Sceneazine.com
Jam Room Music Festival
Rocks Columbia Oct. 11
w/ Headliner Superchunk
by John Huiett
A
diverse lineup of national, regional and local
acts will rock Columbia on October 11 for the
Jam Room Music Festival. Bands include headliners
Superchunk, as well as Southern Culture on the Skids,
Leagues and nine other bands. The festival runs from
noon until 10 p.m. and is a street party as much as a
concert, with food vendors, craft beer, and a children’s
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area on Boyd Plaza in front of the Columbia Museum
of Art. There is even a cycling event at 9 a.m. for those
early-rising music fans.
From power pop to dirty guitars, and even “banjo
metal,” the festival will feature an eclectic array of artists that should appeal to even the most discerning of
musical tastes. Because the festival is partially paid for
with tax dollars, the acts chosen for the bill have to meet
certain criteria with the final bill taking months to put
together.
“It’s much more difficult than one might think to
put on something like this,” says festival co-organizer
Jay Matheson. “We are obligated to put on something
very family friendly. The option to go with metal and
punk just isn’t there.”
As proprietor of the Jam Room recording studio,
the festival was initially Matheson’s idea to celebrate the
studio’s 25th anniversary in 2012. In the festival’s third
year, the idea is now to provide a street party concert
experience that is “world class,” unique and more than
what people would expect.
“I really think we are doing something quite different,” Matheson says. “Our main goal is to put on the
best festival that we can, period.”
As the operator of a Columbia recording studio,
Matheson doesn’t feel he should be the one choosing
the acts. His personal preferences might not go with
the collective flow, and he doesn’t want to be seen as
playing favorites. In 2012
he reached out to former
Rockafella’s owner Steve
Gibson for help putting
the lineup together. Phil
Blair, owner of Columbia restaurant/bar/music
venue The Whig, is helming the booking duties
this year. The Whig and
the Jam Room are the festival’s primary 2014 sponsors.
“[Choosing the acts
is] done as a collective
decision,” Matheson says,
adding that a six-person
committee makes the final call. “I personally influence more rock ‘n roll
and punk to be chosen as
others seem to be more
into Indie, and others
country-influenced music, when they [give] their
input.”
And while some of
acts on the bill might
not exactly be household
names to most people,
the quality of the event
will be undeniable. Headl