Forum MVP Tom Banjo Posted February 2, 2017 Forum MVP Report Share Posted February 2, 2017 Jam in the Sand 5 This review will focus mostly on my experience at the show. I would recommend this trip to anyone. It is truly a one of a kind DSO experience. The experience is unrivaled. I highly recommend coming a day early to get settled in and adjusted but don’t hang with me or you will not end up reasonably well adjusted. Night 1 Set 1 Hand Jive Ramble on Rose Passenger Loose Lucy Black Throated Wind Cats Hard to Handle All over Now From the Heart of me Deal This was the roughest set of music I’ve had in a long time. Jam in the Sand wasn’t really feasible for me this year. However, it is nonrefundable and my roommate stepped up big to help out. I am so glad I was able to make this trip and find the light again, but during this first set my mind was in a cloud of darkness. I know I’ve disappointed some friends lately. I know I’ve let some people down. Like St Stephen, all that’s lost shall be regained. Hand Jive was fun, but eventually bore me as it went on. No big connection there, but song that is real easy to move to. Tonight I would dance behind the soundboard in the sand where I had danced in previous years. It was explained to me that wooden area had been left out where some of us could dance if we chose. I would eventually move there, but on this night I was way too in my head. That space looked like a place where people would be gawking at you and I’m not saying people don’t feed off each other’s energy but no one was staring at me. Everyone in Jamaica has a tremendous connection to this music spare a spouse or two. They’ve seen spinners. They’ve seen freaks. They’ve pretty much seen it all. Passenger had moments where I got my dance energy going but then back in my head. I kept reminding myself that I’m here to have fun. I need to let go. I need to get out of my head and just dance. Loose Lucy has been my delight but the song just wasn’t fun for me tonight. I regret my time with loose lucy and was incapable of laughing it off. Cats reminded me homelessness and a state that I could find myself in without some serious life changes. Hell, I couldn’t even really make myself feel hard to handle although the band ripped through the tune. All over now was a lighter dance vibe for me. Lisa sounded gorgeous on From the heart of me actually she sounded gorgeous all week. Deal was a nice closer. Set 2 Corrina Easy Wind Gomorrah Sailer Saint Drums Space Do it in the road Uncle Johns Band China Doll Sugar Mags Mighty Quinn I managed to start to get out of my head and leave it all out on the dance floor by the 2nd set. I needed this. I really needed this trip to lift my spirit and roll away some of the depression of been feeling. I’ve been distant with friends. I’ve been sleeping more than a should. I’ve been too lazy to cook so I eat junk. I’ve been doing anything I could to feel better knowing that those things only really make you feel worse. I needed to find the light. I needed something to pull me out of the darkness. Jam in the Sand did just that. Easy Wind keeps the dance going, but Gomorrah truly frees me from my head. I’ve done some bad things, but nothing that rivals the story there. The spiritual feel of the song reminds me that I’m not all that matter. There is a connection to something greater. I may be facing some problems but there nothing in a biblical sense. I’ve certainly learned like Chuck mentioned in a previous post there is a certainly a price for being free. Do it in the road was fun and Uncle Johns really helped with the spirit. I truly know that I am kind. I’m always willing to help others. China Doll has it usual heaviness, but nothing more from the head trip. The head trip is over. Sugar Mags is big dance fun. I head home during Mighty Quinn…. I was unable to truly enjoy myself on this first night, but this would be the only night I spent finding myself. I take pride in sharing my light and the light contained within this music with others at shows. The first night I struggled to find the light, but once I found it; I let the light pour out of me. I know this music is the greatest medicine around for myself and many others when they are feeling down. Night 1 turned my general sprit around. Night 2 Help Slip Franklins Masterpiece Loser Mr. Charlie Me and My Uncle Big River Tom Thumbs Russian Lullaby Women Smarter The show opens with Help. This is one of if not the strongest way to open a show in my opinion. The dance energy is off the charts and for many of us, we have strong connections to these songs. They may have different meanings to different heads but they have meaning to us. The night before I needed the Help. I couldn’t see that I had any love left in this dream but tonite I could feel the love of those with me and those not there. I knew that I still had plenty of love left for me and plenty of love left to give. This allowed me to more easily channel the music through my body. This allowed me to be apart of the Help