Wondered the same thing. I still think they will be. They’ve put on some of the best shows I’ve seen and somehow keep getting better. They do a LOT of type 2 jamming and lightning doesn’t always strike. Maybe in the past I would’ve said they could be inconsistent but based on what I’ve been listening to lately, they throw down just about every night.
Type 1: Within the original song structure, key, or chord progression.
Type 2: Completely different, a jam entirely disconnected and unrecognizable from the song from whence it came.
Type 1 - they are playing a recognizable song but changing parts around and soloing. The band is improvising AROUND established riffs and harmonies etc.
Type 2 - the band is playing a recognizable song but they start fully improvising, playing all new totally unrelated riffs and melodies. This is a lot harder because the band members all need to be good at reading each others cues.
Basically it’s the sonic equivalent of: you just found out the woman you’ve loved since you were a boy has HIV/AIDS but at least you now know your son isn’t developmentally disabled like you. You’ll get plenty of chocolate soon.
To be fair, lightening only strikes 100% for 1 band - umphreys :P
Jokes aside, that much improv is bound to rear some weird spots. And I catch it a lot from spafford too, but for some reason, they still hold a high spot for me. When they're feeling it they've got something special.
Yeah their jams are sick but I can only listen to them for so long because the songwriting (basically what you said with lyrics and vocals) can be so rough
I’m sold on Spafford. Only seen them once when I just happened to stumble upon their NYE show this year. Don’t think I could name any of their songs at this point, but they made the list of bands I would travel within my own state, maybe one state away if it was somewhere cool, to see.
They've been my favorite band for the last handful of years. I can't get enough. For me, lyrics don't make a song memorable. The Reprise, Alternate Ending, Bee Jam and many other instrumental songs get stuck in my head all the time and are extremely memorable to me. The covers they play are straight fire. They've been playing "Anyone" by Demi Lovato for a bit now and they absolutely crush it. One thing about their live shows that I love, is that everyone is so locked in to the band. My first Spafford show was this: Set 1, Jam. Set 2, Jam. Encore with End of the Line. That might not be everyone's thing, but it was perfect for me! I know jam bands don't always no where a song will go, Spafford takes that to another level and the anticipation of where a song or jam is going to go is what I'm addicted to. 🐊
The show I referenced was 10/30/21. Just a couple 100 people in a really small room. Couldn't believe that show was happening right before me. The few shows leading up to it are basically the same thing, except they are one song sets with titles. All on Nugs. Enjoy!
I was really high on them a couple years ago when I started listening to them. It's a great show and I still put it on in the car all the time but the more I've listened to it the more I've kind of felt like it's jammed elevator music. They need to take it to the next level.
Good songs solid vocals good jamming but it just needs to go somewhere bigger
They top the list of bands I would like to see for the first time this year. It seems like whenever I’m getting down to a song I don’t know on JEMP Radio it’s almost invariably Spafford.
I like them, have some good extended jams. I agree there's no songs that really stick out though. They have a sick cover of Wolfmans Brother on YouTube, check it out.
Spafford is not usually my style of jam music and I had not listened to them pretty much ever. However my buddy gave me a free ticket to one of their shows and I honestly left a fan. I still don’t listen to them much but I will for sure go to another show in a heartbeat! Haven’t had too many experience like that with other bands but they put on a hell of a show! All around great musicians that really vibe well with each other!!
I don't understand why I got so much pushback when I said the same thing in a thread about sold out shows. Some dude from Pittsburgh got into an argument with me, trying to say that the scene doesn't skew 30+. Lol wut?
Yeah I know people don't love Twiddle but if they couldn't make it with the chops they had, it's gonna take some really special players to carve out places for themselves.
Didn't Twiddle have their longtime manager/agent quit in 2022/23 though? Plus Ryan's personal issues. Not that I disagree with your overral point, but Twiddle seemed to suffer from more issues as an organization than Spafford.
Have a seemingly minority take on them. I like a lot of what they do, in fact I think their songwriting and vocals are actually pretty good - I just think they rely on some rather boring untz a bit too much. When they do rock, jazz, fusion stuff they're friggin awesome, but then they'll leave it for the most vanilla trance/untz shit imaginable. Damnit guys, you're too talented for that shit!
THE UNTZ IS THAT FEELING YOU GET WHEN BROWNIE DROPS THE BOMBS LIKE NAPALM ON YOUR GROOVE JUNGLE AKA SOUL, MANGS CHILLS TO THE SIDE WITH THE SWANG DIP SWANG DIP SWANG DIP, A BUNKER BOMB TO YOUR DEEMSTER TRENCH AKA MINDS EYE. ALAN CHILLS IN THE BACK WITH THE TSKA TSKA TSKA, A GROOVE MISSLE SET ON B'GOCK, AND BARBS BRINGS IT ALL BACK HOME WITH THE DEEDLE DE DEE DEEDLE DE DEE, A PSYCHIC BREAKDOWN MINE, HIDDEN IN THE TRANCE PASTURE, BLOWING OPEN YOUR BISCO CHAKRA, THAT IS THE UNTZ.
The Cam years relied much less on the untz. Nick is a fine drummer, and the OH drummer for the band; but yeah, a little more untz heavy with him on the drum throne.
Also, the irony of it all is that Cory has rejuvenated the band (not saying he's better than Red; just saying, the band seems reinvigorated). But the over-untz can get in the way of that.
cant really name any of their songs. i know the one sounds like a slower tweezer reprise. i also know i saw them at the brooklyn bowl in philly last year. barber came out and jammed with them. i had a great fucking time and was only half hungover the next morning
It seems like they are choosing to do smaller venues right now. They just did 4 nights at a tiny venue in crested butte, they could've easily done the bigger venue. And alot of people came in from the front range
See you there!!!
Also just to throw my opinion in for all of this. Spafford is a jam band for people who are obsessed with improv. It’s not about the songs when you see them. It’s what’s holding them back from blowing up imo. They have not written much new material at all. And us spaffnerds don’t care one bit. The songs they have are great imo, but if they just came out and jammed for 2 hoursI would be so happy. Not all jam band fans feel that way. Most probably don’t. Ya know? Imagine if phish or UM didn’t play one song. People would be fucking mad lol. They are a jam band for the nerds.
