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 Tickets are on sale now for the 20th Annual Christmas Jam, set this year for December 12 - 13. Once again, all proceeds from this event, which was named "One of the Top 10 Concerts of the Year" by The London Times, will benefit Habitat For Humanity.
For 20 years, Haynes has coordinated the Warren Haynes Annual Christmas Jam. Like a family reunion, the annual, one-of-a-kind, semi-structured marathon of music brings together friends both old and new, hand-picked by Haynes, on stage and in the sold out audience of ,7200 people at the Civic Center Arena in Asheville, N.C. This year, the Christmas Jam welcomes John Paul Jones, Coheed & Cambria, Karl Denson, Audley Freed, Patterson Hood & Edwin McCain, Allman Brothers Band, The Del McCoury Band, The Derek Trucks Band, Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, Coheed & Cambria, Steve Earle, Michael Franti with Jay Bowman Acoustic, Gov't Mule, Johnny Winte, and John Paul Jones, Joan Osborne, and Travis Tritt. Several special guests are also slated to appear. Tickets for this year's event are now on sale at http://www.xmasjam.com/. The show thrives on the generous support of volunteer talent and behind-the-scenes personnel with the net proceeds going to charity. In the formative years of The Christmas Jam, donations were made to a different charity each year, but in 1998 Haynes and his wife Stefani Scamardo, with whom he co-produces the event each year, decided on Habitat for Humanity as the event's beneficiary. To date almost Half a Million Dollars has been raised. Both Habitat and the city of Asheville have welcomed Warren with open arms and have publicly recognized him for the money and awareness he has brought to each. "As always," said Lew Kraus, Director of the Asheville Habitat for Humanity Chapter, "we are very grateful for Warren's extraordinary generosity." The organization recently dedicated an entire sub-community of its Enka Village for the houses The Christmas Jam's donations help build. Former Mayor Charles Worley gave Warren the key to the city in 2002 and declared December 21st Warren Haynes Day in 2003. In 2004, the Mayor simply thanked Warren for all of his contributions to Asheville because he "has no honor left to bestow upon him." Haynes, who opens each Xmas Jam with a brief solo performance, will perform with his band Gov't Mule, and, of course, join many of the artists for spontaneous collaborations. But the impact goes far beyond the entertainment. "Christmas Jam started years ago as an opportunity for local musicians to jam at the one time of year they were all in town at the same time. Back then, we gave the money to whatever charity we felt like. As the event grew and we became aware of Habitat For Humanity, we settled on them because we believe in the organization and know the money goes where its supposed to. When your work is music, its easy and fun to give back." Before the Jam, you can Lend a Hand with Asheville Area Habitat. Connect with the cause that the Christmas Jam supports by volunteering on the Habitat for Humanity construction site during "Before the Jam, Lend a Hand" volunteer week. Slots available Monday, December 8 - Friday, December 12. Required hours are 8:30am-3:30pm. No experience necessary. First come, first serve. To reserve your spot, please visit http://www.ashevillehabitat.org/home and then hit the link to sign up for the Before the Jam week. Enjoy the camaraderie of fellow fans, delicious lunch, daily raffles and more; and feel good about helping a family in need of safe and decent housing. For more information, visit www.xmasjam.com (Image provided by Warren Haynes Christmas Jam.)
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