Interviews

The jamband community is no stranger to rising stars, and among them, New England's very own Matt Glickman is catching the spotlight. A recent Berklee College of Music graduate, Glickman's influences are as varied as they come, from spell books and folklore to adventures in synth-infused Americana. But what sets him apart is his intimate connection with mental health, not only as a subject he resonates with personally but also as an advocate within the music industry.

The classic late-‘60s blues-rock band Humble Pie held their first rehearsal – back in mid-January 1969 – at the family home of their then-newly-recruited, 17-year-old drummer Jerry Shirley. The four shaggy-headed musicians – three of whom had to sneak into the neighborhood and house in disguise, due to their local celebrity – squeezed their amps and Shirley’s small drum kit into his parents’ living room. Very domestic, very humble! But more important, a turning point in rock music history.

We are now less than a month from dawning on the desert for Unison Festival 2023. This intentional arts gathering is held at Tico Time Resort near Durango, CO from September 7-10, 2023.  The festival experience includes music, art, yoga, ecstatic dance, swimming, workshops, and a sacred fire held through the weekend.

When I was back there in ‘seminary school’ in the late ‘60s – actually a third-rate parochial school in Cincinnati but definitely the same kind of spineless swine and cemented minds running the joint, I began seeking my mental oasis in the psychedelic and progressive rock of ‘underground’ FM radio. (My lifelong fascination, as readers of my regular features here know by now.) But for starters, when I was still an ‘uninitiated’ 8th grader in 1968, AM radio was all I knew at first. We all had to start somewhere.

Fresh off the pulsating conclusion of their summer tour alongside reggae luminaries Steel Pulse, the dynamic funk ensemble Lettuce takes a moment to reflect and share insights in an exclusive interview with Grateful Web. Held in the backdrop of Cincinnati's PNC Pavilion, we catch up with the band's acclaimed drummer, Adam Deitch, whose riveting prowess and innovative flair have earned him a revered spot amongst the music scene's top drummers.

Looking back on last month's High Vibe Fest, we can’t help feeling the ripples of inspiration and awe. The festival took place from May 4th-8th 2023 and featured an incredible lineup of conscious musicians, inspiring workshop presenters and stellar performance acts. A main philosophy of the gathering is that High Vibe is a sober festival, and with no alcohol sales or consumption on site, the sacred space was truly held in deeper presence and cocreation.

Even by his usually busy standards, 2023 looks to be a pretty chunky year for the pioneering West Coast rock guitarist Jorma Kaukonen. Usually, he and his stellar faculty of musical masters are holding a full schedule of workshops by now at the music camp, Fur Peace Ranch, which he runs with his wife Vanessa out of Pomeroy, Ohio.

In a twist that we're sure will surprise nobody, we at Grateful Web are big fans of the tenured history of jam bands. From those who lit the flame to the bands that keep our culture alive, their stories are a part of all of us. Grateful Web got the chance to sit down with Mihali Savoulidis, founding member and frontman of Twiddle and pillar of the jam band community at this year's Cali Roots festival.

Known for his vibrant and high-energy live performances, Cory Wong has risen to prominence within the jam community - incorporating elements of jazz, R&B and funk alongside an all-star band to produce a high-octane, thrilling concert experience for the masses.

In covering Monterey’s Cali Roots for so many years, Grateful Web has had the opportunity to meet many artists whose names have shined brightly on the lineup, but in this time, the SoCal powerhouse Dirty Heads have found a way to weave themselves into the very fabric of the modern reggae movement itself.

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