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Published: 2013/01/30

by Benjy Eisen

Jungle Jam: Playing Dead in Costa Rica

Jungle Jam
Jaco, Costa Rica
January 17-20

Many a festival promoter has opened shop based on the imagined principal that if you build it, they will come. Not always true. However, throw a jam fest in the middle of a sketchy jungle-shack beach town in a third-world country – bait it with the drummer of the Grateful Dead and the bassist from The Allman Brothers Band – and even without the full experience of either of those bands, enough people will indeed come, shake their bones and go home raving about it all.

While Cloud 9 Adventures – with Jam Cruise, Holidaze, Panic en La Playa and Strings and Sol all under their wing –still holds the gold standard for destination festivals, Jungle Jam wins the award for best boutique, destination festival of its size. It’s a small-scale event with big-scale thinking. For a crowd barely a couple hundred people deep, Jungle Jam offers a couple bells and whistles (fire dancers, face painting, an opening-night luau) without any of the corporate bullshit so prevalent now at the bigger events. This one’s still organic. And pure – or, rather, pura vida.

Costa Rica is supposed to be a destination until itself and, indeed, many of its sights are world-class. But the town of Jaco, where Jungle Jam is held, is like a Cental American version of Tijuana, complete with hookers, thieves and thugs. Throw in Jungle Jam, and you throw hippies in the mix. This makes for a mixed crowd during the late nights, which spill over into the seedy downtown strip including a couple shows at the Monkey Bar – a hooker pick-up joint. Really, a brothel minus the rooms. Zach Deputy played there. Damn right he was doing the hustle. And pulling it off better than any of the $40 whores lining the bar, ready to get down with anyone who would buy them a drink, especially if they were stupid enough to carry their wallet in their back pocket.

Don’t be fooled by the Jaco address, however. The festival is based a couple miles down the road at the seemingly isolated, and picture-postcard worthy, Doce Lunas resort and spa. Owned and operated by a Deadhead, the resort is the kind you daydream about when you’re stuck in a cubicle, in the thick of a winter snowstorm, wondering just how many vacation days you have left. It’s the type of place you’d want to stay at even if there wasn’t a music festival taking place in the quad between cabanas.

Like most destination festivals, Jungle Jam doesn’t offer a lineup that reads down the page. Instead it offers a few really high-quality bands, in high quantity throughout the weekend. And it also lives up to its name more than any other jam band fest since Jam Cruise – everybody jams with everybody. This year’s lineup was anchored by the annual appearance of the BK3 – Bill Kreutzmann’s trio featuring Oteil Burbridge on bass and Scott Murawski on guitar – and was bolstered by daily sets from Ryan Montbleau Band, Zach Deputy and Max Creek. Oteil, on loan from the Allman Brothers Band, was there on official business as BK3’s bassist. But he moonlit as the festival’s artist in residence, sitting in with nearly every band on the main stage during nearly every set. “I love it here,” he told Relix at the end of the weekend. “This is like my New Year’s Eve.”

Comments

There are 25 comments associated with this post

Chris February 2, 2013, 19:33:26

i think this article is a little unfair to Jaco. i live here par of the year, and i don’t like the aspects you describe that much, but i would not say they are the identity of the town. its a beautiful place with a lot of really nice friendly people and cool tourists.
if you are looking for sex workers and coke in Jaco, you can find them, (you can also find decriminalized marijuana) but its a surf town, not Tijuana. TJ is a seriously dangerous and depraved place with a lot of poverty! Jaco is a town of 10,000 on a beautiful bay. prostitution is legal and there is an upscale marian nearby, so there are some prostitutes, but most people come here for surf, the national parks, the beach, all the typical CR tour activities, and the party.

Anon February 2, 2013, 19:35:01

Amazing festival, very excited for it’s future! I find the description of Jaco to be untrue and exaggerated though. We felt much safer on the streets, on the strip and off the strip than in a lot of tourist locations in America. The general mentality and vibration of the majority of people is very positive We also had the pleasure of meeting and spending time with a number of locals who were also very pleasant and positive people. I wouldn’t say the late night and club atmosphere is much more frightening than most clubs you’d step inside on a saturday night in the states. Once you observe and avoid the typical tourist trap situations/people, You begin to find many great/cheap/non sketchy ways of experiencing Jaco.

April February 2, 2013, 19:55:40

Very disrespectful and untrue and falsely opinionated. Whoever this magazine is written by does not belong in our “home” or in Jaco for that matter. Jungle jam was an amazing family event bringing musicians and friends closer. The tikos y tikas were very friendly and not sketchy at all. If your a writing for a magazine how can u be so close minded??

