Tedeschi Trucks Band, Dawes, Bruce Hornsby, Doobie Brothers Deliver at 27th Annual Warren Haynes Christmas Jam (SHOW REVIEW)

The 27^th Warren Haynes Christmas Jam
December 12, 2015
Asheville, NC – US Cellular Center

Feat: Warren Haynes, Jeff Sipe, The Doobie Brothers, Blackberry Smoke, Dawes, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Bruce Hornsby, Hot Tuna, Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady, Love Canon, Mike Barnes

If New Year’s Eve concerts are the metaphorical cherry on top of a music fan’s year, then The Warren Haynes Christmas Jam must be the whipped cream. Every December for nearly three decades, it’s been the perfect occasion to see some of the most unique collaborations possible and to experience the festive atmosphere of Asheville at holiday time without the chaos that a New Year’s show can bring. After switching to a different seating format for 2014, the U.S. Cellular Center’s standard configuration returned for this year, and the old arena was packed to the rafters with thousands of eager fans.

This year’s jam didn’t have a super-stacked lineup, but it did have plenty of Haynes, and that’s when the event is at its best. His traditional solo acoustic welcome to the audience was George Harrison’s “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth”), which elicited many oohs and ahhs from the more experienced audience members. Bluegrass outfit and 80’s music devotees Love Canon actually started the show with a 20 minute set, and they once again filled the void between sets with their entertaining takes on pop staples like “Africa”, “She Blinded Me With Science”, and “Money For Nothing”. After a fairly straightforward set by Hot Tuna, the early highlight of the night occurred when Bruce Hornsby joined Love Canon on vocals for his hit “The Way it Is”. “That’s all I need for Christmas, right there” said Love Canon guitarist Jesse Harper.

Hornsby never touched a piano or keyboard during his brief time on stage. His upcoming album, Rehab Reunion, was the focus of the half-hour affair. It featured Hornsby on dulcimer and one of the east coast’s most important good guys, Gibb Droll, on guitar and vocals, plus other musicians from the Noisemakers clan. It was a lovely set, but the crowd was hungry for some classic Christmas Jam fare, and they were practically salivating by the time Tedeschi Trucks Band took the stage. They’re the perfect band for the Jam, and their bombastic take on The Box Tops classic “The Letter” was the first outright raging moment of the night. They enraptured us with “Bird On A Wire” and brought the arena to groovy life with “Keep On Growing”, which featured a much-anticipated Haynes/Trucks guitar solo faceoff. The rollicking “With A Little Help From My Friends” closer cemented this set as an instant addition to the mythical Christmas Jam Hall of Fame.

Dawes performed next, and they’ve got an instant Jam connection via guitarist Duane Betts. Their live performances have certainly become more forceful since he joined the band, and they added their name to a lot of listening queues on this night. They stormed through fervent versions of three original tunes, then aimed straight for the heart of the audience by dusting off some Floyd. A soaring “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” sent the Jam spiraling into late-night mode.  Then, after more Love Canon joy, Blackberry Smoke brought their snarling brand of country rock, accompanied by much hooting and hollering. They distilled their normal set down to a few key songs – including the night’s only Led Zeppelin nod – and welcomed Haynes for a loose, funky version of “Deep Elem Blues”.

The Doobie Brothers offered hit after hit, opening with “Jesus Is Just Alright” and “Rockin’ Down The Highway”, also including the lesser known gem “Take Me In Your Arms”. Veterans all, they had no trouble keeping the throng enthralled during their hour-long set, and Haynes added his magic to the horn-laden “Don’t Start Me Talkin’” and the driving “Without Love”. “Black Water” and “China Grove” drew the largest response from the crowd, who were now 50% involved in the show and 50% delirious from being in a concrete box for 7 hours. It’s not often you hear a drummer tease the audience, but the Doobie drummer did just that, offering a distinct “Sunday Bloody Sunday” quote during “Listen To The Music”.

Haynes brought his Ashes and Dust Band, which features the monster himself – Jeff Sipe on drums – to close down this year’s jam. They put together the night’s most interesting setlist, knocking back unique versions of “Soulshine”, “Patchwork Quilt”, and “Instrumental Illness” before one could blink an eye. Haynes has long culled from the Radiohead catalog, but this night’s version of “Karma Police” was unexpected and a true surprise. It wandered off into deep improvisation before returning to a slamming coda. Duane Betts joined in as “Karma Police” bled into the invigorating intro of his dad’s own “Blue Sky”. As “Blue Sky” wound to a luxurious climax, bassist Royal Masat teased a few bars of “Ramble On”, Haynes thanked the audience and unleashed another flurry of solos, and the 27^th Christmas Jam was minutes from being over.

During a quick version of a standard Ashes and Dust cover, “Two of a Kind Blues”, Haynes urged the audience to indulge as if they were in New Orleans, and Craig Sorrells added a trumpet solo worthy of the bayou basin. Any Christmas Jam is a process unto itself, and this one proved to be worth the investment. Extended moments of intensity were few, but as an entity, the night was as memorable as any in the event’s long history.

Photos by Brad Kuntz