Spafford announces the release of Chapel Jam - and odyssey in musical exploration

Article Contributed by Big Hassle Media | Published on Thursday, December 5, 2019

As 2019 comes to a close Spafford are excited to share some never before heard explorative music that has been held near and dear to the band’s heart for nearly two years without seeing the light of day - until now.

The 47- minute extended jam is dubbed “Chapel Jam”. Fans can tune into the band’s Facebook page to listen to Chapel Jam on Thursday, Dec 5 at 5pm Pacific time.  Chapel Jam will be available on DSPs Friday, Dec 6.

Spafford is known for their astonishing improvisational ability and off-the-cuff extended jams, Spafford paints a picture in real-time each night with a musical palette known only to each other. It’s a private language comprised of both their talent as musicians as well as their formidable catalog of influences, spanning 90’s alt-rock radio hits to Steely Dan and The Crystal Method. Each and every Spafford show is a sonic pilgrimage, the journey of a team of musicians so in tune with each other that a single note communicates intent and purpose. Spafford is amongst the most creative and hard-traveling bands on the contemporary jam scene, performing countless sold-out headline dates along with high profile festival sets at Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Firefly Music Festival, and many others.

About Chapel Jam:

January 2017 found the band touring the east coast for the first time, supporting Umphrey’s McGee for a big chunk of those dates. These were the biggest shows we’d played up to that point and we were grateful. Despite all the ‘what the hell is happening?-ness'

In the Spafford camp, we were mostly just excited. After a canceled gig in Rochester, we ended up staying at an old Mission-turned-Air BnB in Conesus, NY. Not totally sure what to do with a night off, we wandered around the property and explored what felt like an abandoned insane asylum before eventually deciding to walk our gear through the snow to the house so we could jam.

We set up in an old Chapel room downstairs. Nick was elevated on the altar, the rest of the band staged below. The music just kind of started playing itself and luckily Jordan made sure the recording was running. The music traveled. No real destination, no crowd.

Just some friends playing music in a bizarre old chapel, in the snow, in the middle of nowhere.

Sashi and Michael found a space on the nearby couch and Chuck was in the kitchen writing the words to what would become ‘Mind’s Unchained’.  We realized afterward that the van was stuck in the snow where we had parked to unload and Micheal had lost his wallet. We called a tow truck and found Micheal’s wallet a few weeks later in a road case.

We have come to call this experience Chapel Jam. It's something special we had been keeping for ourselves just for a little while. These days things are so instantaneous it felt alright to hold on to something secret.

But we’ll always share our secrets. EVENTUALLY.

SPAFFORD

WINTER TOUR 2019/20

DECEMBER 2019

27 – West Hollywood, CA – The Roxy Theatre

28 – West Hollywood, CA – The Roxy Theatre

30 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall

31 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall

JANUARY 2020

15 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall (Upstairs)

16 – Austin, TX – Antone’s Nightclub

17 – Austin, TX – Antone’s Nightclub

18 – Dallas, TX – Trees

19 – New Orleans, LA – House of Blues New Orleans

22 – Pensacola, FL – Vinyl Music Hall

23 – Tampa, FL – The Orpheum

24 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – Culture Room

25 – Jacksonville, FL – 1904 Music Hall

28 – Birmingham, AL – Saturn

29 – Oxford, MS – Proud Larry’s

30 – Knoxville, TN – Bijou Theatre

31 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse

FEBRUARY 2020

1 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse

3 – Greensboro, NC – The Blind Tiger

5 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club

6 – Boston, MA – Royale

7 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl

8 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl

9 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl *

28 – Winter Park, CO – Ullrs Tavern

29 – Winter Park, CO – Ullrs Tavern

MARCH 2020

1 – Winter Park, CO – Ullrs Tavern

4 – Grand Junction, CO – Mesa Theater

6 – Frisco, CO – 10 Mile Music Hall

7 – Frisco, CO – 10 Mile Music Hall

10 – Steamboat Springs, CO – Schmiggity’s Live Music Dance Bar

11 – Steamboat Springs, CO – Schmiggity’s Live Music Dance Bar

13 – Aspen, CO – Belly Up Aspen

14 – Telluride, CO – Sheridan Opera House

17 – Park City, UT – Park City Live

19 – Victor, ID – Knotty Pine

20 – Bozeman, MT – Rialto

21 – Missoula, MT – Top Hat Lounge

22 – Sandpoint, ID – The Hive

24 – Bellingham, WA – The Shakedown

26 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom

27 – Bend, OR – Volcanic Theatre Pub

28 – Seattle, WA – Neumos

APRIL 2020

1 – Arcata, CA – Humboldt Brews

4 – Las Vegas, NV – The Bunkhouse Saloon

* An Evening with Spafford – Acoustic Only Show

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