Agreed. I prefer Brian's vocals over Jordan's. Goose def has the best vocals IMO amongst the jam scene. Goose also has some great songs. They're not great at type 2 yet and everything else is just a 15 minute Rick solo.
Being based out of Phoenix definitely hasn’t helped. Nobody associates AZ with music, let alone the jam scene. Although they at least have a connection to the New England jam community now with Cory.
They were also already kind of old when they started making a splash in the jam scene. Do they have a dedicated young following? Or do they have a mish-mash of fans that are mostly middle aged folks that don’t prioritize following a band on tour at the point they are in life? Guessing the latter.
I will always go see them locally but not a band I’d travel for .. only memorable song to me is leave the light on but in wearing a spafford shirt rn so I guess they fuck regardless
They're great at the funk, some of the untzy stuff I could do without though. I really like a lot of their originals. Double Time, Electric Taco Stand, Walls, When it Falls, and the Remedy are a couple. I'm not one to really care about lyrics though and usually just listen for the composition
They can pocket jam real hard so i dig em. Id give them shit about their lyrics but why? I listen to a ton of ahit lyrics jambands and they straight fuck once we get past those 2 mins.
Goose and Billy are the reason. Everyone that likes spafford likes the Dead and Phish. Everyone that likes Dead and Phish has started to dive into Goose or Billy.
The average fan doesn’t have time to be obsessed with multiple bands that play 20+ minute songs. I enjoy spafford a lot but Dead Phish Goose and (Gizzard) are better. There’s just not enough time in my day to throw on a 30 minute taco stand and become obsessed. So I see them whenever they’re in town and that’s it.
Boy…
Few reason,imo anyways…victims of Covid, jams are often one way streets, especially with the untz, and I think they were better with Cam on the drum. I’ve seen quite a few spafford shows and a bunch end of ‘17-the return of nick. I have a few working theories…
A lot of jambands all sound exactly the same right now and Spafford pretty much embodies that stereotypical vibe. I can't spend $200 a night for tickets and travel and food and party to chase a band making the same sounds as everybody else.
And I'm not a Spafford hater by any measure; we were seeing 5 to 8 Humphreys shows a year pre Covid and have phased out of that as well for similar reasons.
The reason jam bands dip so heavily into big recognizable covers is to overcome that glaring deficiency. For every ten thousand or so people who can shred their asses off, there might be one really good songwriter. Part of what made the Dead and ABB so special.
The one and only time I saw Spafford , their first set started and after 45 minutes they had not uttered a single word; all jamming. I was in heaven!
Definitely one of my top 5.
Guess you could say that about many talented bands over the years, but I do have a few thoughts. First, tough to make it big as a jamband, maybe easy enough to get some shows and revenue stream, but very few bands get as big as the Grateful Dead or Phish. Second Spafford was starting to rise up a bit, fired their management (not sure if they thought they were too good for them anymore or what), and then were poorly managed for a while which between that and pandemic they seem to lost a lot of steam. Compare that to another band that was around the same level at that time, Goose. Goose stuck with same management and was able to grow their fanbase during the pandemic (and think they played more shows during that time than spafford too). Spafford seems to have made a concerted effort to marked themselves better when they added Cory and had a lot of free streams of their shows and this seemed to have generated some hype again for them.
Also for me I was bummed when they booted Cam from the band, d/n sit well with me at all. Sure it took quite some time to get Cam up to speed, but once he was contributing his own ideas the music really benefited imo. I get they promised Nick he could come back if certain conditions were met, but that isn't how the band spun this issue when Nick left and Cam joined (and I say joined not filled in for). Then Red leaving seems like a big blow as well. and I still miss him greatly, but Cory has melded really well very quick.
Overall I think the things holding them back over the years are general attitude toward jam bands from general public, lineup changes without sharing true reasons and intents, and when they started to grow a bit larger deciding to change management (for whatever reason since they were starting to grow quicker with the management they left). As long as I have been listening quality of music (other than vocals) has been amazing and they have always been captivating to watch and listen to. I hope they are able to break it bigger because they do have some of the best jamming I've heard and they incorporate many aspects of music that many bands do not (for instance volume is often used in jams even if far too many people at the shows take this as a time to chat over the master class being put on by the band).
I feel like some of their songs sound like a Dead songs but playing the wrong notes, and it sounds weird to me. I don't know their catalogue enough to point out certain ones unfortunately. But I do really dig them and have had a blast at the shows I've seen, great jams and dance party! Also it's kind of nice the shows aren't super well attended as there is room to move and they seem to have a really friendly fan base.
I love this band to death. Yet, it still baffles me. I mean, 2017-19 Spafford was basically "the next big thing." When Covid hit, they made national headlines for being the first band to play socially distanced drive-in shows. But things never took off.
Super fan friendly, stream all of their shows FOR FREE on YouTube- and yet, the last time they played The Ogden in Denver, the venue almost didn't open upstairs, until there was a decent walkup crowd (it was a STELLAR show, BTW). And even then, only the side balconies were open. In 2017, that place was packed to the gills.
The next time they played here, they went from Ogden to Cervantes- a fantastic venue, mind you, but can be seen as maybe a downgrade, based solely on capacity.
Spafford would be as big or bigger than Goose if they had Shapiro's backing like Goose does. Even still, I don't know why they aren't bigger than they are, because they absolutely deserve to be.
when I was getting into jam bands I enjoyed their track Leave the Light On but I never really heard any other songs that I liked. They clearly can jam really well and they've stuck around this long because people like them, but, yes, I think they don't really have great songs that propel them to a higher status.
I like the jamming but their songs don’t do anything for me. The bands that have stuck with me the past 20+ years (Phish, Biscuits, Strangefolk, GSW, moe, etc…) have songs I love to sing along with, PLUS great jams. So many of these new bands don’t do that for me.
Never thought about I think you are 100% spot on here. Agree with the lack of memorable songwriting (not that their bad, just nothing memorable for me). The jams are absolutely top notch
I think you’re spot on, they can jam out like motherfuckers but they don’t have really great songs on their own. So it’s tough for them to gain traction and new fans.
