Ithaca Journal: wrap up of Positive Jam

The Positive Jam, an all-day music festival held in Stewart Park Sunday, may have drawn its name from a song title by the headlining band The Hold Steady, but seasonably warm weather, reasonably priced local food and a solid line-up of crowd-pleasing rock groups resulted in atmosphere that left the audience of nearly a thousand positively ecstatic. The event was organized by Dan Smalls, the official in-house booker for The State Theatre, and was produced in association with Ithaca Beer Co., which hosted the third annual Brew Fest Saturday with the same stage and facilities. The five bands that performed over the course of the six-hour show Sunday ranged from the furiously energetic classic rock of the headliner to the countrified folk of Providence's Deer Tick, with some indie rock in between. The crowd responded especially positively to the Catskills-based Felice Brothers, who recalled the roots music of The Band. The one local act -- the Ithaca College act Caution Children -- opened with tunes that fit well alongside the rest of the bill. theIthacajournal.com