St. Martin’s Press is pleased to announce the release of Sharing in the Groove, the new oral history by Mike Ayers that delves into the extraordinary 1990s jam band scene. Through firsthand accounts from band members, promoters, fans, and industry insiders, this compelling book reveals how acts like Phish, Dave Matthews Band, Widespread Panic, and Blues Traveler skyrocketed from small clubs to headlining arenas, all while creating one of rock music’s most enduring cultural movements.
Author Mike Ayers brings a lifetime of jam band enthusiasm to these pages, having attended more than 130 Phish shows and 20 Grateful Dead concerts, in addition to taping countless gigs and working backstage as a prep cook for Phish in the mid-90s. His insider perspective weaves a vivid narrative of how the jam band community championed its own values, influenced the music industry, and shaped modern festivals such as Bonnaroo.
In Sharing in the Groove, readers gain a richer understanding of how these artists balanced fame, record-label demands, and the 24-hour news cycle of MTV. The scene’s open taping policies, emphasis on improvisation, and strong connection with a devoted audience all played crucial roles in its success—strengthening a bond between musicians and fans that continues to thrive today.
Ayers’s work is informed by his background as a music and culture journalist. His writing has appeared in Billboard, The Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone, TIME Magazine, Reuters, Uproxx, and Relix. He is also the author of One Last Song: Conversations on Life, Death and Music, which was named one of Variety’s Best Music Books of 2020.
Sharing in the Groove is available now from St. Martin’s Press in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook.
Purchase Here:
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250287458/sharinginthegroove/
