Dust off your hacky sacks: On today’s Soundcheck Smackdown, we encroach on the religion of Phish-heads everywhere and debate the eclectic, free-form rock of jam bands like Phish, String Cheese Incident, and the Allman Brothers Band. Is jam band music ingeniously creative or tedious self-indulgence?

Joining us are Dean Budnick, executive editor of Relix magazine and founder of Jambands.com, and Mike Wolf, a freelance journalist and general manager of Rare Book Room Records.

Soundcheck blog: John Schaefer asks: Are Jam Bands Toast?

Weigh in: Do you find jam bands the ultimate in self-expression and a true fan community? Or are they just tedious and self-indulgent?