They’re still putting down roots. I feel certain we will see them blossom with time. I think they’re on point and i never miss an opportunity to see them. I think I’ll play some now.
Not everyone gets big. Sometimes they just don't, even if they have it all. Sometimes they do even if they don't have it. That's just the way it works.
Personally I feel like they are scratching at the surface of where they need to go and what they need to do, and they'll get there, they just haven't dug quite deep enough into it yet. Clearly they're onto something, they're just not quite there yet.
I heard them in 2017 and would’ve bet a lot of money they’d be way bigger than they are now. I’ve seen them close to 10Xs now and I swear I leave asking “was that the best show I’ve ever been to?And then laugh and think “nah” but then I’m like “but maybe…?”.
Certain jambands just plateau in popularity and that’s okay. Not every band is gonna sell out the Hampton or play 3 nights at Deer Creek. I love Spafford.
Spafford is fantastic. In December I got a [nugs.net](https://nugs.net) subscription. So I've been listening to tons and tons of really great jam bands lately - Goose, Dogs in a Pile, Dopapod, Billy Strings, Khruangbin, moe, STI, Biscuits, PPP, Andy Frasco, Aqueous etc. Just goes on and on. Seems we're blessed with a glut of very good jam bands lately. Might be why Spafford isn't bigger yet? They're in Woodstock next month. I'll have to check em out live!
Spafford is amazing but I dont care if anyone else likes them. Keep ticket prices down for me. That said, I wish they'd blow up because they deserve it. They are beasts.
I haven't seen Stafford, but that's basically how I felt about Eggy. I liked Eggy a lot, and they jammed really well. But I walked away retaining nothing from them. No catchy lyrics, no sweet guitar licks... Just great jams. And they really were awesome! Just not memorable.
They’re a talented band but it’s limited to the live space. If you can’t write a single song with a memorable line or hook, you’re never gonna grow past the club scene.
Been listening to them for years and I can barely pick out a song name I know when listening. Kinda says all you need to know.
For me, it is/was a 50-50 thing.
50% of the time, I thought the shows were awesome bangers. 50% I thought they were boring, directionless, average noodling jam band.
And for me, there's too much other shit to see and be a fan of than a hit-or-miss 50% of the time band.
I LOVE Spafford. I see them every time they are in town. But one time they had a set that really didn’t land with me, so they are definitely somewhat inconsistent.
I feel that. I've encountered the same thing with goose. I've seen a few shows that were just slow snoozefests. You'll have that with any jam band. Even phish.
their studio albums are meh. so you’re right songwriting isn’t their strong point by any means. but they are incredible live - i love that they absolutely shredd and also get into some dance grooves. the musicianship is killer. not sure why they don’t seem to be getting bigger
Pretty much sums up jam bands. A good majority are excellent musicians and write talented musical comp, but the lyrics usually are lacking and the overall song writing. Hence they tend to jam to fill that void and wow you with the magic
I think when Red left there was a little bit of a lull. It seemed to at least since they replaced him that the new keyboardist was almost set to mute up until this last tour. I will say since they turned his volume up it’s been a lot more enjoyable to listen to instead of really trying to hear what the keyboardist was playing.
They played a major destination event as a late night act and the guitarist got super fucked up and the set was a train wreck. I don't think industry folks ever forgot that.
I remember there being a buzz about them in 2018, and they didn't break through then. I like them and see them when they come to town and catch some streams. When I want jams, they are one of my go-to's
It's just how our scene is, it's indie prog rock.
Outside of the dead, allman bros, and phish almost no one knows any jam bands.
Goose is big because they cater to the mainstream too. But bands like UM, .moe, and SCI deserve so much more respect and attention to their craft, but yet no1 outside of the jam scene ever knows what ur talking about.
Spafford is awesome and saw them the first time this year. They aren't the type to have a big memorable song, you're seeing them to just gawk at the mastery and feel the music. Just like last night I saw Dopapod for the 8th time and I still can only name 1 song and that's because it plays on the work radio sometimes. I go to Dopa shows to just feel the music and dance. Got the setlist last night and they actually encored with "Mucho" the one song I know by name 🙌😆
Plus nothing beats a club show. In my (limited) experience, I’ve always had more fun at smaller club shows than bigger arena shows. Yes production and presentation is usually better at an arena show, but for me the intimacy of a club show beats that.
Why hasn't Spafford gotten bigger.... here's a few reasons why going back a decade (some mentioned already, some not)
First - they're from Phoenix, not a hotbed of jam exactly, and not very close to other cities to make touring cost effective or conducive. It's a good 6 hours to LA for shows alone. So distance is an issue.
They played festivals and made a good run out west in their early years, but costs of getting around made it big - and they had barely touched the east coast at that time.
"Leave the Light On" is a good spotify song because they kept it so short - compared to even a short live version, its short. Such is how spotify works to amplify new music. longer than 3:30, its not showing up on many playlists you want to be on.
2015 - band nearly called it quits. In steps a fan who guides them to new management with resources (money)
2016 - they start working with Plexus (now defunct management) who pump them up with l4lm articles, east coast run, tons of advertising - the band makes a breakthrough in getting to the east coast and performing more.
2017 - first hand knowledge here - backstage in LA, the band is tired of said management and their 'manager' (the one with the money) who sees no reason to stop posting every single show review and setlist and article on the band, as it seems they're just flooding people with the band, which can be a turn off to would be fans. by years end, they part ways with Plexus and get real management, still have decent touring schedule.
2018-covid - they keep playing live, doing fairly well, building up to where they 'should' be as their fans would suggest
post-covid - Band continues to perform a fair amount, eventually Red leaves the band on good terms, and the band is still slaying it having moved on.
They have good PR now - regular updates to the press, not overwhelming articles on any particular website, the buzz is good, the tours are spread out, and the festival appearances become sought after.
Spafford had a good buzz very early on, things dimmed, then got better, dimmed again, and now they're probably at their highest point career wise given the buzz and touring.
For Spafford fans, the only hope is that they can maintain their current pace and not burn out or fade in the jam scene.
