After a lively start to Jam Cruise 20, the second day of the floating festival picked up on Monday, Feb. 26, with a continuation of collaborations and jams–a tried and true sign of a good time onboard the MSC Divina. Throughout the early afternoon and into the evening hours, folks embraced the garden party theme, decked out in mushroom-clad clothing and floral accessories, and an added psychedelic, which was mimicked via the night’s musical offerings.
Tunes began at half-past noon on the Pool Deck with a frame from The HillBenders. Elsewhere on the ship, moe.’s Al Schnier delivered a solo set beside the Garden Pool. In addition, JAMTalks brought Remain in Light’s Adrian Belew and Jerry Harrison up for a conversation/ question and answer segment, moderated by Relix’s Hana Gustafson. At the same time, Lebo filled Schneider’s previous slot, delivering his own set.
Back on the Pool Deck, Daniel Donato and his band of cowboys peaked on favored material that kept the audience grooving. Doom Flamingo’s Kanika Moore and Galactic’s Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph hosted a costume contest, which filled the time before Cimafunk’s hour-plus set. While some folks were getting funky, others were entranced by John Medeski’s solo piano frame in the Atrium, a true display of virtuosity.
Next, Remain in Light with Cool Cool Cool ignited an absolute party, beginning on “Psycho Killer” before dipping into material off Talking Heads’ fourth studio album, for which the project is named. The energy was at an absolute high, with Harrison offering dance breaks and Belew eating up the crowd’s energy and throwing it right back. During their set, the group welcomed frequent collaborator Harry Waters and percussionist Mike Dillon.
The Jimi’s Dead set represented a high point of the night, mainly offering a mix of cover material pulled from the Grateful Dead and Jimi Hendrix’s repertoire. What made it special was the rotating cast of guests that graced the stage and assisted Eric Krasno, Nikki Glaspie, Ross James, and others. Notably, Ivan Neville and Karl Denson added layers to “Fire on the Mountain,” Tony Hall also stopped by, and Moore delivered a stunning rendition of “Voodoo Child.” Donato joined during the final cut of the aforementioned frame, along with a return from Denson for fan favorite “Shakedown Street.”
Also embracing the collaborative feel was Instrumental electronic jamband Lotus, the group welcomed guest drummers, including Cool Cool Cool’s Michael Carubba and Dopapod’s Neal Evans. Once again, John Medeski, Billy Martin, George Porter Jr., and Apa Diop teamed up, welcoming DJ Logic in a similar vein as night one’s display. After midnight, music continued and stretched until the early morning hours with sets from Lettuce, Eddie Roberts & The Lucky Strokes, and others, including a 2 a.m. birthday celebration for Logic in the Galaxy Disco.
Check out photos from Monday, Feb. 26, shared by Gustafson.
