Musician Brett Wellman remembers how shaky he felt playing at his first ever blues jam. Nerves and fear of not knowing the right guitar chords dominated his thoughts. Afterwards however, there was elation and sense of pride and confidence. That’s the exact feeling he aims to pass along as host of the Thursday Night Open Blues Jam at Dreamland BBQ. 

“The last thing I ever want to do is have someone come up that is very uneasy has a bad experience at the jam because then they’ll never want to do it again,” says Wellman. “We’ve had so many people play their first every guitar solo at the jam. It’s a confidence booster. There’s no criticism, everyone is there to help because everyone got helped by somebody else.” 

The Thursday Night Blues Jam has gone strong for four years and is the only one of its kind in the area. Wellman was approached by Dreamland BBQ back in 2016 to perform a solo show. Instead, he pitched a weekly jam that was different than an open mic. Rather than musicians going up onstage to show off their skills as individuals, the jam would allow anyone to come up onstage and play together without prior rehearsals. 

The jam continues to be a success, bringing in anywhere from four to 15 musicians at one time. Wellman recalls one young woman who only knew three chords who played the entire night. By the end, her fingers were sore, but her smile was noteworthy.

“With an open jam you just play on the spot and it’s a real test of your skills because you have no idea what the next song is going to be and it’s an awesome learning experience,” says Wellman. “My only three requirements are any instrument, any age and any skill level. So, the jam was born.” 

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