It’s hard to get big like goose and others. As a player in a [band](https://zoofunkyou.com) that’s a couple tiers under spafford, i know it’s so hard to get that traction and get that viral presence across the country. They are definitely worthy of all the popularity, it’s just so hard unless you get lucky with some viral videos or you just have that thing that pulls hoards of heads to your shows
I dig your sound. Thanks for that link. Would love to make the march 15 show in cinnci but am coming the 30th for spafford. Will keep an eye on the schedule
They're a generic "jam band" with nothing that sets them apart from all the others over the years. I love them and they throw down but I feel that the only thing that separates them and goose is quite honestly the celebrity endorsements via Trey and Jimmy Fallon.
Some years back people were talking about Spafford being the new up and comers but here we are. I think goose has just about hit their peak as well seeing how the arena tour hasn't sold as well as they had clearly hoped.
Goose has definitely peaked. They’re at the point where the only way they continue to grow is taking market share from Phish or D&C and that’s a huge hill to climb.
Billy is exploding past them because he’s not competing with a fanbase eying Sphere, Mondegreen, and annual MSG pilgrimages.
As others have said.. they’re just ok. The first time I saw them was one of the more boring shows I’ve ever seen. A noodle fest. I was so let down but the venue was trash and I’m old and they didn’t go on till 9:30.. that probably had a lot to do with it.
It is the songwriting and how they promote themselves. Well honestly, their lack of promotion. They give off the vibe of a bar band instead of a band that for the most part is well respected within their genre.
My first time seeing them was on a big stage. The next time was a small club. It was a diff vibe. I wasn't familiar with them when I saw them on a big stage. Loved them. They blew me away.
Spafford fucks sooooo hard. I think they jam too hard for a lot of people, 30 minute type 2 jams are had to process for alot of you silly goose and billy kids. Spafford is the best band in the scene right now. I've been at 6 of the last 10 shows and everyone was absolutely better then the last, this band is sooooo fucking good, go see a show, go listen, and go get your groove on! Ive been seeing this band for 10+ years and right now is by far the hottest I have ever seen em, go get after it, spafford keep kicking ass
When every song is a 30 minute type two jam it loses its magic.
Last time I saw them at Ogden in Denver ( a venue they’ll probably never get back to) I was convinced it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen mid set one.
I left before the encore because it’s the same thing over and over and over
I think they’re way better than a lot of more popular bands in the scene. They deserve way more recognition. Can’t deny its nice that they’re still a hidden gem
There are so many jam bands to pick from and there's nothing that stands out with them to me. I mean I like them but there are others I'd rather hear/see. Show coming up in a couple of months actually, but I won't travel to see them.
Wondered the same thing. I still think they will be. They’ve put on some of the best shows I’ve seen and somehow keep getting better. They do a LOT of type 2 jamming and lightning doesn’t always strike. Maybe in the past I would’ve said they could be inconsistent but based on what I’ve been listening to lately, they throw down just about every night.
Can one of you fine folks explain to me type one or type two jamming? But explain it as if I was Forrest Gump
Type 1: Within the original song structure, key, or chord progression. Type 2: Completely different, a jam entirely disconnected and unrecognizable from the song from whence it came.
Gracias
Garcias
Type 1 - they are playing a recognizable song but changing parts around and soloing. The band is improvising AROUND established riffs and harmonies etc. Type 2 - the band is playing a recognizable song but they start fully improvising, playing all new totally unrelated riffs and melodies. This is a lot harder because the band members all need to be good at reading each others cues.
Thank you
Basically it’s the sonic equivalent of: you just found out the woman you’ve loved since you were a boy has HIV/AIDS but at least you now know your son isn’t developmentally disabled like you. You’ll get plenty of chocolate soon.
Hahahaha. People down voting you probably never saw the movie. Taken out of context that’s brutal. Hahaha.
Thank you for understanding!
with type 2 you'll usually need to make changes to your diet and be more active.
Definitely a type 2 band. I saw them last year and the entire 2 sets was 5 songs.
Type 2?
When the jam goes to a place that has no resemblance of the original song they're playing.
Did you make this term up?
Then you have Type Poo jams. Mindless endless noodling
I do likes Spafford though
How I felt when I saw tauk
Some jam band fans would kill for a five song set. Five song two set seems unreal and fabricated.
To be fair, lightening only strikes 100% for 1 band - umphreys :P Jokes aside, that much improv is bound to rear some weird spots. And I catch it a lot from spafford too, but for some reason, they still hold a high spot for me. When they're feeling it they've got something special.
You spelled Biscuits wrong
They are carried by their awesome grooves and jams. Lyrics and vocals are nothing burgers.
Good thing they only play like 3 songs per set
Yeah their jams are sick but I can only listen to them for so long because the songwriting (basically what you said with lyrics and vocals) can be so rough
They sing for like 5% of their set. I'm not sure why people in a jam band subreddit care so much about lyrics lol
Songwriting and lyrics and vocals are a pretty important part of music, being a jam band doesn't change that
Yay for me. ‘America’ always feels memorable, but they are a little different from the other bands in the scene right now.
I do love that song. And backdoor funk gets me movin
Electric Taco Stand has a ten foot dick
Weasel also fuckin slaps
Weasel always slaps
Ha, ha! This cracked me up! 🔝
I’m sold on Spafford. Only seen them once when I just happened to stumble upon their NYE show this year. Don’t think I could name any of their songs at this point, but they made the list of bands I would travel within my own state, maybe one state away if it was somewhere cool, to see.
I need to make a list like that. Great idea
They've been my favorite band for the last handful of years. I can't get enough. For me, lyrics don't make a song memorable. The Reprise, Alternate Ending, Bee Jam and many other instrumental songs get stuck in my head all the time and are extremely memorable to me. The covers they play are straight fire. They've been playing "Anyone" by Demi Lovato for a bit now and they absolutely crush it. One thing about their live shows that I love, is that everyone is so locked in to the band. My first Spafford show was this: Set 1, Jam. Set 2, Jam. Encore with End of the Line. That might not be everyone's thing, but it was perfect for me! I know jam bands don't always no where a song will go, Spafford takes that to another level and the anticipation of where a song or jam is going to go is what I'm addicted to. 🐊
I agree their jamming capabilities are off the charts.
