Phuncle Sam

Phuncle Sam formed in Asheville, North Carolina in October 2004 and has been a fixture of that city's Dead scene ever since. Venues describe them as a "Dead-Centric" jam band that serves up inventive interpretations of Jerry Garcia, the Grateful Dead and others, built on an approach that respects the Dead's improvisational tradition while letting individual members bring their own influences into the mix. They work the Asheville circuit steadily, including Pisgah Brewing in Black Mountain, Salvage Station, Asheville Music Hall and One World Brewing. Highland Brewing runs a recurring "Grateful Sunday with Phuncle Sam" night built around the band. They play both a full-band configuration and smaller lineups, and their old website has lapsed, so their calendar lives on venue pages and Facebook.