Driving through Michigan, where it was 16 degrees, Spafford drummer Nick Tkachyk is anticipating his return home for Gem & Jam Festival.
“We are going to some great festivals this year, which always feels good because it’s cold in Michigan. It’s below freezing,” Tkachyk said. “It’s always good to come home, though.”
Gem & Jam is set for Thursday, Feb. 2, to Sunday, Feb. 4, at the Pima County Fairgrounds.
Playing Gem & Jam is important to the Salpointe Catholic High School graduate. The band’s Gem & Jam debut in 2014 was a “good hometown throwdown,” he said.
“I think the first time we played Gem & Jam we stayed at my parents’ house and rehearsed in their garage,” Tkachyk said with a laugh.
“We took a picture in my parents’ bathtub, went swimming in their pool and ate good Mexican food.
At this year’s iteration, Spafford will present new music, as it’s known for its improvisation. This is one instance in which setlist.fm won’t offer a sneak peek into the set.
“We have a longer list of covers than we’ve done,” he said.
“We have originals, so many covers throughout the years. We have so many covers to choose from a banging rock ‘n’ roll ’90s cover, like Stone Temple Pilots’ ‘Plush,’ to jazz house fusion, to a drum and bass ‘Love Song’ by the Cure.”
Other covers include a trance version of Olivia Rodrigo’s “Can’t Catch Me Now.”
“We love creating beautiful, weird, incredible music on the spot,” he said. “They’ll hear lovely, vocally driven original songs.” Lately, Spafford has been tapping into covering jazz standards as electronic music.
Tkachyk said he enjoys the sense of community around Spafford, whose fans are dubbed Spaffnerds.
“I just love our fans and they love us,” he said. “And we can’t do it without them. It’s a beautiful, symbiotic relationship.”
Gem & Jam
WHEN: Various times Friday, Feb. 2, to Sunday, Feb. 4
WHERE: Pima County Fairgrounds, 1300 S. Houghton Road, Tucson
COST: Tickets start at $75
INFO: www.gemandjamfestival.com
