These days jam bands seem to be everywhere. The scene is ever expanding and new bands pop up everyday.

Mark Diomede has been playing live music since the mid-1980s, when the only known jam band was the Grateful Dead, and Phish was just establishing its roots in Vermont. Diomede brings his band Juggling Suns to The Brewery, 223 E. Beaver Ave., on Wednesday. Tuscarawas River Band (TRB) will open the show, which is the first stop on Jamm Tour 2002.

Diomede welcomes the influx of new bands into the scene.

"We have an edge on other bands because we've been doing this forever," he said.

While a few jam bands -- like Phish, the String Cheese Incident and Widespread Panic -- make it big, Juggling Suns are still on the never-ending small venue circuit, where most bands stay until they fade away.

Angela Rizzo (freshman-division of undergraduate studies) prefers that bands stay small "because it is more intimate and the music seems so much more intense and direct."

"At smaller venues the crowd and musicians feed off of each other and tend to interact more," she added. "I like that type of atmosphere much more than a larger venue."

Although Juggling Suns may not be a top-40 band, they certainly have played with their share of well-known musicians. On Aug. 10, 1995, the day after Jerry Garcia died, the band played a concert in New Jersey and Bruce Springsteen came to jam with them.

"Most people think of Springsteen as 'Born In The USA' and 'Glory Days,' but they don't realize he can really jam," Diomede said. Juggling Suns has also played with guitar prodigy Keller Williams, bluegrass legend Peter Rowan, and Hot Tuna, a band consisting of former members of Jefferson Airplane.

Bluegrass has worked its way into the jam band scene, with Jerry Garcia's bluegrass side projects and bands like the String Cheese Incident as examples. TRB, which will open the Jamm Tour show, fits into this new category known as jamgrass. TRB has appeared with the Midwest success koostik hookah and fiddle legend Vassar Clements, and this will be the band's first time performing in Pennsylvania.

"We are excited to play with a great band like Juggling Suns, and to perform in new areas such as Pennsylvania," bass player Jesse Cravens said.

The band has been together a little more than a year and has played in 12 states so far.

"Expect high positive energy," Hillary Bonner, the band's booking agent and fan, said. "Ninety percent of the crowd will have smiles on their faces, and the other 10 percent will be deep in thought."

Concertgoers can expect not only music but also giveaways, such as ski lift tickets, a trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, CDs, T-shirts and posters. The show starts at 10:30 p.m., and is for fans 21 and over.