"Jamageddon" returns Friday to New Jersey, with a distinctly Pennsylvania flair.
Guitarist and organizer Dana Gaynor and her band are among the Lehigh Valley acts scheduled to perform during the two-day event at American Spirits Roadhouse in Franklin Township (Asbury), Warren County. Dana Gaynor Band will take the stage both nights.
Other acts include headliners Friar's Point and Roi and the Secret People, as well as Mike Stanley and Friends, Kayla Avitable, Craig Sailor Band, Scoville Blues Band, Billy Geer's Geer Box Review, Carter Lansing and Friends, Acoustic Blues Project, Jim Steager and Crazy Hawk, Slidewinders, Stoneground, and Bob Del Rosso.
"I think I look forward most to playing, of course, that's my joy. As a fan, I get to see and meet a lot of really great bands and that's wonderful," Gaynor said in an email. "As the event organizer, I love the opportunity to bring all these great bands and their fans, from across the region, together in one place. This gives the festival goer a sense of being part of a larger community and I think these days, bringing people together like that is really important.
The inaugural "Jamageddon" concert was held in January 2016 at the Lehigh Valley Days Inn Conference Center before relocating a year later to American Spirits Roadhouse.
"We learned a lot from that. We found, subsequently, that teaming with a quality venue like ASR meets everyone's needs and provides a great sound system, stage, parking, restaurant, and bar -- roadhouse vibes," Gaynor said." (It's) the perfect atmosphere for such an event, without some of the downsides of using a large conference center."
Gaynor, a seasoned veteran of the greater Lehigh Valley blues rock circuit, said being on stage with her band is akin to group meditation where all of the members are simultaneously in tune, both figuratively and literally.
"Playing music is a total Zen trip for me. It is the perfect meditation. I go to my happy place where I am in the flow, in the zone. I open my heart and let the music come through. It is the very best feeling," Gaynor said. "We are all in the moment, living in the space between the notes, the music spontaneously erupts. That is way cool.
"That is the rush and that has always been something I need to feel. That part never changed for me, but at the same time, keeps me pretty particular about who I will work with. I am still learning and growing all the time and that is a joy. My adrenaline and nerves stay pretty calm as a result and there is a lot of fun to be had. I let go of thinking."
Here is the schedule for "Jamageddon 4":
FRIDAY
- 5 p.m.: Slidewinders
- 6 p.m.: Mike Stanley and Friends
- 7 p.m.: Scoville Blues Band
- 8 p.m.: Billy Geer's Geerbox Review
- 9 p.m.: Dana Gaynor Band
- 10:45 p.m.: Friar's Point Band
SATURDAY
- 3 p.m.: Kayla Avitable
- 3:30 p.m.: Acoustic Blues Project
- 4 p.m.: Carter Lansing and Friends
- 5 p.m.: Jim Steager and Crazy Hawk
- 6 p.m.: Craig Sailor Band
- 7 p.m.: Stoneground
- 8 p.m.: Bob Del Rosso
- 9 p.m.: Dana Gaynor Band
- 10:45 p.m.: Roi and the Secret People
The next "Jamageddon" festival, Gaynor added, will be held July 27 and 28 at American Spirits Roadhouse.
"Jamgeddon 4" will be held 5 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday at American Spirits Roadhouse, Asbury. Tickets cost $10 per day, $15 for two-day passes.