The 31st Christmas Jam Decorates Asheville

Welcome back to the Cherokee Land of Sky and the wranglers’ Winter Tour of Ice Balls and one-wheel drive. Maybe no-wheel drive. Have the words “winter tour” ever been uttered on this watch? Not till now Cool Breeze. It’s time to forget what you think you know about things and just relax. Having returned to the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains the scout team found their way back to Asheville, North Carolina and the next edition of Warren Haynes Christmas Jam. On board this year was Phil Lesh & Friends (feat. Warren, John Scofield, John Medeski & John Molo), Tyler Childers with his band The Food Stamps, Gov’t Mule, Brothers Osborne, Dinosaur Jr., and Beth Hart. There were also many special guests including Hiss Golden Messenger, Audley Freed, Scott Metzger, Katie Jacoby, Mike Barnes and more. The time for convalescing is past. The 31st Christmas Jam Decorates Asheville.

Who showed up for the hottest ticket in town? Are you kidding? These babies were gone like hotcakes and everyone who’s anyone in the Tarheel state made an appearance. There was FloydFest machine, The Girth and his paramour, Ms.Girth…Ms.Girth? She was never one for self monikers and they, as of the latest reports, were still engaged to be wed. Well I”ll be. Wonders never cease. Everyone agreed it was especial to have this Navidadiest, fiesto grandiesto back on the dance card. It had been a minute since these folks had been together and the magic was in the air.

Soapy from two days in downtown Asheville, they were all there, ready to shred. Hard fun to be sure and folks who hadn’t come together for this party for three years were ready for the certain amalgamation. Following the hiatus, the annual holiday event, also presented by the W&S Charitable Foundation and Stefani Scamardo, once again descended upon Haynes’ hometown of Asheville on Saturday, December 10th for a special evening at Harrah’s Cherokee Center to benefit the Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity along with BeLoved Asheville. There was plenty of time to get to all the music and all the people and the Girth was still able to find his way to the smoker’s patio every once and awhile. Can a man get a Turkish Camel for a table dance?

W&S Foundation is particularly excited to bring the Christmas Jam back to Asheville this year with such an amazing and exciting lineup,” said Scamardo. “The long-awaited return of Christmas Jam is sure to be a special moment for all.”

Curated by Grammy Award-winning vocalist, songwriter, producer and guitar legend Warren Haynes, the Christmas Jam is one of the most celebrated and longest-running live concerts in the U.S. Held each year in Asheville, performing artists, volunteers, and friends from all over the country come together to raise funds for the Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity. To date, the Jam has raised more than $2.7 million for Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity, constructing over 40 homes. This year’s Christmas Jam has expanded to also assist BeLoved Asheville. From emergency shelter to rental and ownership units, the Asheville region’s housing needs are greater than ever. Many local agencies work along the housing services spectrum and anchoring the ends of that spectrum are Asheville Area Habitat, providing affordable homeownership and home repairs, and BeLoved Asheville, working with those struggling with housing insecurity.

“BeLoved Asheville is honored to be a part of the Warren Haynes Christmas Jam this year!,” adds Ponkho Bermejo, BeLoved Asheville Co-Director. “This powerful event lifts local people and warms the hearts of many through music. Now more than ever, we need to make the music that brings us together to support our neighbors and connect deeply with each other. Warren Haynes and friends are so gifted at that and we look forward to jamming with them to lift up elders, essential workers, children and families who are struggling, and those who long for a warm and safe place to call home.”

After a three-year wait, the annual rock n roll Christmas pageant had returned to the source. The line up was heat lightning and holiday cheer bubbled over the packed room like a nineties foam party. There was Brothers Osborne with their country/folk get down slather and of course, God forbid! But there was no way Tenderfoot was going to miss a Phil Lesh show. A novice tarot reader at best, he would say, “It’s just not in the damned cards”. Like many, he and his posse of derelict hippies steered straight for the nexus of the party sans tickets. Wouldn’t matter. They were lot monkeys from way back and usually ended up being backstage, this year being no exception and no one even ended up in love cuffs. Pura Vida.

