Big Weekend! The Great Falls Balloon Festival Part1: Jeroba Jump

This past weekend (8/17-19) the Great Falls Balloon Festival was held in Lewiston/Auburn.
http://www.greatfallsballoonfestival.org/
Not only was I in a band that was headlining it Saturday night, but I was filling in for a guitar player for the band before that band. This is the story of that band: Jeroba Jump.

http://www.facebook.com/jerobajump

I knew about this band for a few years, as two of the members helped begin MaineStream (the bass player/singer Glenn is still with us). I heard they played 80's music, so of course I was interested. Yes, I was brought up on leather, girls dancing on cars, excessive money and leopard print vests over bare chests (writing this feels gross)-- I wanted to be on stage in Def Leppard when I was 10 so now I had my chance!

Here was the stage as I was setting up. The place was mobbed with people-- maybe 5k or so surrounding hot air balloons and eating fried foods. It was hard getting the equipment to the stage and once we were there we were trapped. Luckily, an RV was rented so we did have a place to compose ourselves.

 Here, my wife with little man Christian and Justin (the programmer for this website) are eating fried dough and relaxing.

Somehow the door in the back was broken or off its slide. No one I knew used that bathroom!

I practiced with Jeroba Jump earlier that day and was comfortable with the songs-- rock songs from the depths of the 80's!
We took the stage, set up, and of course there were issues with sound and a pedal not working, but we started playing and all of the faces looked at us.

 Right at the end of the first song the drummer shot off streamers into the audience (and the bassist). Everyone was screaming after each song-- I had to play it up!

 Yes... I used my Jem for the show-- of course I had to! I hope a few people noticed what I was playing and  were wondering if I also liked Steve Vai or I was too young to know about him.

I had fun and the sound was amazing! Jeroba Jump is awesome and I hope to play with them again soon. Of course, I was only sitting in for this gig, but if they need to play White Lion or more Def Leppard, then I am there!

Thanks!