Putnam Place Becomes Jam Band Paradise This Month

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Putnam Place has hosted some of the most celebrated jam band acts in the country, including Goose, Blues Traveler, Dogs in a Pile, Eggy, Daniel Donato, Dopapod, Yonder Mountain String Band, and Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, to name but a few.

This month, the venue is embracing its jam band legacy with a series of shows celebrating the rich history of improvised rock music.

Oct. 11: Reprise

Reprise recreates iconic Phish shows and consists of Cal Kehoe, longtime frontman for Pink Talking Fish on guitar; Adrian Tramontano from Twiddle and Kung Fu on the drums; Scott Chasolen from Ulu on keyboards; and Chris DeAngelis of Kung Fu and The Breakfast on bass.

Oct. 15: Melvin Seals & JGB

Melvin Seals has been a powerful presence in the music industry for over 30 years with a long-established reputation as a performer, recording artist, and producer. Melvin is most revered for playing his high-spirited Hammond B-3 organ and keyboards in the Jerry Garcia Band. Melvin spun his B-3 magic with the Jerry Garcia Band for 18 years, and in so doing, helped pioneer and define what has become known as “jam band music.”

Melvin & JGB includes John Kadlecik on lead guitar and vocal duties, John-Paul McLean’s savory bass, Jeremy Hoenig on the drums and, of course, Seals himself on the Hammond B-3 Organ and keyboards. Collectively, the group offers an exciting, often psychedelic, musical journey that changes nightly.

Oct. 17: A Band of Brothers

A Band of Brothers is an Allman Brothers tribute band and the brainchild of guitarists Ryan Taylor and Johnny Trama. Keyboardist Matt Zeiner was recruited in 2000 by Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers Band as a keyboardist and vocalist, leading to a fruitful collaboration and tour. Bass player Jesse Williams has played with everyone from Duke Robillard to Louis Walker to the North Mississippi Allstars. Tom Arey on drums has played with Peter Wolf’s Midnight Travelers. Brendan Tommaney on percussion has played with Pink Talking Fish. Collectively, the group aims to harness the Allman Brothers tradition as a vehicle to bring a unique and exciting experience every night.

Oct. 30: Neon Avenue 

Born from the depths of the 2020 pandemic, this group of Capital Region musicians, in less than two years, has made a stir in the ever-popular (and saturated) Grateful Dead tribute scene. The band brings a fresh take on Grateful music while placing an emphasis on improvisation, unique setlist construction, deeper cuts into the Grateful songbook, and a primal energy that they draw from fans during live performances. Composed of veteran musicians from numerous local groups like Formula 5, Slipknot! (80’s/90’s Dead tribute), Stone Revival Band, Knot Dead, Jocamo, and more, this combination of players has set out to push the boundaries of the standard Dead tribute.

Oct. 31: Gubbulidis

A special Halloween show featuring a rare appearance by Gubbulidis, a duo from Vermont that features Twiddle’s Zdenek Gubb on bass guitar and vocals, and Mihali Savoulidis on acoustic guitar and vocals. With the help of a loop pedal, Gubbulidis is able to create a unique sound that is bigger than what a duo usually has to offer. Between Mihali’s BeatBoxing and Zdenek’s percussive bass lines, they are able to create a variety of beats that fill out their sound and enable them to create the full band vibe that makes them fun to see live.