Dinosaur Jr.: Those screwdrivers were not done with her by a long shot. This was the moment Lucienda Rosalita knew with absolute certitude that she was going to purge in exactly seventy-four adult seconds. She slithered out of the crowd and found it to take exactly that long to navigate the floor and find her way to the water closet on the far side of the auditorium. For once, her timing was impeccable although it may have been a waste of twenty dollars worth of chicken strips, most of which ended up in the curls of her hair. Considering everything, that was all academic. She was where she needed to be and friends were waiting.
Setlist: The Lung-Garden-Been There All the Time-Get Me-Start Choppin

One non-negotiable was the venture out to an Asheville cornerstone, the Orange Peel Friday night. It was the Travers Brothership opening up for Gov’t Mule pre-party. Never miss a Friday show. Lucy was still taking it easy since the weekend of the Cats Under the Stars festival. It was the season to be small dog. Until she wrangled in the tequila during George Porter Jr. Last seen she already had a black eye and was pushing toward the rail hoping to start a mosh pit. She hadn’t seen Kyle Travers since the last time they were at FloydFest. year before last. It was a reminder that Christmas Jam is a local jam with old and new guys coming together in the funkiest ways possible. Tenderfoot apparently bought a shower cap that had been worn by John Scofield. Those are the kinds of things happening. Lucy was glad to be back in the North Carolina-Virginia pocket.

Gov’t Mule
Setlist: Mule-Temporary Saint-Banks of the Deep End-Sometimes Salvation-Ain’t No Love In the Heart of the City-Sailin’ Shoes-Hey Pocky A-Way-I Almost Cut My Hair-Blue Sky
Christmas Jam is about local music and collaborations. Tenderfoot showed up right around Dinosaur Jr. and fell right into the Nestea plunge that was the heavy bass.

Linda Joy and Shrimphead would have loved the C,S,N&Y “Almost Cut My Hair” but Lucy was always waiting for the Allman songs. She was a Buttscratcher and the Brothers is where her bread was buttered. Phil and Friends kicked things off with Wilson Picket and even covered “I am the Walrus” before it was  all said and done. It was plenty to wrap your head hole around.

Brothers Osborne
Setlist: Skeleton-Headstone-Shoot Me Straight-I’m Not For Everyone-Weed, Whiskey, Willie-Dead Man’s Curve-Stay A Little Longer-It Ain’t My Fault

Phil Lesh and Friends
Setlist: In the Midnight Hour-Mason’s Children- Brown-Eyed Women- Shakedown Street- I Am the Walrus- Morning Dew- Eyes of the World- So What- Help on the Way- Slipknot!- Terrapin Station- Box of Rain

Tyler Childers: The Girth lived in Asheville so he already knew, these mountain folk went bonkers for the Tyler Childers’ show. They can’t help it. Something about honeysuckle wine, pills and trucks. Appalachian heaven to be sure.
Setlist:  Country Squire-Tom Turkey- Honkey Tonk Flame- Tulsa Turnaround- House Fire-Universal Sound- Way of the Triune God- Heart You Been Tendin’- Rustlin’ in the Rain

It was exactly the night everyone had been waiting for. Asheville was the place last Saturday night and Christmas was jingling through the streets. Along with some blistering bass guitar. Don’t be fooled, Christmas Jam is one of the special nights in this place. See you next year.

Be sure to visit the Christmas Jam website and like their social media channels on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Welcome to the machine. The future is nigh.

Continue to make the wook wranglers your number one source for music news and keep up with us as we bounce back and forth to Florida for spring festivals too many to count. Just hold on. This is going to be a busy year and you should be smack dab in the nexus of the rainbow? The eye of the storm? Kamp with the hobos if you want. It takes all the wooks to keep the hotel open all day and night.