It’s rare that a band is recognized for their talent and given the chance to make it to the next level. 

They guys from Poor Man’s Whiskey are gearing up for some big shows over the next few months. 

The word bacon is usually synonymous with fried egg sandwiches or BLT’s.  But, in the San Francisco Bay area, it’s a band name for a bunch of guys who value good music and decent songwriting.

When the stars align and the calendar has consecutive numbers listed in a row, something amazing is bound to happen.  On November 11^th (11-11-11) Poor Man’s Whiskey will take the stage at the legendary Fillmore Auditorium.

The Chicago jam-scene has established itself as a music mecca thanks to bands like Umphrey’s Mcgee and the downtown Delta Blues clubs. 

Having the right formula for success means everything for young bands coming up in the ranks and trying to make it to the next level.

Santa Cruz California has its fair share of musicians

Baltimore Maryland is best known for its amazing crab cakes, the Inner Harbor District, the Orioles baseball team and a great band in the jam scene known as Willies Light. 

Chroma is a Jacksonville based jam band trio that is gaining momentum in the southeast. 

Without question, Railroad Earth has reached a playing level that is unrivaled anywhere.

For the last ten years, Steve Molitz and Particle have been touring the world, recording in the studio and partnering with every jam band out there. Call it pure luck or impeccable timing, the guys in Particle got popular early on in their career at a time when the “late-night sound” was first developing.

For months I had been hearing the name Kate Gaffney around the San Francisco jam scene.

Colorado seems to magically produce some of the finest music out there.

There’s a lot to be said about the sheer determination, compassion and total commitment to one’s craft.  Guitarist Steve Kimock is someone who has put in the time as a musician and can teach us about following a simple path in life.

Garrin Benfield embodies music with every note he plays – whether slow ballad, improvisational jam or Rock & Blues, Garrin feels the energy with a passion and intensity like no other. 

During the early ‘90s and well before the internet craze, life for a musician was dramatically different.  At the time, up and coming bands could get signed to a major  label and stand out among the myriads of acts all vying for a place in history. 

Fate has a funny way of working itself out, especially when chance encounters play a large role in determining ones future.   Destiny can come knocking even when least expected. 

When a national touring band receives widespread recognition for their hard work, it's confirmation that their music has reached a level only some can measure up to. 

There are individuals in the music business that have songwriting in their blood and embody all the elements of a rising star. 

In the early ‘90s and deep in the heart of New York City, there existed a live music venue that helped shape and define the jam band genre today.

At this year's 20th High Sierra Music Festival, everywhere I turned people were saying the name Zach Deputy.

West of the Great Lakes and lying just below the Canadian border is a jam band pocket in the heart of Minneapolis. 

What does a band have to do to retain longevity and staying power in the music business in order to be successful and well known?  It seems like only a handful of the lucky ones ever make it. 

The band Tauk from Long Island, New York is living the dream. The five piece unknown jam band is touring the country with big acts in toe that draw large crowds and get people in the door to see them.

The jam community can always use another bluegrass band, especially from Colorado! I say keep them coming, the more the merrier because there is something special about the genre that makes us scream for more every time.  

The jam scene today has with it many styles of music and that’s the beauty of the genre.