Spreading the Jam

Spencer Patterson

Friday, April 11, 2003 | 8:52 a.m.

What: "Area 51 Soundtest 3-D."

When: Today through Sunday.

Where: Indian Springs Casino.

Tickets: $75 for all three days, $40 for today through Saturday, $40 for Sunday.

Information: (702) 392-8382.

Rudy Jalio saw the Grateful Dead for the first time at New Jersey's Roosevelt Stadium in August 1973.

Little did he know that 30 years later he would be credited with bringing the band's sense of community and spirit of improvisation to a new generation of fans in Southern Nevada.

It started in the mid-1980s as a weekly tape exchange at Jalio's first Las Vegas restaurant, Cicero's Pizza, and continued with a series of small-scale shows at his now-defunct Las Vegas venue, Legends Restaurant & Lounge.

Four years ago it evolved into the Las Vegas JamBand Society, an organization devoted to bringing experimental music to town.

This weekend the JamBand Society will hold its third annual spring festival, the "Area 51 Soundtest 3-D," at Indian Springs Casino.

The three-day concert kicks off at 9 p.m. tonight with three indoor performances. The main event begins at 11 a.m. Saturday on an outdoor stage and is slated to run almost continuously until 9 p.m. Sunday, when headliner moe. will conclude its second show of the weekend.

Not exactly what Jalio had in mind when he started inviting local Deadheads to trade tapes over pizza dinners.

"I never had a vision that I would be doing this," Jalio said. "If you told me I would, I would have thought you were out of your mind. Taping was just my hobby, and it snowballed from there."

Greg Serensits, president of the JamBand Society, said the group has filled a much-needed niche for local fans of the genre.

"All these bands were skipping us over, playing Phoenix, San Diego, Los Angeles, and we were all hopping on planes or in cars to go see them," Serensits said. "Once you add up all the money that the trips were costing, we said, 'Why don't we all put $10 or $15 a month into a kitty and bring the bands here?' "

Annual membership in the JamBand Society costs $120, which includes a pass to the annual Soundtest event.

To the uninitiated, the words "jam band" might conjure images of college kids in tie-dye T-shirts, traveling in Volkswagen buses and playing Hacky Sack in parking lots.

But make no mistake: The JamBand Society's membership of 70 dues-paying loyalists and about 230 occasional participants includes more than a few tie-wearing professionals.

The organization has its own attorney, who successfully petitioned the state for official nonprofit status. A similar proposal is under review at the national level.

The group's roster boasts a respected DJ, KUNV 91.5-FM's George Lyons, a JamBand officer who heads its production committee.

And, of course, Jalio is one of 18 charter members still deeply involved with the JamBand Society. As he did at Legends before closing the club last summer, Jalio handles the association's booking, a natural commission for a man who brought popular outfits such as moe. and Gov't Mule to Southern Nevada for the first time.

"Rudy brings so much to the table," Lyons said. "He started bringing these national touring jam bands to town. They sent him demo tapes and he took the risk, brought them to Legends and got all this started."

Amazingly, in addition to donating money, all of the JamBand's members regularly volunteer time to ensure the group's events run smoothly and raise money for future productions.

"The JamBand Society was set up more like a co-op. Everyone is treated equally and not a single person is a paid employee," Lyons said. "At our last meeting, it was incredible to see how many people were there, all volunteering to help out."

Along with the 2001 and 2002 Soundtests, the JamBand Society has brought a variety of smaller shows to Southern Nevada since its official creation in 1999.

The organization has promoted late-night performances by Particle, String Cheese Incident side project Zuvuya and Tea Leaf Green, and recently brought Robert Walter's 20th Congress and the Dark Star Orchestra to town.

Although Legends and sometime JamBand home Blue Note Las Vegas have closed in recent months, the group continues to present improvisation-based artists at such local venues as Dannys II, the Hard Rock Cafe and Brandon's Irish Pub.

But there's no denying that the Soundtest remains the JamBand Society's primary focus. Profits from other shows go toward the annual festival's budget, which has grown to around $70,000 for this weekend's third edition.

This year's Soundtest will feature several significant changes from previous events, most notably the addition of a major headliner, moe., to anchor the Saturday and Sunday schedules.

The five-piece band played two sold-out post-Phish shows at House of Blues at Mandalay Bay in February, and its presence in the Soundtest lineup has already helped the JamBand Society sell more than 300 advance tickets.

The music begins at 9 p.m. tonight at Dirty Moe's inside Indian Springs Casino, with local bands Guitar Army and the Bounders, followed by Hijos de Sancho, an ensemble hailing from Tijuana, Mexico.

On Saturday David Gans -- host of longtime syndicated radio program the Grateful Dead Hour -- kicks off the outdoor portion of the festival with solo electric guitar work.

That will be followed by two sets from local combo Uberschall. The band's name may not sound familiar, but its membership should. All seven musicians have spent time in the Blue Man Group, including former Primus drummer Tim Alexander, and five still participate in nightly Blue Man productions at Luxor.

"I'm super impressed by the JamBand Society," Uberschall guitarist Elvis Lederer said. "Every time we've worked together, they've been completely fair. They have no ulterior business motives, and I think that attitude will take them far."

Dallas band Olospo plays at 3:30 p.m., followed by the first two of moe.'s four weekend sets at 7 p.m. Then at 1 a.m., Particle takes the stage for another Soundtest first: a foam party, expected to last until 7 a.m.

Particle's national rise to prominence has coincided with its affiliation with the JamBand Society. The experimental Los Angeles-based quartet has played a handful of Las Vegas shows during the past three years, and is quick to acknowledge the people who helped bring their music to Southern Nevada.

"The Las Vegas JamBand Society is so incredible. They've really established Particle as a presence in Vegas," Particle guitarist Steve Molitz said in a February interview with the Sun. "Area 51 is always such a great time, one of our favorite festivals. It feels like our home turf when we're there."

Dirty Moe's will also host three local bands starting at 9 p.m. Saturday night: Two Camel Garage, Stretch and Abyss.

Sunday's schedule gets under way at 11 a.m. with the Pickadillos, a local bluegrass outfit, followed by the David Nelson Band, a group fronted by New Riders of the Purple Sage founder David Nelson, an occasional collaborator with late Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia.

The weekend concludes with moe.'s second go-round, scheduled to run from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

On paper, it all adds up to the best lineup in the event's three-year history.

"This year's festival has moved to another level," Lyons said. "In past Soundtests, we've tried to do more bands, but the true nature of the JamBand Society is the jam, the improvisation, and that works best when you don't have time constraints. So we decided to let all the bands play full sets this year.

"So we've cut it down, but maintained our original vision in quality and by showcasing new bands."

This year's festival will also take place under a giant circus tent, the first time the Soundtest will be sheltered from the elements.

On-site camping, complete with shower facilities, is available for a $10 fee. RV hookups can be purchased for $25. Or, concert-goers can opt to drive up and back to the site -- about 25 miles north of Las Vegas -- for each day of the festival."

George Lyons

JAMBAND OFFICER

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