on the Way instead of simply receiving it, I was channeling through my body and sharing it back with the band and the others lucky enough to be at this party. Many others were doing the same for me. I danced most of the show with sweet anne marie and Dr B up on the wooden platform but I made sure to go share in the groove with many friends in attendance and any strangers I might find. I danced hard for the whole set. The dance didn’t come in spurts but was maintained steadily. We were truly rolling away dew together. The Loser is brilliant. Those that have been seeing DSO know that Jeff slays the loser. Rob B always like to bring up that guy that would yell play the loser jerry but he didn’t mention it tonight. Mr Charlie through Big River is a great easy going fun. I’ve yet to truly connect to Russian Lullaby, but it definitely required a different energy and feel to dance too. Women Smarter had the crowd grooving their hearts out. It was beautiful. This is one of the sets were I danced extremely well. Like 12/30 second set I simply could feel the music flowing through me in an extremely beautiful way. I must admit though that I am tiring of the dance competition crap. I know I started it and didn’t do anything to stop it, but now people want top 5 rankings and stupid silly nonsense that we all know means nothing. I never really was referring to skill anyway. Its about energy out put and sharing that energy with others. I wasn’t that guy the first night and I’m happy I was the next night. I truly love to share my love of this music through dance with others and I truly love when they share it back. Certain dancers, I like to believe myself to be one, can dance with such energy that is contagious and others around you will dance harder because of it and even more importantly they will have better time because of it. Sunny is a dancer that brings that kind of energy to a show. There are many others that have this ability. For me, there may be nothing better than sharing my energy and in the energy of others through dancing to the music of the Grateful Dead. Set 2 China > Rider Sunrise Estimated D>S Death Don’t Have no Mercy GDTRFB NFA China Rider is another great way to start a set. The playfulness in china cat gets us moving around and loosening back up. The seriousness of Rider combined with a frenetic beat lead to some serious dancing. I almost always think of past lovers, but tonite I thought about all of you and how you guys may be missing me when I’m gone from tour. Hopefully that is just a thought. The sunrise was the highlight of the night. Lisa’s vocals went spiritual. She always sounds so lovely but on this number tonite I felt a little bit deeper inside of me. I could feel her pouring her heart and soul out for us and it made my heart tingle. The experience was beyond beautiful in the realm of the unexplainable. I enjoyed the Estimated please don’t worry about me. My time is coming. After not really appreciating Los Lobos on the early day, I though David Hildalgo added quite a bit of nice guitar work to the Death Don’t. Jeff of course crushed it. It was extremely powerful. I’d say atouch below the power of the recent Mishawaka Death Don’t, but that one left Jeff in tears. I thought a lot of a loved one’s dad. Who very much looks like they will survive, but is fighting for his life. In fact, once I found my spirit, I danced for him and them quite a bit. Her/his situation weighs heavy on my mind. I still haven’t fully recovered from the loss of my own father. I know they can use all the positive prayers that they can get. After this last heavy moment of the show, we were back to just good old dancing fun for GDTRFB and NFA. Night 3 Set 1 Greatest Story Althea Lazy Lightning > Supplication Box Jackaroe Hurts me too Weather Report This was the shortest night of DSO music. Los Lobos was closing the night. I would prefer DSO closed all 4 nights, but I know the band and crew love to get to spend some time with their toes in the sand and their loved ones around listening to good music. Jeff usually ends working anyway sitting in with the other acts, including tonite with Los Lobos. Greatest Story is always a great way to open a set. For me, its not H>S>F, but it’s high energy. It gets the hips moving and the body shaking. Althea was fantastic. It can be heavy for me at times. I’ve certainly started to think more and more about less and less. One could easily say by my review of night one I’m struggling to remember the love that I bring, but not tonight. It was smile and love all around. The best dancing for me is always when I can escape the lyrics of the song for the time being. In a lot of these songs, I’ve been the protagonist and I’ve been antagonist, but like most people my overall view of myself is the hero of my own story. If I can escape the story of the song, I can escape my own story and reach towards something much more important, the ethereal the unexplainable the most magical parts of the human existence. I find dancing to the