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Blast from the past
By JOEL GEHRINGER / GZO
Friday, Jul 21, 2006 - 09:42:17 am CDT

After 15 years of outdoor blues, roots, jazz and jams in downtown Lincoln, Saturday night will be the last blast for July Jamm, Lincoln’s mid-summer outdoor music festival.

And with a lineup of returning performers, consider this July Jamm’s Greatest Hits.

Executive Director Deb Johnson said Jamm organizers compiled a list of best and favorite acts from previous years, lining up those music groups they truly thought were crowd favorites.

“Our fans at July Jamm wanted to see our traditional jazz, blues and boogie woogie, and so that’s what we’ve put together,” she said.

The schedule’s been dubbed “Best of the Past,” and it starts tonight night with local groups Tuna Fish Jones, Side Effects Blues Band, Bigg Tasty and the Tijuana Gigolos.

Denver rockabilly outfit 18 Wheeler kicks off the evening show, followed by Grammy award-winning folk and bluesman Dave Alvin and the Guilty Men. “Empress of Soul” and Zoo Bar favorite E.C. Scott closes the night.

“That lineup sounds pretty cool,” said Lincoln musician Joshua Hoyer, who toured with Scott as a backup musician. “I’m looking forward to seeing (Alvin) and E.C. Scott again.”

Hoyer’s jazz/blues/funk exhibition Son of 76 plays Saturday in the early local set, which also includes pop punksters Oranjesta and blues musician Dr. John Walker.

The night’s headlining set includes the Tablerockers — featuring former Zoo Bar owner Larry Boehmer on bass — plus boogie-woogie piano player Rob Rio and Mexican wrestler surf rockers Los Straitjackets.

“The Straitjackets are such a crowd favorite,” Johnson said. “It’s a great way to close out the weekend.”

Johnson said the Updowntowners wanted to pull out all the stops for this year’s Jamm lineup, partly as a celebration of the festival’s run.

“We have loved this event from the beginning and we’re sad to see it go,” she said. “But we feel like this lineup is really strong and will go over well with the crowds.”

In addition to the music, art exhibitions also have been a July Jamm mainstay. But, according to Johnson, the festival’s focus has shifted toward families.

“We won’t have a strong fine art presence,” she said. “But the family activities during the day are going to be incredible.”

Smaller crowds and cooler morning weather combined with inflatables, roaming street hypnotists and face painting make for an ideal family outing, Johnson said.

And, of course, there’s no admission before 3 p.m.

“It’s actually very comfortable during the day,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot of things to do, and if you haven’t been down, now’s the time to come check it out.”

It’s your last chance.

Reach Joel Gehringer at 473-7254 or jgehringer@journalstar.com.