The 5th annual Gem and Jam was held in Tucson, AZ this past Friday through Sunday, February 6th – 8th. The festival, which coincides with the two week long Tucson Gem Show, focused primarily on artists of electronic ilk, but also threw in a few other genres to change up the pace a bit. So while the rest of the city of Tucson was out wasting their economically challenged paychecks at the Gem Show, the rest of us festival goers were more than likely sleeping the previous night off, or gearing up for another night of persistent dancing. (Though I’ll be the first to admit that I went to the Gem Show as well...I spent the majority of my time occupying the posh portapotty and reading in the car, however. Seriously, the mobile restroom was the most couth thing I’ve ever laid eyes or ass cheeks on. Festivals should take note.)

Friday consisted of the acts MntLe, Lynx and Jamie Janover and EOTO.

Read more after the jump!

Gem and Jam took place at two well-known local venues, Plush on Friday and the Rialto Theatre the remaining nights. Since I'd arrived in Tucson for the first time in my life merely hours before the show, I knew little of what to expect going in to it. As per usual, I arrived a tad past schedule. The interesting venue had a bar in the front of it. As I made my way past the crowd, I was suddenly greeted by another door that led to the stage. Although it was quite small, the room created the perfect ambiance for the performers. I walked in just in time to see MntLe finish his set, then found myself with some instant down time. During the set break I had the opportunity to mingle with the local folks – and although it turned out that many of them weren’t local, they were what I was going to know of Tucson for the next three days. Everyone was quite down to earth and seemed excited to throw down for a good time that night.

Next up was the interesting duo of Lynx and Jamie Janover of the band Zilla. This act came highly anticipated, as nobody really knew what to expect. They instantly mellowed out the crowd out but still managed to keep them dancing along to their one-of-a-kind mixture of beats, guitar and soothing vocals. The set was filled with downtempo, intricate beats that were easy to groove to. Layered on top of that were Lynx’s lyrics, which seemed to find their perfect little niche in the middle of all of the music. This act seemed to have it all: catchy guitar riffs, beats and an extremely wide array of unique instruments from Mr. Janover. But once again, the piece that surprised me most was the quality and delivery of Lynx’s vocals. At times her voice would slither along smoothly and slowly, laying out verse after verse. Other times felt as if she were recording a hip hop mix tape, and would just flow through lines infinitely. Overall, this act was an excellent addition to the Gem and Jame lineup and perfectly complemented Plush itself. Lynx continued to be quite prominent throughout Friday and Saturday at the festival, both on stage and in the crowd.

Although I haven't taken an official count, I can say with confidence that EOTO is by far the most blogged-about act on BOT by far. And for good reason. EOTO consists of Michael Travis and Jason Hahn, both formally of the String Cheese Incident. The duo have transitioned from the jam scene to the electronic scene quite nicely, and have quickly become known for their rigorous touring schedule. In the past 2 years, EOTO have been in my area 4 times. This would normally grow old, but the unique thing about them is that each of their shows is completely improvised, leading to fresh beats each time.

This night was no different, as it started out with an uncharacteristic mellow sequence of jams lasting close to an hour. Perhaps keeping the pace with the previous set, the relaxed yet enjoyable set was well received by the now packed-out venue. Soon enough, EOTO broke into some of the heavier, more upbeat jams for which they are known, which sent Plush into an uproar. The weather was perfect outside, but it must have been 100 degrees in that bitch, as sweaty bodies collided with no regard to personal bubbles in sight. That was alright though. It was Friday night and everyone was there for the same reason: to help kick off a wonderful weekend of music in Tucson.

The Toastman