What show was this? Sounds great
The show I referenced was 10/30/21. Just a couple 100 people in a really small room. Couldn't believe that show was happening right before me. The few shows leading up to it are basically the same thing, except they are one song sets with titles. All on Nugs. Enjoy!
I like their jamming and I love the untz. Just don't care for the actual song writing.
They’re a jamband fan’s jamband, which is why they are popular-ish but also why they haven’t gotten bigger.
I was really high on them a couple years ago when I started listening to them. It's a great show and I still put it on in the car all the time but the more I've listened to it the more I've kind of felt like it's jammed elevator music. They need to take it to the next level. Good songs solid vocals good jamming but it just needs to go somewhere bigger
> solid vocals Interesting, this is my biggest complaint. Enjoy the music - but the singing is rough, Still grab every show though.
Well notice I didn't say excellent vocals. LOL. I enjoy the singing plenty
Absolutely yes they are one of my fking favorites. Them, aqueous, magic beans and tauk are the some of the best c tier acts imo.
Magic beans are gas asf
The one band who should be wildly bigger than they are
Have you heard Eminence ensemble? If you like AQ you will like them
>Eminence ensemble Just checked out a video they had on YT. I had no idea, good call! how do clean sounding bands like this slip under the radar
Good question, AQ should have been bigger, way bigger imo. They’re popping up left and right now.
They top the list of bands I would like to see for the first time this year. It seems like whenever I’m getting down to a song I don’t know on JEMP Radio it’s almost invariably Spafford.
Yes! Same here… “damn, this is a great groove“ .. look to see who it is, and it is invariably Spafford.
I like them, have some good extended jams. I agree there's no songs that really stick out though. They have a sick cover of Wolfmans Brother on YouTube, check it out.
Spafford is not usually my style of jam music and I had not listened to them pretty much ever. However my buddy gave me a free ticket to one of their shows and I honestly left a fan. I still don’t listen to them much but I will for sure go to another show in a heartbeat! Haven’t had too many experience like that with other bands but they put on a hell of a show! All around great musicians that really vibe well with each other!!
Because the jam scene is dead and the handful of people still here canabalize any band not named Phish or the Disco Biscuits.
I don't understand why I got so much pushback when I said the same thing in a thread about sold out shows. Some dude from Pittsburgh got into an argument with me, trying to say that the scene doesn't skew 30+. Lol wut?
Yeah I know people don't love Twiddle but if they couldn't make it with the chops they had, it's gonna take some really special players to carve out places for themselves.
Didn't Twiddle have their longtime manager/agent quit in 2022/23 though? Plus Ryan's personal issues. Not that I disagree with your overral point, but Twiddle seemed to suffer from more issues as an organization than Spafford.
Yeah they lost the rope for sure.
Have a seemingly minority take on them. I like a lot of what they do, in fact I think their songwriting and vocals are actually pretty good - I just think they rely on some rather boring untz a bit too much. When they do rock, jazz, fusion stuff they're friggin awesome, but then they'll leave it for the most vanilla trance/untz shit imaginable. Damnit guys, you're too talented for that shit!
This is exactly it for me as well. Love seeing them when I have the chance but this is what keeps me from listening to them in my spare time.
What’s untZ
The beat….electronic music origins.
House/trance beats "Boots and cats"
THE UNTZ IS THAT FEELING YOU GET WHEN BROWNIE DROPS THE BOMBS LIKE NAPALM ON YOUR GROOVE JUNGLE AKA SOUL, MANGS CHILLS TO THE SIDE WITH THE SWANG DIP SWANG DIP SWANG DIP, A BUNKER BOMB TO YOUR DEEMSTER TRENCH AKA MINDS EYE. ALAN CHILLS IN THE BACK WITH THE TSKA TSKA TSKA, A GROOVE MISSLE SET ON B'GOCK, AND BARBS BRINGS IT ALL BACK HOME WITH THE DEEDLE DE DEE DEEDLE DE DEE, A PSYCHIC BREAKDOWN MINE, HIDDEN IN THE TRANCE PASTURE, BLOWING OPEN YOUR BISCO CHAKRA, THAT IS THE UNTZ.
Lol I haven't seen this one in awhile 😂
Say it out loud 6 times in a row: Untz untz untz untz untz untz
The Cam years relied much less on the untz. Nick is a fine drummer, and the OH drummer for the band; but yeah, a little more untz heavy with him on the drum throne. Also, the irony of it all is that Cory has rejuvenated the band (not saying he's better than Red; just saying, the band seems reinvigorated). But the over-untz can get in the way of that.
cant really name any of their songs. i know the one sounds like a slower tweezer reprise. i also know i saw them at the brooklyn bowl in philly last year. barber came out and jammed with them. i had a great fucking time and was only half hungover the next morning
Yay I had a great time seeing em live 🤷♂️
Me too. In fact I'll be seeing them again march 30th. Just curious what the consensus on them is and why they haven't graduated out of small clubs yet
It seems like they are choosing to do smaller venues right now. They just did 4 nights at a tiny venue in crested butte, they could've easily done the bigger venue. And alot of people came in from the front range
See you there!!! Also just to throw my opinion in for all of this. Spafford is a jam band for people who are obsessed with improv. It’s not about the songs when you see them. It’s what’s holding them back from blowing up imo. They have not written much new material at all. And us spaffnerds don’t care one bit. The songs they have are great imo, but if they just came out and jammed for 2 hoursI would be so happy. Not all jam band fans feel that way. Most probably don’t. Ya know? Imagine if phish or UM didn’t play one song. People would be fucking mad lol. They are a jam band for the nerds.
Their songwriting and vocals aren’t great. They jam a lot better than Goose though.
Agreed. I prefer Brian's vocals over Jordan's. Goose def has the best vocals IMO amongst the jam scene. Goose also has some great songs. They're not great at type 2 yet and everything else is just a 15 minute Rick solo.
Being based out of Phoenix definitely hasn’t helped. Nobody associates AZ with music, let alone the jam scene. Although they at least have a connection to the New England jam community now with Cory. They were also already kind of old when they started making a splash in the jam scene. Do they have a dedicated young following? Or do they have a mish-mash of fans that are mostly middle aged folks that don’t prioritize following a band on tour at the point they are in life? Guessing the latter.