Anon February 2, 2013, 20:32:22

This article is a beautiful description of Jungle Jam and all that it achieved, however the depiction of Jaco is certainly exaggerated. The majority of the festival’s music took place at the Hotel DoceLunas, which is a beautiful and lush little slice of paradise that sits on the outer-edge of the vibrant and colorful Jaco. The venue was perfection, it had the feel of a honeymooners type of resort that was dressed and ready to throw a rager! Truly, Hotel DoceLunas was lovely, far lovelier then I ever expected to host a hippie music festival. Some musicians played at locations off the main strip in downtown Jaco, namely the Monkey Bar & Teatro Jaco, which was a great way to “get off campus” so-to-speak. Teatro Jaco was an absolutely gorgeous spot, and Monkey bar was not at all the “brothel” it’s pegged as above. A pain in the ass to get a drink, yes, but crowded with thugs and thieves and prostitues, definitely not. At both venues, during Viral Sound & Zach’s sets, came times where I stopped dancing and looked around to see Costa Rican’s and American’s alike enjoying the music so thoroughly, it was a such a beautiful thing I couldn’t help but spread the biggest smile I’ve got! Jaco locals were so sweet and appreciative as they inquired about the music, where the artists were from and when they’d be back! It was such a pleasure to hear that the music we love so well translates to be loved by Costa Ricans, and it was a pleasure to get to talk to some of them. Sure, there were prostitues, sure there was weed and coke, but at no point did I feel unsafe, or even uncomfortable, in downtown Jaco. Jaco made me fall in love with Costa Rica, and no doubt I will be back to Jungle Jam for many years to come. Biggest thanks to Hotel DoceLunas and the town of Jaco and all those who invited us down to Central America for an awesome party!!!

Chris Ottaviano February 2, 2013, 20:37:05

Yeah, that really doesn’t represent how we felt and we stayed in downtown Jaco. There were hookers but no thugs and thieves that we ran into, and we were out LATE every night. Every single person we met around that area was totally cool, nice and helpful. We even talked to a few of the girls as people and they were also friendly and told us to enjoy our time in Costa Rica.

Chris Ottaviano February 2, 2013, 20:42:05

I really can’t stress enough how un-accurate the writers imagery of downtown Jaco is. Amazing people and beautiful surroundings. I’ve felt much more sketched out and unsafe in the Unites States by a long shot

TH3 February 2, 2013, 20:48:48

Yes Jaco has a little bit of sketch and the open prostitution is a bit disturbing, but it is legal and its not for me to judge. The people of Jaco were very friendly and it never felt unsafe (if you are stupid and or looking for trouble you could easily find it) many people speak english so it is very easy. It is not Disneyland and that is why I will be going back next year.

myles February 2, 2013, 22:15:11

The comparison of Jaco to Tijuana is pretty pathetic. Not to mention the terrible placement of the authors subjective view of Jaco before readers even get to the primary purpose of the article, which is Music. Sounds like the author has just ventured out of the suburbs and may want to stay in his “safe place” which is probably his Mom’s basement.

xappacreek February 2, 2013, 22:47:47

Totally exegarated about Jaco been there three years and saw no thugs , we have more sketch in Hartford ,This Writer also seemed to forget Max Creek , (3rd year at JJ) after 40 years this Band is still cranking , Support the kings of Jam .Music is Bliss

xappacreek February 2, 2013, 22:47:47

bruce February 2, 2013, 22:56:44

Jungle Jam is a dynamic music festival dropped into the Costa Rican jungle at the beautiful Doce Lunes Resort with a full-blown, top-knotch sound and light show that you would find at a good North American festival. Yet with the unique aspect of being in the jungle and near the surf beach of Jaco.
As one who has been coming to Jaco for years, the writers description may create sensational copy, however is totally exaggerated and inaccurate. Jaco is a surf and tourist town. There are a variety of hotels from the very high-end to hostels. There are restaurants, cafes of all kinds and there are bars of all kinds. There are also 2 small casinos in town.
Prostitution is legal and regulated in Costa Rica, so, yes there are prostitutes who work at night and are in some of the bars.
There is a lot more to Jaco than the writer emphasizes.
He obviously has not been around this beautiful country or even some of the other beach towns up and down the Costa Rican Pacific Coast. Jaco is nothing like Tijuana, just as Costa Rica is nothing like Mexico!

johnny February 3, 2013, 07:38:00

What is a thug? is that a black person? or a black person with loose fitting pants? because there are black people in Jaco, and some of them just lost weight. so if that frightens you, you might be scared there. otherwise, its a lot less dangerous than most of the U.S. parts of San Jose, Hatillo, now we are talking remotely close to as sketchy as TJ. but Jaco is a nice little tourist town. more prostitutes than manuel antonio or tamarindo, but its not like its dangerous.

