Elizabeth Highway north toward Niagara Falls Turn left onto Sodom Road and drive approximately 3 miles to ZOOZ.