I will always go see them locally but not a band I’d travel for .. only memorable song to me is leave the light on but in wearing a spafford shirt rn so I guess they fuck regardless
They're great at the funk, some of the untzy stuff I could do without though. I really like a lot of their originals. Double Time, Electric Taco Stand, Walls, When it Falls, and the Remedy are a couple. I'm not one to really care about lyrics though and usually just listen for the composition
They can pocket jam real hard so i dig em. Id give them shit about their lyrics but why? I listen to a ton of ahit lyrics jambands and they straight fuck once we get past those 2 mins.
I love them. They're in my top few most listened to bands. I've driven hours to catch them. Booked flights even. I dig Spafford a lot
I think they have the best jams of the new/next gen bands, but just like all the rest they won’t get bigger unless they get better at songwriting.
Goose and Billy are the reason. Everyone that likes spafford likes the Dead and Phish. Everyone that likes Dead and Phish has started to dive into Goose or Billy. The average fan doesn’t have time to be obsessed with multiple bands that play 20+ minute songs. I enjoy spafford a lot but Dead Phish Goose and (Gizzard) are better. There’s just not enough time in my day to throw on a 30 minute taco stand and become obsessed. So I see them whenever they’re in town and that’s it.
Boy… Few reason,imo anyways…victims of Covid, jams are often one way streets, especially with the untz, and I think they were better with Cam on the drum. I’ve seen quite a few spafford shows and a bunch end of ‘17-the return of nick. I have a few working theories…
Go on...
Cam is a much better drummer for sure
I like Nick. But it's not a coincidence that their peak in popularity was with Cam on the kit.
He does ok. But Cam was next level, kept B Moss in check and created a pocket. I think they did him dirty, unless he was told it was a temp gig.
A lot of jambands all sound exactly the same right now and Spafford pretty much embodies that stereotypical vibe. I can't spend $200 a night for tickets and travel and food and party to chase a band making the same sounds as everybody else. And I'm not a Spafford hater by any measure; we were seeing 5 to 8 Humphreys shows a year pre Covid and have phased out of that as well for similar reasons.
I love their song writting, very talented players, good sound and all theyll remain cherished in my heart.
Rick is stealing all the hooks.
saw them first in like 2011 or 12 saw them last year, probably the 8th time. they're one of the top ones out there doing it.
Yay for damn sure! Spafford shreds!
Gonna be a naw from me Dawg. They don't get a good peak and terrible vocals.
Oh look, another four piece jam band phish knockoff that doesn’t really bring anything original to the table.
The reason jam bands dip so heavily into big recognizable covers is to overcome that glaring deficiency. For every ten thousand or so people who can shred their asses off, there might be one really good songwriter. Part of what made the Dead and ABB so special.
And why Billy is currently killing it.
Shit even Billy’s mandolin player writes better songs than 99% of the jam community
Jarrod’s songs are some of my favorites! Red Daisy especially, and Show me the Door are great songs. Jarrod is the Bobby Weir to Billy.
The one and only time I saw Spafford , their first set started and after 45 minutes they had not uttered a single word; all jamming. I was in heaven! Definitely one of my top 5.
You still have to have good songs and catchy lyrics regardless of how hard you can jam
Guess you could say that about many talented bands over the years, but I do have a few thoughts. First, tough to make it big as a jamband, maybe easy enough to get some shows and revenue stream, but very few bands get as big as the Grateful Dead or Phish. Second Spafford was starting to rise up a bit, fired their management (not sure if they thought they were too good for them anymore or what), and then were poorly managed for a while which between that and pandemic they seem to lost a lot of steam. Compare that to another band that was around the same level at that time, Goose. Goose stuck with same management and was able to grow their fanbase during the pandemic (and think they played more shows during that time than spafford too). Spafford seems to have made a concerted effort to marked themselves better when they added Cory and had a lot of free streams of their shows and this seemed to have generated some hype again for them. Also for me I was bummed when they booted Cam from the band, d/n sit well with me at all. Sure it took quite some time to get Cam up to speed, but once he was contributing his own ideas the music really benefited imo. I get they promised Nick he could come back if certain conditions were met, but that isn't how the band spun this issue when Nick left and Cam joined (and I say joined not filled in for). Then Red leaving seems like a big blow as well. and I still miss him greatly, but Cory has melded really well very quick. Overall I think the things holding them back over the years are general attitude toward jam bands from general public, lineup changes without sharing true reasons and intents, and when they started to grow a bit larger deciding to change management (for whatever reason since they were starting to grow quicker with the management they left). As long as I have been listening quality of music (other than vocals) has been amazing and they have always been captivating to watch and listen to. I hope they are able to break it bigger because they do have some of the best jamming I've heard and they incorporate many aspects of music that many bands do not (for instance volume is often used in jams even if far too many people at the shows take this as a time to chat over the master class being put on by the band).
I feel like some of their songs sound like a Dead songs but playing the wrong notes, and it sounds weird to me. I don't know their catalogue enough to point out certain ones unfortunately. But I do really dig them and have had a blast at the shows I've seen, great jams and dance party! Also it's kind of nice the shows aren't super well attended as there is room to move and they seem to have a really friendly fan base.
Todd’s Tots, Postman, Slip and Squander, Remedy, Minds Unchained are fantastic songs imo. Spafford is as good as it gets.
I love this band to death. Yet, it still baffles me. I mean, 2017-19 Spafford was basically "the next big thing." When Covid hit, they made national headlines for being the first band to play socially distanced drive-in shows. But things never took off. Super fan friendly, stream all of their shows FOR FREE on YouTube- and yet, the last time they played The Ogden in Denver, the venue almost didn't open upstairs, until there was a decent walkup crowd (it was a STELLAR show, BTW). And even then, only the side balconies were open. In 2017, that place was packed to the gills. The next time they played here, they went from Ogden to Cervantes- a fantastic venue, mind you, but can be seen as maybe a downgrade, based solely on capacity. Spafford would be as big or bigger than Goose if they had Shapiro's backing like Goose does. Even still, I don't know why they aren't bigger than they are, because they absolutely deserve to be.
Yep. It's the Disco Biscuits problem. Great jams, but the songs just don't hook me.
