💙

...I did play very well, and not in comparison to the others there.
I objectively played very well. Fast, accurate, every idea came off as intended. Since I haven't played electric with a band for 7 or 8 years, I guess that's pretty good, I guess.
But, I didn't go there to cut heads, and with this crew, doing so wouldn't be much of a challenge.

😍

...you're a light-year above any of these dudes.

I could pick that one up in a couple mins I'm sure. Seems pretty simple.

And I don't think I'm a light year over anyone who's played for ... I dunno 3-6 months depending on how dedicated they were to learning over that time.

I could have flipped the guitar over, played left-handed and still been the best player there.
They just don't hear "it".

was the first song I learned the entire thing note for note on guitar. Can still do a passable version in a pinch today, with a hour or two practice I can get it perfect. The solo's are so much fun, love that song. Jam's are a funny thing, its like everyone brings a part of a sandwich but they dont know what the other people are bringing. It can be 2 ketchup packets and a bunch of bread one time or a full on hoagie another time.
Eko.

This is my version. I'm playing & singing all the parts on it.
https://m.soundcloud.com/user-134084288/all-along-the-watchtower

Singing was great, nice harmonies as well. Plenty of chops on guitar as well. Thanks for sharing!
Eko.

BTW: It's all one take.
Scratch acoustic & voice. Play drums to that. Play bass to both. Add rhythm guitar. Put down lead vocal while erasing the scratch track.
Then all the sweetening.
Because it's all one take, it takes me way longer to mix then to record.
I don't have the patience or attention to detail to be a Tom Scholz. I just want to play.

It must have been sometime around 2006 or so, my buddy and I worked at a large music store in Virginia Beach Va, he was a good guitarist and a great singer, I was a better guitarist and a passable singer at least for harmonies and we got a gig running an open mic in a restaurant/bar in downtown Norfolk.Mostly we did it for the free food and beer and to let us play out live every week. We were really good, lots of covers and some originals but most of the other musicians that showed up were not so much or if they were good they just wanted to do guitar solo's for 30 min's. We did it for a few months and it started to get bigger and bigger which was cool for us cause we got a cut of the door as well. One night this scruffy guy came in and asked if he could play and of course we let him but he wanted to play with a guitarist so I offered to. I went to music school and I'm not that good but I can do ok but this guy was something else. He had a ton of pedals he played his bass with and it was crazy good. It was this guy.

His use of effects is outstanding.
Reminds me of the fusion bass players of the 70s.
We used to host jam nights here in town. Sunday afternoons, twice a month. (Every other. Another band hosted the "other&quot
We attracted a broad mix of talent, but it became better & better. The lesser skilled guys cane on the days we weren't the host, because the "competition" was stiff.
The club had its own sound system, and drums in the basement. So, we only brought amps. (Our spare stuff, because our regular gear was in the truck.)
We did this AFTER we quit playing regularly because my work travel schedule made it too fatiguing for me.
Some very good moments playing with others.
The opposite of last night.

musicians there, or was this just open mic night?

Knew one guy, sort of.
I've seen him at the golf course, and he remembers playing with us at a rehearsal at the drummer's house. Had to be 18 to 20 years ago.
He was one of the bass players there. He didn't stink, but he certainly wasn't excellent. I could play what he was doing on a left-handed bass.
Nice guy, just not a player.
The rest, I never met before.
There were 2 three piece "bands" there.
After "Watchtower" one of the guitar player's said "Wow! That was great! We could perform that live right now."
Said nothing. Thought "Not with me, you won't. That was terrible."
Like I said, they all seemed to have a lot of fun. I suppose I'm a bit jaded after getting paid to play over 2 thousand times.
If(!), I ever go back, I'm taking nothing. I play somebody else's guitar, through their amp, or I don't play.
Not worth hauling stuff.

Jams can be good or bad depending upon who is hosting. Bad ones tend towards chaos on stage. Good ones can be incredible. One in my local area was horrible. I remember sitting out in the audience one night listening to one guitar player on the left side of the stage playing major chords and scales while the guitar player of the right was playing minor chords and scales.
Other times you get the posers who hog the stage with long boring self indulgent repetitive solos that go on forever.
As a past Jam host I set down a set of guidelines that allowed no more than 3 songs within 15 minutes not to exceed 15 minutes. The jammer could play 3 songs or 2 within 15 minutes. Once the 3 songs or 15 minutes was up it was someone else's turn.
This was a well hosted jam I used to enjoy participating in in the Everett Washington area. (before Covid made it all risky)

Our other rule was for ourselves. We played no more that 4 songs to let the soundman dial things in. Then, we start calling people up. If it was a whole band, 3 songs & off. If they want to stay & come up again later, fine.
Our rule about people coming up to play with us was variable, depending on the quality of play. A hack isn't getting more than 2 songs.
My only objection to your post, (light-heartedly) is the major over minor thing. As a very modal player do that all the time. But, I'm playing the correct major scale!

I do that too but these 2 guys were playing a major chord on one side of the stage and a minor chord on the other at the same time. My ears folded in on themselves.

When I was hosting we did basically the same as you. We played about 20 minutes to warm up the crowd and get things going and then the official Jam started. I got to know who were the less experienced players and the more experienced. I tried as much as was possible to mix one less experienced player with more experienced players. That gave the noob a chance to play with more solid players who were able to carry the noob through. It also gave the noob player a good feeling in that they got a chance to play with more seasoned players. It also sounded better to the audience out front rather than 4 or 5 noobs crashing through the audio equivalent of a dark room of cans and bottles.