Jam-band festival eyes Wampum

By Scott Tady/Times Entertainment Editor

Published: Wednesday, March 26, 2008 9:07 PM EDT

WAMPUM - A new jam-band music festival, expected to draw 6,000 spectators, will debut June 27 to 29 at Mines & Meadows in Wampum.

The Jambaloosa Music and Art Festival will include such out-of-town acts as the Zou, Slow Learners, the Burning River Band, Jones for Revival and Papadosio, as well as Pittsburgh and Beaver County bands like the Boogie Hustlers, the Cause, the Sun Kings and Jazzam.

The festival grounds will include two stages, vendors and a camping area at the 600-acres Mines & Meadows, an all-terrain vehicle park and former limestone mine, off Old Route 18.

“Ultimately we’re trying to make this the Northeast’s next big music festival,” said promoter Erick Gross of Total Knockout Productions.

The Jambaloosa Web site promises “three out-of-this-world psychedelic days and nights in the beautiful mountains of southwestern Pennsylvania with some of the best music and arts the country has to offer.”

Think of a mini-Bonnaroo, said Gross, referring to the hip and popular music festival in the hills of Tennessee.

“We’re aiming for what Bonnaroo offered initially, by showcasing mid-range to small-range regional acts,” Gross said.

Along with music, Jambaloosa will offer drum circles, mushroom hunts, ATV rides and a Mardi Gras-style parade.

“It’s going to be huge,” said Dave Tullis, vice president of business development for Mines & Meadows. “There’s going to be like 30 different artists lined up.”

A few key issues still must be sorted out, such as traffic control and parking, with one proposal calling for overflow parking to be handled at the adjacent BeaveRun MotorSports Complex.

“We haven’t signed the contract yet, until we get the legal stuff worked out,” Tullis said.

But otherwise, the Wampum facility has begun preparing for a three-day music festival unlike anything ever seen in these parts.

“Not everybody will be happy about a festival coming to town,” Gross said. “There’s going to be more traffic and more activity, but the good outweighs the bad. The money the community can generate can help the community in the next year to come.”

Jambaloosa tickets are on sale now at http://www.jambaloosa.com/, and within three days should be available via Ticketmaster, Gross said. The first 2,000 tickets will cost $50, which includes a T-shirt. After May 1, tickets jump to $60 and will be $70 at the gate.

VIP tickets cost $80 now ($90 next month), which includes access to private bathrooms, showers and one complimentary meal per day in a dining tent.

Scott Tady can be reached online at stady@timesonline.com