Grateful Dead is my easiest path to this experience, but I know it is obtainable through meditation. I love the dance energy of LL > S. There was definitely a beautiful little red head girl that I would love to have asked her to come closer but I’m a little shy and I’m not quite sure she’d have said yes if I asked. I will see her in St Louis maybe I’ll find the courage then. Box I thought heavy of my dad as I always do but there were no tears. I know he is looking down on me and I think he knows I carry his memory with me through love. I love you dad and the tears are coming as a type this. I miss you. Jackaroe returns to fun dance music. Lisa sounds beautiful on Hurts me too. The Weather Report is majestic. It starts heavy and almost creates a weakness in me, but then the mood lightens, but the music intensifies. The music inspires. The music fuels me. I’ve likened it to a God like feeling if only briefly. What shall we say shall we call it by a name. Set break was more of a piss break. I’d been told at the start of the weekend there would be no break but I think they decided to give us a little more music than originally expected and sometimes you got a pee. Set 2 Scarlett Playing Shakedown Shining Star Think Lovelight This may have been the shortest set of music and I would’ve loved for the fire before playing, but look at that list. It is full of heavy hitters. The shakedown was super dancy with the right touches of the funk. The crowd boogied down hard. Shining Star was beautiful. I don’t have a shining star right now so my own connection the song is little weaker than maybe it once was, but Jeff sounded beautiful. The band sounded beautiful. The playing had us twirling as some old timers who I can tell pick and choose their spots to put it out there harder would choose this vehicle. We definitely kept on turning while they were playing in the band. The Pigpen lovelight was huge. It was definitely a highlight of evening. I feel the crowd really enjoyed this night of music. Huge smiles all around. People had their grooves on and figured out. Sometimes dancing in the sand will take a day or two to find the right balance. The crowd had it tonight. We all had a lot of fun. I’m not going to talk much about the days or nights because everyone time here is spent differently. We all accept each other and respect each other and live our own party. I sleep much of the day away. Although one day, I did get to catch up with the band and crew and hang out in the water and on the beach all day. I’m still peeling my back and shoulders because of it but it was great to catch up with people who have become real friends and others who have become more than just someone who remember your face. Most members of the band and crew are extremely approachable at this event. They shake hands and tell stories and listen to your story. Remember they are human and they have the same feelings you do about being bombarded when with family or eating dinner, but like I said, for the most part, they are extremely accessible. This provides the most unique experience to get to know the people that play this music for us. We truly all feel apart of a family here. We become the Jam in the Sand tribe for a week. Koritz asks who has done all 5 then 4 then 3 and then eventually if this was your first one. He asked us to raise our hands. When asked if we would be back, nearly all of us raised our hands. Once you get over the price tag and stop making excuses for why you can’t go and I don’t mean to say those excuses aren’t valid, but once you’ve shared in this experience you’ll understand why if at all possible we all go back. It becomes a priority. The experience is beyond magical. I know there is another night. The close encounters space segment was fantastic. It was fairly straight forward 78 show. Not disco dead yet still more of a rocker. The crowd loved it. I loved it. Lots of great dance numbers. I’m adding this last part to the review weeks later. Tough to put myself in the moment there again so I’m not going to really review the show, although this may have been my favorite show of the run here in Jamaica. Bertha good lovin great to dance too. Jack Straw, Minglewood, Music, Samson, Stephen just so many great dance numbers. I would like to note that Lisa’s significant other raged Around and Around hard. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him dance or get his groove on and he raged it. It was fantastic. I love this event. I’m so thankful I got to go. It was great for my spirit overall. I hope to see many of your down the line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP Mango Posted February 17, 2017 Forum MVP Report Share Posted February 17, 2017 Thanks for sharing this, I enjoyed reading it. I appreciate your thoughts, reflections, and vulnerability. A big part of me is missing being on tour right now. Keep on finding and shining the light~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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