Southern Jam
Americana, known as Roots Country is coming to Boca Raton thanks to Patrick Maraist and his motto of “keeping live music alive.” Maraist, known locally for his production of Music Jams featuring reggae and rock acts, has now turned his attention to Americana, “this is one of the genres I grew up listening to. This music is the heartbeat and backbone of America even though Americana does not receive much, if any, airplay on the radio stations because most of what you hear these days is crossovers of many genres.”
Hoping to turn the weekend between the final College Football Championship games and the Super Bowl into a yearly tradition is the goal for Maraist, who has long felt and shared the sentiment with legends of Country music that their beloved genre has gone into diversified areas and forgotten itself. In order to ensure that this opening salvo firmly establishes this concert as a marquee event for fans of Americana, Maraist has pulled all the stops.
“I personally handpick artists for all of my Music Jams, and the same is true for Southern Jam,” he explains. “My process is to bring in artists that I would personally go to see if I was not the promoter/producer.” Gracing the inaugural stage will be a bevy of Grammy winners with Shawn Colvin and Lucinda Williams, as well as the much underappreciated singer-songwriter John Hiatt. And while this is an impressive lineup for the evening, Southern Jam’s headliner is Country legend Kris Kristoffer
Kris Kristofferson
son, who incidentally narrated PBS’s 2001 multi-part documentary American Roots Music. In keeping with his self-appointed rule of presenting artists who do not tour through Florida with regularity, Maraist has scored a winner with Kristofferson headlining and ticket sales are reflecting out-of-state as well as international sales.
Southern Jam is also working a guitar raffle to fundraise for the Wounded Warrior Project, Pet Haven Rescue and Hope From Harrison charities; a commitment to local, charitable organizations Maraist is looking to develop as the event grows in future years. Other plans for its development center around expanding the concert to a two-day event with the Saturday remaining Americana/Roots Country and “the second day being something that fits into Southern Jam but with only a slightly different genre.”
Poised to make a big splash and return the genre to its former splendor, Maraist is confident about the event’s success and its future, “any fan of true music will enjoy Southern Jam, and the sales confirm this to be true. It goes to show; commercialism cannot silence true American Roots Country.”
Music Jams Productions Presents: “Southern Jam” with Kris Kristofferson, Lucinda Williams, Shawn Colvin, and John Hiatt & The Combo at 2pm on Saturday, January 30 at the Sunset Cove Amphitheater, Burt Aaronson South County Regional Park, 20405 Amphitheater Circle, Boca Raton. Advance GA tickets cost $65 plus fees, raffle tickets are $5 each or five for $20. Call 561-846-2899 or visit musicjamproductions.com
~ Abel Folgar