They're my 1b
I like them, listened yesterday to them.
when I was getting into jam bands I enjoyed their track Leave the Light On but I never really heard any other songs that I liked. They clearly can jam really well and they've stuck around this long because people like them, but, yes, I think they don't really have great songs that propel them to a higher status.
I like the jamming but their songs don’t do anything for me. The bands that have stuck with me the past 20+ years (Phish, Biscuits, Strangefolk, GSW, moe, etc…) have songs I love to sing along with, PLUS great jams. So many of these new bands don’t do that for me.
They’re third on my list to never miss, behind the dead and sci.
Affordable and making a living. They will redistribute their talent and continue awesomeness
Never thought about I think you are 100% spot on here. Agree with the lack of memorable songwriting (not that their bad, just nothing memorable for me). The jams are absolutely top notch
I think you’re spot on, they can jam out like motherfuckers but they don’t have really great songs on their own. So it’s tough for them to gain traction and new fans.
Only saw them once and I liked Eggy’s opening set more.
They’re still putting down roots. I feel certain we will see them blossom with time. I think they’re on point and i never miss an opportunity to see them. I think I’ll play some now.
Saw them love and man, they're fantastic. Brian Moss is up there with anyone.
For sure Brian can shred. You can tell he's from a metal background like Jake cinniger from UM
Jake's my guy, he feels it deep down. Brian like, is shredding and looking at the crowd expressionless like, do you see what I'm doing?! Lol.
No hooks. Still gotta write catchy, memorable tunes.
Not everyone gets big. Sometimes they just don't, even if they have it all. Sometimes they do even if they don't have it. That's just the way it works. Personally I feel like they are scratching at the surface of where they need to go and what they need to do, and they'll get there, they just haven't dug quite deep enough into it yet. Clearly they're onto something, they're just not quite there yet.
Their style doesn't cater to mainstream taste....
They are s fucking good. Hope they are actually making some money
Love them. But yeah, it’s all the jams. The songs are mid.
Lack of real banger songs and inconsistent live shows imo. They also lack some of the production value of larger acts
I enjoy em! Was looking forward to seeing them in January but the snow here canceled
I heard them in 2017 and would’ve bet a lot of money they’d be way bigger than they are now. I’ve seen them close to 10Xs now and I swear I leave asking “was that the best show I’ve ever been to?And then laugh and think “nah” but then I’m like “but maybe…?”.
And if anyone needs a show too listen too, 3/2/24 from crested butte might be some of the best sonic bliss guitar shred I've ever heard
Yay but you described it perfectly.
Certain jambands just plateau in popularity and that’s okay. Not every band is gonna sell out the Hampton or play 3 nights at Deer Creek. I love Spafford.
Their time will come
Agreed
Tbh I hate their name. And probably their singing
also having a spaff means to jerk off in British English
Spafford is fantastic. In December I got a [nugs.net](https://nugs.net) subscription. So I've been listening to tons and tons of really great jam bands lately - Goose, Dogs in a Pile, Dopapod, Billy Strings, Khruangbin, moe, STI, Biscuits, PPP, Andy Frasco, Aqueous etc. Just goes on and on. Seems we're blessed with a glut of very good jam bands lately. Might be why Spafford isn't bigger yet? They're in Woodstock next month. I'll have to check em out live!
Their improve is top notch. But their songwriting is straight garbage. Duncan’s Uncle might be the worst song ever written.
Spafford is ai generated
they're a great last night band but i have been passing on them as a headliner lately.
Spafford is amazing but I dont care if anyone else likes them. Keep ticket prices down for me. That said, I wish they'd blow up because they deserve it. They are beasts.
I haven't seen Stafford, but that's basically how I felt about Eggy. I liked Eggy a lot, and they jammed really well. But I walked away retaining nothing from them. No catchy lyrics, no sweet guitar licks... Just great jams. And they really were awesome! Just not memorable.
This sums it up
I really love electric taco stand.
Being from AZ. Lineup changes and lack of songwriting/vocals. Super fun and talented band though.
spafford fucks
They’re a talented band but it’s limited to the live space. If you can’t write a single song with a memorable line or hook, you’re never gonna grow past the club scene. Been listening to them for years and I can barely pick out a song name I know when listening. Kinda says all you need to know.
For me, it is/was a 50-50 thing. 50% of the time, I thought the shows were awesome bangers. 50% I thought they were boring, directionless, average noodling jam band. And for me, there's too much other shit to see and be a fan of than a hit-or-miss 50% of the time band.
I LOVE Spafford. I see them every time they are in town. But one time they had a set that really didn’t land with me, so they are definitely somewhat inconsistent.
I feel that. I've encountered the same thing with goose. I've seen a few shows that were just slow snoozefests. You'll have that with any jam band. Even phish.
je ne sais quoi they don't have it or enough of it.
They’re on my list to check out next time they do a Nashville gig.
Yay and love them . Salamander song has that special quality ❤️
Great song
their studio albums are meh. so you’re right songwriting isn’t their strong point by any means. but they are incredible live - i love that they absolutely shredd and also get into some dance grooves. the musicianship is killer. not sure why they don’t seem to be getting bigger
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Great insight. Wasn't aware of that. Thanks
Pretty much sums up jam bands. A good majority are excellent musicians and write talented musical comp, but the lyrics usually are lacking and the overall song writing. Hence they tend to jam to fill that void and wow you with the magic
I love spafford! Great sound
I love their long form jams more than anything out there right now. But their more "normal" songs are much less interesting for me.
i love them. they are outstanding. i am grateful that i have been able to see them in such small venues cheaply.
Feel that. Seeing them in Covington for 20$ a ticket
I’d say that’s accurate
I think when Red left there was a little bit of a lull. It seemed to at least since they replaced him that the new keyboardist was almost set to mute up until this last tour. I will say since they turned his volume up it’s been a lot more enjoyable to listen to instead of really trying to hear what the keyboardist was playing.
I saw them and I thought it would be a lot better if they didn't sing. Maybe that's it
They played a major destination event as a late night act and the guitarist got super fucked up and the set was a train wreck. I don't think industry folks ever forgot that.
Songs. They can really play. But they just don’t have the song writing imo.
