"Sharing in the Groove" and The Went Gin w/Mike Ayers

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Hi everybody and welcome to today's episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Today’s guest is journalist and writer Mike Ayers. Mike’s new book, “Sharing in the Groove: The Untold Story of the ‘90s Jamband Explosion” covers exactly that–it’s an oral history of how a new scene and community developed, grew, and thrived in from the late 80s to the turn of the century. I read it in about 2 and a half days, and if you have any interest at all about the roots of our current jamband scene, it’s a must read.

If I may sound both nerdy and pretentious at the same time, I do consider myself a student of history. I’m fascinated by how customs, cultures, and patterns develop over time, whether or not we’re aware of them at the time. I love looking back, or listening to others–primary sources–look back and tell their stories with wisdom and insight. Park me in front of a Ken Burns documentary, and I’m occupied for hours. 

Now, if you do that and then make the topic something that I experienced and am genuinely interested in, I’m hooked. That is what Mike’s book did for me. I caught the 2nd half of the 90s jamband explosion once I broke away from mainstream radio and got into Phish, moe., and then other lesser known jambands in the latter-half of the 90s. But all I knew about them were their music, the names of the bandmembers, and the basics of their history.  What Sharing in the Groove offers is the behind the scenes look as to what brought this music, and this scene to me, and to you, and how everyone had a role whether or not we knew it at the time. Mike and I talk about different topics that the book touches on for nearly an hour of this episode, yet we barely scratch the surface. Again, “Sharing in the Groove” is a must-read.

On top of that, Mike chose an all-time jam for his Attendance Bias pick: The Went Gin, “Bathtub Gin” from the Great Went festival, August 17, 1997. When he first suggested it, I was genuinely surprised that it hadn’t been discussed on this podcast already. Now, we don’t go deep into the festival itself, but this singular 15 minute jam is enough to break down and appreciate as much as any other track ever discussed on here.

But enough from me. Let’s join Mike to talk about fraternity budgets, tape trading, file sharing, God Street Wine, and more as we discuss his book Sharing in the Groove, as well as the Went Gin from August 17, 1997. 

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