Gem and Jam Festival is unique to say the least. Rolling in, we had no idea what to expect, except a hint there might be some dancing and rare stones that would drive Elizabeth Taylor mad with envy.
This year’s venue: The Slaughterhouse; not only serves as a musical mecca, but is also listed in the top ten scariest haunted houses in the country. The old meatpacking factory retains its thrilling vibes from the outside, but once inside the fence, there was a unique atmosphere of love and feeling of inclusion. Love thy neighbor, people say? At Gem and Jam, It was easy. People gathered to dance, relax and have a good time. The venue was small, but it was not packed beyond enjoyment.
Tucson, AZ during the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show is considered by many to expel the aura and energy of the massive amounts of precious and energy retaining stones. Some claim that science proves this to be true and others say science proves this false. Regardless, within the festival grounds there was enough people that believed in the energy that they themselves expelled the energy. Believe in stone energy or not, happy people dancing and a plethora smiles cannot be denied.
Gem and Jam seems like it could be a 3-day camping festival. Surprisingly, the fact that it was located in a city without camping did not hinder the experience. The entire city is on display for the largest gem and mineral show in the country; and arguably, the best in the world. The perfectly temperate days provide a really relaxing way for out-of-towners to explore Tucson. A number plate survey of the parking lot revealed almost no AZ plates. Later I learned that people had the same consensus when it came to license plates: the majority of plates consisted of: Colorado, California, New Mexico, New Hampshire.
The live art on the scene was a HUGE plus. Some serious talent had their paintings evolving all weekend long. It felt a little bit like interactive art because of the proximity of the art to the music. Alex Grey’s speeches attracted the entire festival each time he was on the mic. The speeches revolved around his art and transcendence (also made direct and indirect hallucinogen references throughout).
Despite all the attention to live art installments and energy-sharing minerals, the music was not to be overlooked. Saturday featured Paul Basic from Pretty Lights Music followed by a Purity Ring DJ set. Nearing the end of Friday it is possible that everybody on-site was dancing as Motet rocked the main stage. On the inside stage Unlimited Aspect slammed a crazy vocal, guitar live sample smorgasbord of dance.
MiMOSA did what he does best by throwing down a massive trap set. His sound seems to be ever evolving with the times. As Sunday rolled in, Spafford brought the sound for sunset. Every single person was simply getting ratchet in there. Random Rab and Boombox represent everything about the smooth vibes. Boombox got on late and kicked off at 2; much to the disappointment of everyone.
Gem and Jam Festival 2014 was a super pleasant experience filled with sights and sounds that seemed truly out of this world. It’s a small festival and crazy unique vibes going on surrounding the gem show. If you haven’t taken advantage of a festival that adds other attributes to a live music lineup, Gem and Jam would be and excellent place to start!