Sharing in the Groove The Untold Story of the '90s Jam Band Explosion and the Scene That Followed

By: Mike Ayers

Published by St. Martin's Publishing Group, 2026-07-21

The wild, untold oral history of the unlikely rise of Phish, Dave Matthews Band, Widespread Panic, Blues Traveler, and numerous other bands that helped define the 1990s jam band scene

Sharing in the Groove is a rich examination of an underdog genre that helped define the 1990s musical landscape—a scene that paved the way for modern-day cultural institutions such as the Bonnaroo Music Festival and kept the Grateful Dead ethos alive. It was also a world with its own values and its own unique interactions with fame, record labels, MTV, drugs, and success.

Beginning in the mid-’80s and traveling up to New Year’s Eve 1999, the ’90s jam band story covers milestones such as getting signed to record labels and working the club scenes to playing amphitheaters and arenas. Along the way, details emerge of the scene’s own cultural values and the desire to be unique in a world that wanted them to follow a prescribed path. Ultimately, it’s a DIY story of creativity and making music—and how that won over a huge audience.

Filled with anecdotes and stories directly from the musicians, promoters, managers, roadies, producers, label executives, and fans who lived this scene, Sharing in the Groove is a fun, fast-paced oral history that will appeal to music lovers everywhere.