January 6, 2011

To: Scott Bernstein
Date: June 22, 1994

Dear 16-year-old version of myself,

While I [the current, 33-year-old edition of Scott Bernstein] should probably warn you about the mistakes you will make over the next 17 years, I’d rather focus on the positive – ’cause there’s plenty of it. More specifically, I want to tell you what went down yesterday and blow your mind.

First, some bad news: God Street Wine broke up in 1999. That’s right – enjoy the next few years while you have this band because they won’t be around forever. Now, the good news: after 11 years apart GSW will get back together for six shows and you’ll get to see them all. Not only that, but you got to see Lo, Aaron, Bevo, Tomo and Dan on a huge cruise ship with 10 of your friends and other music fans from around the country.

Remember that dream you had the other night, where God Street jammed out with Bob Weir? I knew you woke up and said that would never happen, but it did! Bob Weir, of the Grateful MFing Dead sat in with the boys for four songs at a small theater on this Jam Cruise thing I was telling you about. Sometimes dreams do come true, you just might have to wait 17 years.

Speaking of dreams coming true, I should probably mention that you’re a music writer aboard Jam Cruise 9 to cover the action and that you spent 45 minutes interviewing the whole band about how they got back together. You were in all your glory as the sun went down over the Caribbean behind GSW during your chat. There was a three-minute break in the action when y’all saw a few dolphins swimming besides the ship. Tough life, I know.

READ ON for more of this unique version of a GSW review…

While the first day of Jam Cruise was fun and featured some terrific music, Day Two took things to a whole new level. No matter where you looked, artists were jamming with each other in configurations that you’d never expect. The day was relentless as the MSC Poesia was motoring down to Roatan, Honduras.

Chicago’s Cornmeal kicked things off on the Pool Deck just before noon to a surprisingly large crowd. Joel Cummins of Umphrey’s McGee provided the first sit-in of the day by joining Cornmeal for a segment that included a cover of Elton John’s Bennie and the Jets that the ensemble nailed on every level. There was even a tease of Terrapin thrown in for good measure.

[Photo by Dave Vann]

If anyone read my Jam Cruise Journals from last year, you’ll probably recall how much I enjoyed Brock Butler’s performances. Brock was all over the place yesterday starting with a solo set on the smaller Solar Stage which featured a dream setlist that started with a cover of LCD Soundsystem’s All My Friends followed by the PGroove classic It Starts Where It Ends and Tom Petty’s Wildflowers. Under sunny skies and in 80 degree weather, Butler also treated cruisers to a Phosphorescent cover and his own The Weather and the Wait as well as Paul Simon’s Diamonds on the Soles of Shoes. The PGroove front man even showed off his freestyle skills during DMX’s Crime Stories.

READ ON for much more from day two of Jam Cruise