The first day of Mountain Jam is a little quieter than the rest – there are fewer bands playing and, after all, it's a Thursday night. But it’s far from empty -- many spectators come early for a quieter, less-crowded experience and some are just die-hards gearing up early for the four-day marathon of folk and jam-band rock. So the laid-back grooves of day one headliners moe. provided a perfect soundtrack to the evening.

With their sprawling fretboard exploration and bright percussion by Jim Loughlin on vibraphone, the jam band favorites offered up a relaxing excuse to loosen up and dance around. A Warren Haynes guest slot during “Opium” added a little more muscle, too.

Mountain Jam encourages a mellow crowd overall with its smaller capacity than some of the other massive music festivals. Since there are only two stages in the intimate setting, you can also get through the whole festival without missing any acts – and there isn't sound constantly bleeding over from other parts of the festival grounds.

And while festivals are often staged in pretty venues, Mountain Jam – set against the rolling green Catskills – is truly picturesque. But the light show on the main stage during moe.'s performance almost gave that natural beauty a run for its money. Overall, it was a good, mellow Thursday night vibe.

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