Gem and Jam 2009; Saturday @ The Rialto Theatre

After a successful Friday night kick-off to the 5th annual Gem and Jam festival, everyone was eagerly anticipating Saturday night's lineup. The night's activities would involve moving to a different venue just down the street, the significantly larger Rialto Theatre. Many festival-goers wondered how the venue would be set up; it's located in downtown Tucson, and the bill stated that two stages would be present, one of which would be outdoors. The schedule was quite disorganized – many people had no idea who was playing when – but the set-up was superb, thanks to an alley adjacent to the venue that was annexed for the outdoor events. It was nice to get a little fresh air and a break from the madness inside, all while still listening to good music.

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As per usual, I showed up slightly late due to lying around all day recovering from the previous night. I showed up just in time to catch the last half hour of the Lipp Service show, with which I was thoroughly impressed. Lipp Service features Eliot Lipp (obviously) mixing the beats, with Alex Botwin on bass and Lane Shaw on the drums. Botwin and Shaw are best known for their work with electronic group Pnuma Trio and have been known to tear it up at late-night festival sets; Lipp Service were certainly doing much of the same on this night. The brief amount of time that I spent at this show definitely secured me as a fan of Eliot Lipp, and the fact that Botwin and Shaw from Pnuma were in tow was just the icing on the cake. The electro fusion created by this trio is something worth checking out, and would make the perfect late-night festival spot for anyone looking to shake their ass 'til the sun comes up. Lipp Service was one of my favorite acts of the week, hands down.

Moving on, I was eager to check out the outdoor happenings. Exiting the building stage right, I was greeted by several vendors selling anything from t-shirts and gems to hula-hoops, art and more. Music emanated from the outdoor stage, which featured many DJs throughout the night. The crowd was quite sparse, with the majority of attendees finishing up the last few minutes of Lipp Service inside. Mochipet was concluding his set outside, and we quickly staked out a spot and set in to check him out. His dirty-sounding beats were almost a little too much for me at the time, so it was probably for the best that I only caught about 15 minutes of his set before Ana Sia smoothly transitioned into her set, which seemed to last forever.

After Lipp Service's set ended, the outdoor scene filled up quickly, and it became instantly apparent that all the freaks had turned out to party with us. My kind of people. Right next to me, a young boy, about the age of ten, was getting down to Ana Sia and busting out some of the craziest moves I’ve ever seen in my life. A crowd slowly gathered around him as he began doing a little break dancing. I think most of the left side of the crowd was fixated on this young gent for the majority of the evening. Ana Sia’s set was full of beat-heavy tracks that were executed well. Her music was effortlessly easy to dance to, and really got the outdoor stage jumping for the first time. Shortly into her set, Lynx came strolling up and graced us with her presence on stage, freestyling to Sia’s beats for several tracks and adding just that much more to the set. The rest of the evening until Ghostland Observatory was spent traveling between the two stages, trying to get a feel for the different yet similar styles of music going on.

One act that sticks out in my mind quite vividly was Corbin Dooley’s brief yet distinctive set. He was by far the most pumped-up artist of the festival yet, looking as if he wanted to be in the crowd. As he was performing, a fashion show began taking place out of nowhere. It definitely took me by surprise, but everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and that’s really what matters most. His set was full of amped up beats and provided the perfect soundtrack as model after model made their way down the 'catwalk'. This short prelude to Ghostland Observatory definitely gave me a nice chuckle and kept me dancing.

Joining EOTO as one of our most covered acts is Saturday night's headliner, Ghostland Observatory. Based in Austin, TX, Ghostland is now going strong in their 5th year together, and they continue to gain steam with their distinctive sound and one-of-a-kind live shows. The beats are provided by Thomas Ross Turner, who's never without his signature cape on stage. Vocals are provided by the extremently animated Aaron Behrens, who moves about the stage as if he were trying to seduce the crowd. Although the majority of the stage show is focused on Behrens' dance moves, vocals and guitar riffs, Turner is the reason everyone keeps dancing. His flawless beats and synthesizer work is second to none, as he effortlessly rips out cut after cut.

Ghostland's Saturday night set featured what we've come to expect from their always memorable shows. The duo quickly hit the stage and without hesitation burst into their set. The instant the first note trickled out of the speakers, the crowd erupted into a sheer madness that didn't subside until the last note. Ghostland has always had the ability to induce even the most sedentary person to get off their feet and dance, and I don't think there was an occupied seat in the Rialto Theatre that night. The majority of their set featured tracks from their sophomore album, Paparazzi Lightning with other little gems sprinkled in here and there. Ghostland is amazing anyway you can get them, but where they really gain fans and respect is in a live setting. Between their stage show and their sound, there is always a little bit for everyone, which is why my interest in them continues to grow each time I see them.

As the night ended, it was evident that the rain had moved into the area as predicted; it was quite a surprise to spend several hours inside then suddenly be greeted by drizzle. Saturday at Gem and Jam was nothing short of successful; it led me to several new acts and provided a little time with some mainstays as well.

Coverage of Gem and Jam Sunday is coming soon.

Don't stop til you get enough,
The Toastman