With a Carefully Curated Schedule, Ripe for Collaboration, the Possibility for Surprises Abound in the Desert

Gem and Jam music festival, taking place in Tucson from February 2 – 5, released its full schedule today.

Gem and Jam kicks off the weekend strong with a Thursday pre-party at no additional cost. Closing out the night and setting the mood for the festival will be EOTO, the totally improvisational electronica duo comprised of Jason Hann and Michael Travis of The String Cheese Incident.

Friday night is a jam heavy lineup featuring side projects of members of herculean groups, Phish and The String Cheese Incident.

Kyle Hollingsworth Band will warm up the night with funky grooves, followed by an improvisational picking party provided by the Infamous Stringdusters.

Next, Mike Gordon of Phish will take the stage. The last two acts of the night, The Floozies and The Trancident, draw extra interest, because of the recent New Year’s collaboration between The Floozies and The String Cheese Incident. The Trancident features four of the six members of SCI and jam on instrumental trance.

Saturday night kicks off its psychedelic lineup with Russ Liquid Test, Russ Liquid’s live 4 piece ensemble. Next up is Opiuo followed by G Jones.

Lotus, the live jamtronica act, will keep the vibes flowing through midnight. Following that performance, Gramatik makes his appearance at Gem and Jam. With a bluesy, hip-hop influenced electronic style, he is sure to bring the crowd together for an epic dance party.

Sunday is all about the funk. Poolside takes fans to the disco with their dance-worthy take on poppy house music. The New Deal, the three-piece livetronica act from Toronto, will continue to build the energy to fever pitch.

Finally, closing out the main stage is the ever-so-funky Motet. Hailing from Colorado, The Motet blend funk, jazz and sheer joy into something that everyone can get down to.

The late night lineup brings the heat all weekend, but the highlight is sure to be found on Sunday. Closing out the festival from 2 – 4 a.m., is Play the Dead, a supergroup formed by Steve Kimock and members of both The Motet and Dead and Company, playing Grateful Dead covers exclusively. Not sure about you, but I can’t wait to see that deal go down.

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