The debate is over. All this talk of what tier some jambands are on is now settled. We used 3 scientific calculators, an abacus, two slide rules and a map of the stars to come up with this list. The result: a definitive list of jambands, ranked by tier
1st Tier – Phish
There is no other band in this tier for a reason.
2nd Tier – Grateful Dead, Widespread Panic, Bassnectar, Umphrey’s McGee
The Dead would be higher, but they couldn’t handle their shit.
3rd Tier – Mike Gordon Band, Allman Brothers Band, Disco Biscuits, Gov’t Mule
Allmans would be higher but too many cancelled shows and we cant make the Beacon shows now.
4th Tier – moe., Trey Anastasio Band, Dave Matthews Band, The Black Crowes, Hot Tuna, Tom Petty
AKA, the Dad Rock tier.
5th Tier – String Cheese Incident, The Motet, EOTO, Yonder Mountain String Band, Leftover Salmon, Big Head Todd and the Monsters
Colorado gets its own tier because Colorado is super fucking heady.
6th Tier – The Big Wu, Blues Traveler, Spin Doctors, Keller Williams
Remember this tier? Nostalgia at its finest.
Tier 6.9 – Grace Potter
Nice
7th Tier – The Nocturnals
RIP
8th Tier – Galactic, Pat McGee Band, Conspirator, Lettuce, Soulive, Max Creek
Respectable company if you like good music.
9th Tier – Dopapod, Papadosio, Twiddle, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Spafford, Aqueous, Turkuaz
Hop on the bandwagon fast before these bands explode
10th Tier – RAQ, The New Mastersounds, Zach Deputy, Everyone Orchestra, STS9, Perpetual Groove
We didn’t know what tier to put these in so they go here.
11th Tier – The Mars Volta, Clutch, Moss, Between The Buried and Me, Deafheaven, Meshugah, Mastodon
Metal Progrock bands are the original Jamband you hippies
12th Tier – Kung Fu, Particle
The ‘Late night bands for when you are peaking’ tier.
13th Tier – no one
Bad vibes on this tier brah.
14th Tier – Digital Tape Machine, Ha Ha the Moose, Addison Groove Project, Deep Banana Blackout, Ekoostik Hookah, G Love and Special Sauce, Pork Tornado, Zero, Vida Blue
Remember them?
15th Tier – Lawn Boys, Phix, Cubensis, Chum and any other Phish cover bands/wannabes
Stop trying to be Phish. Just stop.