Rocky waters ahead? Before embarking on the MSC Divina for Jam Cruise 14, a few updates to the event had many-a-Cruiser a little less optimistic about the trip to come. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the cruise line itself unilaterally ruled against our coveted port stop at Belize City in place of Costa Maya, Mexico (last years second stop). The overwhelming odds are this was a safety concern pertaining to rocky seas obstructing the smaller boats that tender passengers from the ship to the island, but logic doesn’t always immediately triumph over the disappointment of die hards who spent big bucks.
The sentimental hit was the last minute announcement that George Porter Jr., AKA Uncle Jam Cruise, wouldn’t be making it on the boat. The Meters’ bassist is a beloved icon onboard but was immediately substituted for Oteil Burbridge formerly of The Allman Brothers Band and most recently of Dead & Company.  The implication that something may be wrong in the Porter family is a punch to the gut for anyone who’s had a nice encounter with him and his wife on the Pool Deck over the years, but with that said, Burbridge, no stranger to JamCruise, is arguably the more versatile player, and Cloud 9 Adventures couldn’t have swung a better substitute.
Big Decisions: Jam Cruise is all about making tough choices: Do you finish eating and go back to hear Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, or keep talking with the drummers from Snarky Puppy, Trombone Shorty and Dumpstaphunk as they trade stories from the road? As interesting as the latter was, getting back to the Pool Deck to hear Joe Russo’s Almost Dead slay it with some help on the mic from Nicole Atkins was the right move.  The Dead tribute act has been playing some of the most exciting interpretations of Grateful Dead music this decade and with regards to technical precision and genuine inspiration, their playing last night for argument’s sake might have trumped anything instrumentally and that occurred during last summer’s Fare Thee Well.
At least over the course of the past four years, never before has a performer channeled Janis Joplin the way Atkins did with JRAD. Not only did her sultry, whiskey soaked pipes bring a much needed boost of authenticity to the groups distant-Bobby/distant-Jerry vocal arrangements, but she brought with her a dynamic stage presence that felt beamed down onto the stage from the skies above. Out of nowhere, this relatively unknown on the jam scene came into the periphery to totally steal the show. If you’ve never checked out Atkins before, it’s time to hit up her YouTube.
Jamily Reunion: It’s been said before, and it can’t be emphasized enough, but more important than any of the acts on the bill are the people filling the cabins. The sense of comradery amongst Jam Cruisers is unparalleled on the dry land music scene and it’s the interactions between paying attendees that were the single best part of Day 1. Door decorations, Mad Max costumes, and random dudes giving out temporary Bill Murray tattoos were just some of the sites to be seen below decks but the embrace of old friends caused just as many smiles as the music. While waiting to board, musicians caught up with their peers about how their New Years Eve shows went and what they had in store for 2016, and for as many friends of old embracing each other on sight, friends were being made every way you looked. Concert photographers have a reputation for having sharp elbows when it comes to getting their shot but anyone looking into the photo pit would have been seeing groups of photographers giving each other big, long hugs, a site you won’t be seeing at a Bonnaroo or Coachella, and for sure not your local House of Blues.
Day 2 is our first at sea and as of press time, the sun is shining, there’s not a cloud in the sky, and any negativity pertaining to the changes of plan are as distant as the Port of Miami.
