Near the end of the 1980s, Asheville-raised guitarist Warren Haynes organized an informal musical get-together. Conceived as an opportunity for touring and journeymen musicians to congregate during the holidays — the one time each year when many of them returned home — the Christmas Jam eventually evolved into something much grander. The Warren Haynes Christmas Jam, benefiting the Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity, celebrates its 30th anniversary this year and takes place Friday, Dec. 7, and Saturday, Dec. 8, at the U.S. Cellular Center.
The earliest Christmas Jams were held at long-gone bar 45 Cherry (now the site of a parking lot for AT&T employees). Haynes makes it clear that the original goals for the event were quite modest. “It was never thought of like, ‘Oh, we’ll do it the next year or the year after,’” he says. A bit of money was raised for various nonprofits at those first jams, but all aspects of the event were decidedly informal.
The Christmas Jam quickly grew in scope and popularity, eventually moving to Be Here Now, a slightly larger downtown venue. But soon that club, too, was insufficient. “The dressing room was so tiny that there wasn’t even enough room for the musicians performing, much less anyone else,” Haynes recalls with a laugh.
“That’s it,” Haynes’ wife, Stefani Scamardo, told him. “We’re going to change this and make it more of a national event. Let’s move it to a bigger place and rethink what it is.”
By 1994, the local Habitat nonprofit was selected as beneficiary of the event’s proceeds. For Haynes, it was an easy decision. “One of the many things that I love about [Habitat] is that you see what’s being done,” he says. “You see where your money’s going, and you see the progress that’s being made.”
Held at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium for a few years, the jam moved to the larger Civic Center (since renamed the U.S. Cellular Center) in 2001. Drawing upon Haynes’ ever-growing roster of musical friends and associates, the Christmas Jam team assembles a bill of top-quality performers for each year’s event. Lining up the artists is an ongoing effort. “I start making phone calls as early as April or May,” Haynes says.
This year’s two-night lineup includes Haynes’ band, Gov’t Mule, performing a Pink Floyd space-rock tribute called Dark Side of the Mule, Dave Grohl and friends staging the multi-instrumentalist’s progressive rock epic “Play,” and more than a dozen other acts, including singer and multi-instrumentalist Grace Potter, Mike Gordon of Phish, blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa, saxophonist Ron Holloway and Jim James of My Morning Jacket. As in previous years, Christmas Jam by Day — a satellite series of shows — will feature a roster of local and regional acts.
The money raised is put to good use locally. Ariane Kjellquist, Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity’s communications director, says that the jam is the nonprofit’s largest annual contributor, raising more than $2.3 million to date. “If you look at that figure over all these years, divided by the $55,000 sponsorship cost of a home, it comes out to over 40 houses a year that are attributed to the Christmas Jam,” she says.
Haynes takes an active role beyond organizing the jam; he’s met with many of the people who have benefited from Habitat’s programs aimed at making a dent in the disparity between local wages and housing costs. “I was always very aware of how important Habitat’s mission is, but when I started meeting the families, it made it more personal,” he says. “And it’s very humbling.”
In addition to funding homebuilding, Christmas Jam proceeds go toward infrastructure and development costs for communities. Hudson Hills — named after Haynes’ and Scarmado’s son — is the most recent Habitat development completed with help from the annual festival.
“The Christmas Jam doesn’t just build houses,” Kjellquist emphasizes. “It also helps us build entire neighborhoods.” The public is invited to a short speaking program — where Haynes will be in attendance — on Thursday, Dec. 6, at 3 p.m. at 1 Curry Court in Candler. The locate is the site of Habitat’s newest neighborhood.
And since 2007, another event centered on the jam has provided a means for volunteers to help support Habitat’s work: “Before the Jam, Lend a Hand” takes place at Habitat’s construction and home repair sites in Arden, and at the organization’s ReStore in Biltmore Village. Kjellquist estimates that the volunteer initiative will draw 120 participants this year. Those taking part “share a common interest in music, and they’ve integrated volunteerism into their overall Christmas Jam experience,” she says.
But the centerpiece of the fundraising initiative is the annual concert. To commemorate the jam’s 30th anniversary, this year’s festival will be spread across two nights at the U.S. Cellular Center. “This will only be the third time we’ve done that,” Haynes says.
“Each year, we try to figure out ways of making it more special, more fun, more of a destination event,” says Haynes. “We also get better at keeping expenses down and raising more money for Habitat.”
WHAT: Warren Haynes Presents: Christmas Jam 30
WHERE: U.S. Cellular Center, 87 Haywood St., xmasjam.com
WHEN: Friday, Dec. 7, and Saturday, Dec. 8, 6:45 p.m., $80 each night (Saturday single tickets sold out)
Are they canceling or rescheduling due to the weather. Whose going to save all these stoned, tripping fools at 3 am?