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DEADWOOD JAM: Fans return for Deadwood’s premiere music event

By Carla Dailey

Just who were those people under the umbrellas at the Deadwood Jam Saturday?

Dave Alaniz and his wife, Shelly, from Gillette, Wyo., were attending their fourth year at the Jam.

“We always talked about coming over for several years before that,” said Alaniz.

Donned in full rain gear from the hood on his jacket to his waterproof pants, he visited as he stood at the bandstand in the rain. He didn’t think the rain was a bad thing,

“Usually it’s so hot when you go somewhere. Last year it poured all night long.” 

Later he joined his wife under the shelter of the visitor center. Both were visiting and laughing with other music fans.

Almost everyone you met at the Deadwood Jam, Saturday, Sept.12, had attended the Jam several years in a row.

Many of them had been there for the Friday entertainment as well.

Many of the people in the listening crowd were seated in portable chairs, wearing full rain gear such as the Alanizs. They were under umbrellas, under plastic tarps, or some combination of the four.

Everyone was upbeat and enjoying the great music. Toes were tapping and the rain didn’t really matter.

Always popular with area music lovers, Lang Termes opened the event at noon Saturday.

Six Mile Road entertained with great Bluegrass music and amusingly ended with the song, “Rain Please Go Away.”

Folk-rock Texan Sarah Pierce was a definite crowd pleaser.

Members of Savage Henry waited out the last couple of hours before they were to perform at a nearby restaurant having a warm meal and relaxing. Conversation included guitars and music but no one seemed daunted by the thought of performing in the rain.

Performers weren’t literally in the rain. The stage was well covered and protected. Still, it had to feel a little damp.

Janitor Bob and the Armchair Boys, a fan-friendly band from Sioux Falls, was followed by the Outlaws whose hits include “There Goes Another Love Song,” “Green Grass and High Tides” and “(Ghost) Riders in the Sky.”

Headlining the 19th Annual Deadwood Jam Saturday was Columbia Records recording artist Mat Kearney. Kearney is currently touring in support of his new album, “City of Black & White.”

At one of the food vendor tents, Kerby Jensen of Minneapolis, Minn., happily says he and his wife are at their eighth Jam. In fact they just returned from visiting grandchildren in Los Angeles, Calif. From there they flew to Denver, and on to Rapid City on their way to attend the Jam. They had been in Deadwood in August for Deadwood Kool Nites.

Dick and Jackie Pankonin were among the people who had it all – rain gear, umbrella, tarp and chairs.

“We used to spend a lot of time in Oregon, so this doesn’t really bother us,” Dick said as he sipped a hot coffee.

Nearby a family of South Dakota and Wyoming residents were enjoying their annual family get together. They had variations of the same rain gear and umbrellas as everyone else. Ray Kietfors of Whitewood and his sister, Mary Satterfield of Casper, sat together catching up on family news. Other members sat nearby.

Why have they been meeting at the Jam the last 17 years?

“We like good music,” said Satterfield.