Moondance Jam is an annual classic rock festival held over four days in mid-July in the Leech Lake/Chippewa National Forest Area near Walker, Minnesota. The jam is recognized as the largest classic rock festival in the nation; the most recent Jam featured 16 national classic rock acts playing over four days. The event's official radio station is KLLZ-FM in Bemidji, Minnesota.

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History

Early beginnings

The Moondance Jam was started by Bill and Kathy Bieloh in 1992, when they sought a way to promote the riding stables that they owned. The first jam was a modest start featuring mostly regional acts, as well as The Blenders, spread out over two days. In 1993, the jam expanded and featured Head East and Badfinger, beginning a tradition of more established and popular classic rock acts. For the third jam in 1994, popular country artists were brought in, and it became the most country music styled jam to date with bands like Pirates of the Mississippi and Johnny Paycheck. play on the main stage and about twenty five regional bands play on the Moondance Saloon stage over four days.

The mid 1990s

The mid 1990s established Moondance Jam as the highly popular annual classic rock festival that it is today. 1995's jam featured the most popular classic rock acts yet, including Kansas, The Guess Who, Survivor, and Starship featuring Mickey Thomas. The following year, the tradition continued with Starship featuring Mickey Thomas once again, along with Three Dog Night, Randy Bachman of BTO, .38 Special, and Edgar Winter Group. In 1997, the festival was lengthened to three days, and a record 35,000 people attended the jam. REO Speedwagon, America, Grand Funk Railroad, and Loverboy provided the record crowds.

The late 90s

Moondance Jam became Minnesota's largest rock festival after 1998's jam when a crowd of 50,000 showed up to hear the music of a record number of national classic rock acts including Steve Miller, Foreigner, Yes, and April Wine. After the jam of '98, the facilities were upgraded since traffic became backed up over leading up to the site. Many attendees pulled to the side of the road and walked five miles (8 km) to get to the grounds. In 1999, the jam continued to grow, although two inches of rain on the opening day created large amounts of mud that made a mess of the facility. Still, bands including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Blue Öyster Cult, Joan Jett, and ELO took the stage.

2000 and beyond

2000's jam featured a more organized facility with an expanded parking lot, more camping space, and shuttles to and from each area of the grounds. Peter Frampton, The Beach Boys, Joe Walsh, STYX, and The Doobie Brothers were among the largest spectrum of national classic rock acts yet. The Moondance Jam celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2001 with good weather and bands like Ted Nugent, Pat Benatar, Molly Hatchet, Night Ranger, and George Thorogood, along with a very large selection of regional bands. 2002 continued the tradition with improved sound and lighting effects and bands such as Journey, STYX, Blondie, The Scorpions, and Loverboy. Four nights of the nation's top national classic rock bands in 2003 made the jam the largest classic rock festival in the United States. Alice Cooper, Sammy Hagar, Lou Gramm, and Boston drew in a record crowd.

The Jam today

Since 2004, the Jam has been acclaimed as the best classic rock festival in the nation, and as one of the best music festivals. The quantity and the popularity of the national classic rock bands has increased almost every year, with 2007 featuring 16 bands, and the best selling band to take stage yet; Def Leppard. The jam has also become a place for regional acts to find an audience; over 15 such acts played at the jam's Saloon Stage in 2007.

Facilities

Moondance Jam is Minnesota’s largest rock festival and one of the premier classic rock festivals in the United States. The Jam is patrolled by many police agencies, as well as EMS crews in case of an emergency. The Jam features a classic rock lineup, of camping and facilities, food and beverage stands, open festival seating up to the stage, along with available VIP seating and treatment. The friendly and safe atmosphere is considered one of reasons why the festival has gone from being a party for a few thousand in 1992 to an event that entertains tens of thousands from all over the world.

In 2005, Moondance Jam was named the Premier Classic Rock Festival in the United States by the Classic Rock Revisited magazine and fanzine. The event has been produced by TEA Productions of Minneapolis for the past 13 years.