Teri February 3, 2013, 08:03:12

Benjy Eisen, author of this ….. Some of us are proud of our beautiful big, little Jaco town. We are a tourist destination for the world and don’t appreciate your comparisons. It says more about YOU than our town.

Kd February 3, 2013, 10:14:52

Pretty biased and unfair depiction of our home, you should really concentrate on your review of the festival rather than trashing a great surf town you very obviously know nothing about. Well traveled or not, a pretty narrow minded article….maybe the author would be more comfortable at Club Med or something of the sort…..

Lori February 3, 2013, 11:01:57

Wow, I am shocked of your comparison of Jaco to Tijuana! That is an insult to Jaco which is nowhere close to the sketchy dirty chaos of Tijuana. This was my third visit to Jaco/Doce Lunas/Jungle Jam and I am already planning on going next year. I am a forty year old woman who enjoyed staying in Jaco and attending Jungle Jam events at the hotel and some of my fondest memories of the weekend were going to the late night shows in town. I really enjoyed mingling with the locals at these events. I have to wonder if the writer took the time to talk to any of the locals. Personally, I think it would have been creepy if it had only been the people attending Jungle Jam at the late night events. I was pleased to see the locals at the shows. Hmm, maybe they were enjoying listening to the music. I don’t recall thinking I was amongst thugs and thieves. I didn’t feel any less safe in town at night than I do back home going to shows throughout the US. I also prefer that prostitution is legal. The women seem to be treated much better than back home where it is illegal. Nobody in my group was bothered by the prostitutes. Shocking! You can get drugs in Jaco? Well guess what? If desired, you can get drugs in any city in the U.S. In closing, I am really looking forward to next year’s Jungle Jam. I am even planning on learning more Spanish so that I can mingle even more with the wonderful locals.
Pura Vida!

Lori February 3, 2013, 11:01:58

Lori February 3, 2013, 11:12:21

By the way, “The unknown spoken word poet” is Frank Messina who even has his own Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org//wiki/Frank_Messina

Clifton Hanger February 4, 2013, 14:03:41

I don’t know about everyone else, but the prospect of Hookers, Blow, and Casinos at a chill Tropical location make me want to go EVEN MORE next year.

Jim Sweeney February 4, 2013, 18:05:39

Since Max Creek was really the host band it would have been nice to see 1 comment about their sets.

Anon February 8, 2013, 14:24:13

Agreed Jim Sweeney. Max Creek is the shit!

Bdubs February 12, 2013, 11:25:18

This was a great festival and Jaco was awesome. Obviously the writer of this review lives a very sheltered life. I felt safer in Jaco than most parts of my city and many other cities I have been to. The locals were great, the weather was amazing, and the music was great. I am already looking forward to going back next year. Maybe the author had a bad prostitute experience…

michael collins February 20, 2013, 01:22:15

WOW.......42 years old grew up on dead tour….Been to 200 dead and JGB shows….Lived in CR for 13 years…String cheese came her awhile back. But Honestly Jungle Jam was fucking amazing!!! Best time I have had since Uncle Jerry Passed. My whole childhood I read Relix Magazine. Whoever wrote that crap can go fuck themselves…...Amazed a mag I grew up with and loved could write such bullshit about an amazing weekend.

Ldawg March 5, 2013, 11:10:37

I have to agree with description of Jaco/TJ. I wondered why anyone would bring peace loven hippies to this town. I have lived here for 12 years and everyone knows Jaco is not cool place to hang. I live further south in Dominical, it’s much more happening scene as far as surf, vibe, and bitchen wildlife ( that is the winged and then four legged kind ). This is my second JJ and I loved the music, but I hope that in the future they would set up camp further south. I agree with the writer, Jaco is seedy and dangerous and not representative of the “real Costa Rica.”

janet March 5, 2013, 11:22:56

Travelers Beware! The show was great, but I have to agree with the writer about the sketchiness of Jaco. I got my wallet and phone ripped off at the Monkey Bar. It was in my purse and on my body. After I filed a police report, I met others that either had a similar story or knew someone that had. If you don’t believe me, check the travel threads. I did but of course it was already too late.

janet March 5, 2013, 11:23:21