In the late 90s and early 2000s, a new type of music was taking hold. Just ask anyone who went to college around this time, and they’ll tell you—the acoustic guitar, jam bands, and file sharing were all the rage. Not only that, they all seemed connected in some big web of freely accessible music.
Who didn’t go on Napster or LimeWire in the late 90s and early 2000s to look for bootleg songs or deep cuts from bands known for improvisation and jamming? Who didn’t look for groups on those proto-digital services that could get a crowd going? Bands that were positive, musically proficient, and often independent?
Below, we wanted to explore four bands from the late 90s and early 2000s that were popular amongst a new generation. Four acts that were considered by many to be alt-rock bands but that were actually jam bands in disguise. Indeed, these are four jam bands that masqueraded as alt-rock bands around the turn of the 21st century.
Dave Matthews Band
In a way, the Virginia-born Dave Matthews Band started this mini revolution. Their brand of compelling music, live shows, extended solos, and acoustic guitar prominence inspired a whole generation of young artists. DMB rose to fame and popularity in the mid-90s, so they are a precursor to the other groups on this list. The grandpappy of the jam band dressed up like an alt-rock group. Fronted by Dave Matthews, DMB grew to become one of the highest-grossing bands of all time thanks to their incomparable live shows that featured, among other things, saxophone and violin solos.
Dispatch
It’s impossible to say, but we would bet a tidy sum on the fact that “The General” was the most downloaded song on LimeWire around the turn of the 21st century. The New England-born group became famous among college students thanks to their vocal harmonies, nonchalant vibe, cargo pants, white baseball caps, and their song about an old grizzled military man who didn’t want to fight anymore. Half of the students at liberal arts colleges had burned CDs full of bootleg Dispatch tunes. It’s a fact.
O.A.R.
For every burned CD in the 2000s that had “The General” on it also likely had the rollicking track, “That Was A Crazy Game Of Poker,” by the Maryland-born group O.A.R. An acronym for Of A Revolution, the acoustic-driven band’s most popular song just happened to be about a card game when poker was one of the biggest things in the world. Now, that’s timing! O.A.R. liked to have fun, and they would always fill a room up with music that got your toes tapping and your smile wide. The band’s debut LP, The Wanderer, led to more great work, including songs like “I Feel Home” and “Hey Girl.”
Guster
The Massachusetts-born band Guster released a trio of albums in the 90s before releasing half a dozen more in the 21st century. One of their fan favorite songs is the acoustic-driven “Airport Song” from the band’s 1997 sophomore LP, Goldfly. When it comes to the band, passion was their calling card. It was a weapon they wielded at their live shows and on their albums, and it was what drew fans to their live shows all over New England and beyond.
Photo by Lee Celano/Getty Images
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