Past (and current) national bands at the Jam

JAM 17 (Sizzlin' 17) - 2008 Crosby, Stills & Nash, Poison, Sammy Hagar & The Wabos, STYX, George Thorogood & the Destroyers, Creedence Clearwater Revisited, Sweet, Great White, The Guess Who, Boz Scaggs, Sebastian Bach, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Big Brother & The Holding Company, Gear Daddies, Otis Day and the Knights, Led Zepagain

JAM 16 ( Sweet 16) - 2007 Def Leppard, The New Cars, The Moody Blues, Rick Springfield, REO Speedwagon, Tesla, Toto, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Loverboy, The Fixx, Kansas, Rick Derringer, Jackyl, Soul Asylum, Cheap Trick

JAM 15 ( Dream 15) - 2006 Heart, Poison, Alice Cooper, Steve Miller Band, Doobie Brothers, Ted Nugent, The Bangles, The Guess Who, Dennis DeYoung, Gregg Rolie Band, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, John Kay & Steppenwolf, Starship featuring Mickey Thomas, The Outlaws, Little River Band, Y&T JAM 14 ( Fab 14) - 2005 Twisted Sister, Whitesnake, Cinderella, Journey, Tesla, REO Speedwagon, Cheap Trick, Grand Funk Railroad, Lynyrd Skynyrd, 38 Special, Ratt, FireHouse, Blackfoot, Wishbone Ash, Loverboy, Daisy Dillman Band, Savoy Brown JAM 13 ( Lucky 13) - 2004 Huey Lewis and the News, Rick Springfield, John Waite, The FIXX, John Fogerty, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Santana's Gregg Rolie, Edgar Winter, The Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Little Feat, ZZ Top, Chris Robinson & NEM

JAM 12 - 2003 Alice Cooper, Sammy Hagar & the Waboritas, Boston, Joe Cocker, George Thorogood & the Destroyers, Rick Springfield, Joan Jett, Gypsy, Lou Gramm, War, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Indigenous, Mitch Ryder, Head East, Corey Stevens, Rockin Dopsie Jr. & the Zydeco Twisters, JAM 11 - 2002 Scorpions, Deep Purple, Dio, Loverboy, Journey, Blondie, Indigenous, Gypsy, Meat Loaf, Styx, Gin Blossoms, Black Oak Arkansas, 38 Special, The Little River Band, Paul Revere & the Raiders, Gary Puckett

JAM 10 - 2001 Ted Nugent, Pat Benatar, Creedence Clearwater Revisited, Night Ranger, Dave Mason, George Thorogood & the Delaware Destroyers, REO Speedwagon, Big Head Todd & the Monsters, Molly Hatchet, Wallflowers, Blues Traveler, The Marshall Tucker Band, Head East, The Byrds Celebration, The Little River Band JAM 2000 Peter Frampton, The Beach Boys, Paul Rodgers, The Knack, The Yardbirds, Joe Walsh, George Thorogood & the Destroyers, Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, NRBQ (New Rhythm & Blues Quartet), Leslie West of Mountain, The Doobie Brothers, Creedence Clearwater Revisited, Leon Russell, Styx, Eric Burdon & the New Animals, Rockin Dopsie Jr. & the Zydeco Twisters JAM VIII - 1999 Cheap Trick, ELO Part II, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Blue Öyster Cult, The Outfield, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hank Williams Jr., Chris Duarte, Lamont Cranston, REO Speedwagon, Eddie Money, 38 Special, John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band, Starship featuring Mickey Thomas, Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels

JAM VII - 1998 Foreigner, Eddie Money, Steppenwolf, April Wine, Yes, Alan Parsons' Live Project, The John Entwistle Band, Lamont Cranston, Steve Miller, Jonny Lang, Foghat JAM VI - 1997 REO Speedwagon, Marshall Tucker Band, Corey Stevens, America, Nazareth, Loverboy, The Turtles, Felix Cavaliere JAM V - 1996 38 Special, Randy Bachman, Edgar Winter Group, Starship featuring Mickey Thomas, Mitch Ryder, The Grass Roots, Three Dog Night, The Byrds Celebration

JAM IV - 1995 Kansas, Survivor, Starship featuring Mickey Thomas, The Guess Who, The Grass Roots JAM III - 1994 Gary Puckett, Mel McDaniel, Pirates of the Mississippi, Johnny Paycheck JAM II - 1993 Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Badfinger, Head East, Lamont Cranston JAM '92 - 1992 The Blenders