Lovers of jam band music are generally not considered casual fans. Deadheads travel the world attending shows and trade bootlegs like they’re currency; Phish fans treat shows like they’re cult meetings. To jam band fans, seeing these bands live is not just going to a concert; it’s a way of life. For Phish fans and all the other jam enthusiasts, the list below fills in all the blanks of the bands you love. Jam band fans, this list is for you.
Live Phish
The Live Phish app ($3.99) is a real treat for fans. Undoubtedly the best part is the “Featured Show” section where a whole set’s worth of songs from one live show at a time are presented for your listening pleasure. I caught hits like “Free Man in Paris” and “Runaway Jim” from the recent Camden, N.J. show on June 25 — they even include the encore. This app also has a bunch of shows you can listen to from the Phish archives, plus view the most popular downloads by Phish fans and browse the Live Phish catalog.
Rusted Root – Official App
The 99-cent Rusted Root app invites you to sit down with a cup of coffee and stay awhile. In other words, there’s lots of stuff here, and it’s all pretty neat. You can watch videos ranging from live footage of shows to band members looking uncomfortable as they’re filmed gearing up for a show. (I mean, who could blame them? Everyone wants a little privacy sometimes.) There were lots of photos to check out, music to buy, a blog the band seems to actually update themselves, and a list of many upcoming concerts.
All About Pink Floyd
The 99-cent All About Pink Floyd iPhone app was fun to look through. It wasn’t fun to examine because of its creativity or design skills—the app simply pulls information from major search engines like Google and Amazon—but the app has still pics, info, news, and video about Pink Floyd, so how could you go wrong? Check out album art, band photos, see whose writing about Pink Floyd on Twitter, and watch videos for popular songs like “Hey You” and “Comfortably Numb.”
All About Red Hot Chili Peppers
The All About Red Hot Chili Peppers app (99 cents) has the same non-originality as the Pink Floyd app, but again, still so many good nuggets of information on the band. Look on Flickr for great band photos, both old and new shots of lead singer Anthony Kiedis, and even pictures of red hot chili peppers, the food. I guess that’s the problem with relying on search engines without filters. Read about the band’s history on Wikipedia, see what Google News brings up, and catch official and live videos of the band rocking out.
Dave Matthews Band
The free DMB app allows you to dive head first into the world of Dave Matthews. See when they’re playing (through September), pour over press photos and snapshots taken by fans, and buy albums and live tracks dating back as far as 1993, to the bands most recent work in 2009. The rest is up to you: Create a profile for yourself where you can invite friends to join you, upload photos, and exchange messages.
WILCO
There are some Wilco fans who like to argue that Wilco is not a jam band, but others feel differently. Either way, Wilco is awesome and they have a free app worth checking out. Learn about their upcoming shows and listen to their songs to make sure you want to buy their entire records. View their beautiful band posters and setlists from shows, plus listen to live tracks from “Ashes of American Flags,” the award-winning film of Wilco live in concert during their 2008 tour. Also, check out pictures, buy some merchandise, and learn about the band’s latest news.