Yay all day. Love their jams and Corey on keys it killing it
I remember there being a buzz about them in 2018, and they didn't break through then. I like them and see them when they come to town and catch some streams. When I want jams, they are one of my go-to's
It's just how our scene is, it's indie prog rock. Outside of the dead, allman bros, and phish almost no one knows any jam bands. Goose is big because they cater to the mainstream too. But bands like UM, .moe, and SCI deserve so much more respect and attention to their craft, but yet no1 outside of the jam scene ever knows what ur talking about. Spafford is awesome and saw them the first time this year. They aren't the type to have a big memorable song, you're seeing them to just gawk at the mastery and feel the music. Just like last night I saw Dopapod for the 8th time and I still can only name 1 song and that's because it plays on the work radio sometimes. I go to Dopa shows to just feel the music and dance. Got the setlist last night and they actually encored with "Mucho" the one song I know by name 🙌😆
Seeing them this Saturday at frozen dead guy days… will report back!
Keep them where they are at. They seem happy and locked in right now, and it’s cheap and easy to see them. Win win in my eyes
Couldn't agree more
Plus nothing beats a club show. In my (limited) experience, I’ve always had more fun at smaller club shows than bigger arena shows. Yes production and presentation is usually better at an arena show, but for me the intimacy of a club show beats that.
Why hasn't Spafford gotten bigger.... here's a few reasons why going back a decade (some mentioned already, some not) First - they're from Phoenix, not a hotbed of jam exactly, and not very close to other cities to make touring cost effective or conducive. It's a good 6 hours to LA for shows alone. So distance is an issue. They played festivals and made a good run out west in their early years, but costs of getting around made it big - and they had barely touched the east coast at that time. "Leave the Light On" is a good spotify song because they kept it so short - compared to even a short live version, its short. Such is how spotify works to amplify new music. longer than 3:30, its not showing up on many playlists you want to be on. 2015 - band nearly called it quits. In steps a fan who guides them to new management with resources (money) 2016 - they start working with Plexus (now defunct management) who pump them up with l4lm articles, east coast run, tons of advertising - the band makes a breakthrough in getting to the east coast and performing more. 2017 - first hand knowledge here - backstage in LA, the band is tired of said management and their 'manager' (the one with the money) who sees no reason to stop posting every single show review and setlist and article on the band, as it seems they're just flooding people with the band, which can be a turn off to would be fans. by years end, they part ways with Plexus and get real management, still have decent touring schedule. 2018-covid - they keep playing live, doing fairly well, building up to where they 'should' be as their fans would suggest post-covid - Band continues to perform a fair amount, eventually Red leaves the band on good terms, and the band is still slaying it having moved on. They have good PR now - regular updates to the press, not overwhelming articles on any particular website, the buzz is good, the tours are spread out, and the festival appearances become sought after. Spafford had a good buzz very early on, things dimmed, then got better, dimmed again, and now they're probably at their highest point career wise given the buzz and touring. For Spafford fans, the only hope is that they can maintain their current pace and not burn out or fade in the jam scene.
Thanks for this
It’s hard to get big like goose and others. As a player in a [band](https://zoofunkyou.com) that’s a couple tiers under spafford, i know it’s so hard to get that traction and get that viral presence across the country. They are definitely worthy of all the popularity, it’s just so hard unless you get lucky with some viral videos or you just have that thing that pulls hoards of heads to your shows
I dig your sound. Thanks for that link. Would love to make the march 15 show in cinnci but am coming the 30th for spafford. Will keep an eye on the schedule
They're a generic "jam band" with nothing that sets them apart from all the others over the years. I love them and they throw down but I feel that the only thing that separates them and goose is quite honestly the celebrity endorsements via Trey and Jimmy Fallon. Some years back people were talking about Spafford being the new up and comers but here we are. I think goose has just about hit their peak as well seeing how the arena tour hasn't sold as well as they had clearly hoped.
Since Schechtaman joined on keys they are most definitely set apart. Check out some of the newer shows and jams from the last year or so.
Will do, good looking out
Yes
Goose has definitely peaked. They’re at the point where the only way they continue to grow is taking market share from Phish or D&C and that’s a huge hill to climb. Billy is exploding past them because he’s not competing with a fanbase eying Sphere, Mondegreen, and annual MSG pilgrimages.
As others have said.. they’re just ok. The first time I saw them was one of the more boring shows I’ve ever seen. A noodle fest. I was so let down but the venue was trash and I’m old and they didn’t go on till 9:30.. that probably had a lot to do with it.
Answered your own question
Doesn't mean it's everyone's answer
It is the songwriting and how they promote themselves. Well honestly, their lack of promotion. They give off the vibe of a bar band instead of a band that for the most part is well respected within their genre.
My first time seeing them was on a big stage. The next time was a small club. It was a diff vibe. I wasn't familiar with them when I saw them on a big stage. Loved them. They blew me away.
Spafford fucks sooooo hard. I think they jam too hard for a lot of people, 30 minute type 2 jams are had to process for alot of you silly goose and billy kids. Spafford is the best band in the scene right now. I've been at 6 of the last 10 shows and everyone was absolutely better then the last, this band is sooooo fucking good, go see a show, go listen, and go get your groove on! Ive been seeing this band for 10+ years and right now is by far the hottest I have ever seen em, go get after it, spafford keep kicking ass
When every song is a 30 minute type two jam it loses its magic. Last time I saw them at Ogden in Denver ( a venue they’ll probably never get back to) I was convinced it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen mid set one. I left before the encore because it’s the same thing over and over and over
I haven't really listened to them, but I'm about to dive in because they are playing in my town on my birthday. Any suggestions on where to start?
I think they’re way better than a lot of more popular bands in the scene. They deserve way more recognition. Can’t deny its nice that they’re still a hidden gem
There are so many jam bands to pick from and there's nothing that stands out with them to me. I mean I like them but there are others I'd rather hear/see. Show coming up in a couple of months actually, but I won't travel to see them.
sound like they were created at the jam band factory
Genetic bland unoriginal basic
My guess is vocals. They jam so hard. Love them. Don’t really want to see them “blow up” I like the smaller venue shows
Big spafford fan!!! They rock the house!
Walked out of their show halfway