Central Plains Jamband Society

Central Plains Jamband Society (CPJS) is a grassroots nonprofit organization that is committed to improving the live jamband music scene in the Midwest.  We are succeeding by educating a growing loyal fan base about jambands while giving those jambands exposure to their public.

We believe that the best way to accomplish our goal is to create a social environment where the fans can interact with one another and become friends.  To this end, CPJS has online discussion groups, forums, and organizes music festivals, live concerts, CD trading parties and other fun social events.

We encourage all of our members to support the jamband scene by regularly going out and enjoying live music.  CPJS periodically organizes member gatherings, fund raisers, and fun events to help strengthen the jamband community.  We hope to create a loyal membership within Central Plains Jamband Society that will help us spread the word to others about jamband music.  This is an organization that brings fans together with bands.

Board of Directors

Hello, my name is John Bollin, most people know me as Johnny B.  I grew up in Leavenworth, KS.  After high school I moved to Pittsburg, KS to go to school.   While there, a college roommate introduced me to the Grateful Dead.  I started going to Grateful Dead concerts in 1990 and was VERY drawn to the music and the scene.   From this scene I met people that introduced me to live tape trading, a bunch of new "jambands" that allowed taping, and the internet.  In 1994 I started taping shows.  I have been involved in the local and internet taping/jamband community since.   I enjoy being a part of the this community and want to do what I can to help make it flourish.

Thanks for stopping by to read my bio, but more importantly thanks for showing interest in Central Plains Jamband Society!! I have a day job that allows me to pursue my after hour passions for live music.  I grew up moving every couple of years, and I believe this is one of the reasons for my continual involvement with Jamband music. I was brought up with change all the time, and I get a lot of that at live shows. I got involved with CJPS because I was interested in meeting the faces that I always saw at shows.  I have met so many new friends and my hope is that when I am 65 I am still involved with CJPS. Once again, thanks!! Michelle

Hi.  My name is Todd Garren.  Many of you know me as "GoToddGo".  I was born in St. Louis, but grew up in Kansas City.  My interests include playing pool, guitar, nature and spreading music.  I have always listened to and enjoyed all types of music.  But when a friend of mine introduced me to Phish and to jamband music, I knew it was something special.  Ever since then, I have chosen to devote my time supporting the jamband scene.  I do this because the jamband "community" is wonderfully unique and makes me feel great.  I am a part of Central Plains Jamband Society because I want this feeling of "community" to grow.  Let's work together to make it happen!  Peace.  -GoToddGo

Hello, thanks for your interest in the Central Plains Jamband Society.  Without you the fan, we wouldn't exist.  I am a Kansas City native and currently live in the Brookside area. From an early age I have loved all types of music, but life changed when I was introduced to jamband music.  My college roommate introduced me to the Grateful Dead, which opened up a whole new world of great music. In 1989, I started a weekly jamband radio show on my college radio station, KSDB 91.9.  I still have fond memories of a regular listener recommending an album by friends of his. I finally found the vinyl masterpiece and started playing the title track regularly on my show.  After a few weeks of play my listener called back with his friends on the telephone.  Who was it?  It was the then unknown band (in the Midwest) named Widespread Panic.  Since college, I have traveled all over the Unites States to see all kinds of great live music.  When the opportunity to start CPJS came up, I couldn’t resist.  I’ve seen a lot of great changes in our music scene over the last ten years; the years to come will be even better!  I’m on the bus, who else is in?

All my life I have been involved in music.  Growing up I was involved in my church’s choir and participated in my school choir as well.  My family was very influenced by British musicians and I was the youngest so whatever they listened to so did I.  I grew up to the sounds of the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin.  These bands were big favorites in my household.

Over time I became more fascinated with more artist in the rock and roll scene as I grew up.  In high school my brother turned me on to American rock and roll by buying me my first Grateful Dead record “In the Dark” for my sixteenth birthday.  From that day on I became intrigued with the Grateful Dead and it’s culture it stood for.  I listened to many of my brother’s bootlegs and discovered the meaning of improvisational music.

I attended college at Avila College in Kansas City, MO.  In October of 1995, I attended my first Phish concert at Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City.  I was completely blown away for the first time hearing Mike’s Song> I am Hydrogen>Weekapaug Groove and knew instantly that Phish had become my new favorite band.  I continued to attended as many shows as possible and fell in love with the whole theatrics of their show along with the audience and artist connection that Phish had established with its phans.

On January 1^st, 2000 in the early hours of the new century at Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation.  I met a taper whom I randomly stumbled upon.  We chatted briefly and came across that we both were from the Kansas City area.  Johnny Bollin became my first taper friend and introduced me to the jamband community in Kansas City.  It was a whole new world for me to be in.  I began to collect and trade shows with other people who enjoyed this type of music.  At Avila College I had two friends who were very familiar with Phish.  The rest of the student body could not identify with me on this level.

As Johnny and I became friends so did I with his wife Michelle.  Since then we all have become friends through the music of Phish.  In the summer of 2001, Michelle came to me with the idea of Central Plains Jamband Society.  I was in total favor of it, and have helped support CPJS from it infancy.  I enjoy meeting new people from the area as well as all over the country.  The jamband community is my second family away from home.  The unity and energy that is involved with this music and its culture is where I have always felt comfortable being myself.

I write for CPJS and interview artists in the local, regional, and national levels.  I love to recognize artists and tell their stories from when they were growing up.  I feel there is more to an artist than just the music they make.  I hope to see CPJS grow and become a successful organization that provides a safe haven for all types if people of different backgrounds.  Thank you for reading my bio and supporting CPJS and live music.

Comments/suggestions about Central Plains Jamband Society?  email: cpjs@cpjs.org
Website problems/comments?  email:: tech@cpjs.org

Mailing Address: (for press packs and presents)

Central Plains Jamband Society
4741 Central, Suite 256
Kansas City, MO 64112