Mike Ayers Outlines ‘Sharing in the Groove’ Book Tour Featuring Goose’s Cotter Ellis, Allman Brothers Band Biographer Alan Paul and More

On July 22, 2025, Mike Ayers will release his new book, Sharing in the Groove: The Untold Story of the ‘90s Jam Band Explosion and the Scene That Followed, which pieces together lesser-known retellings of up-and-comers turned jam scene heavyweights Phish, Dave Matthews Band, Widespread Panic, Blues Traveler and others that helped defined the era’s musical output. Following the release, the author has shared the dates, locations, and guests joining him on his upcoming book tour.
The tour begins on Monday, July 21, at the Powerhouse Arena in Brooklyn and will feature a conversation with Relix’s Editor in Chief Dean Budnick. In the same vein, Ayers will be joined by New York Times best-selling author and Allman Brothers Band biographer, Alan Paul, on Thursday, July 24, at [Words] Bookstore in Maplewood, N.J. The tour continues on Monday, July 28, at Phoenix Books in Burlington, Vt. During this stop, the writer will bring out Goose’s Cotter Ellis for another leg of the discussion.
Remaining in the Green Mountain State, Ayers’ book tour will arrive at Northshire Books in Manchester, Vt., on Wednesday, July 29. During this stop, WEQX 102.7 FM’s Jeff Mo’rad will pick up the conversation with the author.
In support of Sharing in the Groove, Ayers will take his run to Bright Ideas Brewing in Westfield, Mass., on July 30, before traveling to Wake Forest, N.C.’s Page 158 Books, where he’ll link up with Phish on Philm for more music chat on August 3. The following evening, Andy Tennille will converse with Ayers at The Ramkat in Winston-Salem, N.C.
The remaining tour dates will take the author to Asheville, N.C.’s Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe on August 5, Denver’s Fiction Beer Company on August 18, and finally, the Boulder Bookstore, where he will welcome fellow writer, Grayson Haver Currin.
Sharing in the Groove presents Ayer’s unique experience as a longtime music journalist with specific examples culled from his roster, such as seeing over 130 Phish shows and 20 Grateful Dead concerts, in addition to profiling other bands and events that have maintained the ethos of the aforementioned San Francisco tripsters–Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, et al.
Ayers recounts a mid-90s happenstance as a prep cook for Phish, in exchange for an all-access pass to the night’s concert, as well as tales of his own experience as a taper—capturing live performances that still live online today. “Filled with anecdotes and stories directly from the musicians, promoters, managers, roadies, producers, label executives, and fans that lived this scene, Sharing in the Groove is a fun, fast-paced oral history that will appeal to music lovers everywhere,” according to its description.
“Mike Ayers has documented the history of the jam band scene in a definitive way, directly from the voices of the musicians who created this scene (and the promoters, managers, and everyone else who was there when it was birthed). It’s amazing to hear how it all came together for the bands that still power the most vibrant music scene in America today,” Peter Shapiro commented in tandem with news of the forthcoming book.
Order a copy of Sharing in the Groove: The Untold Story of the ’90s Jam Band Explosion and the Scene That Followed.
Scroll down for more details on the upcoming book tour.