Wonder Bread. Wonder Woman. Wonderland. I wonder as I wander, it’s a wonderful life, and after all, you’re my wonder wall. And now, ladies and gentleman, we bring you: Wonder Jam.

What’s Wonder Jam? It’s a daylong music and environmental and peace activism festival, set for this Saturday, Sept. 27, in Lincoln. Who’s going to be there? Seven bands from many different genres, and a wide array of green energy, political and anti-war groups from all over the state.

And where the heck did it come from? From the brain of one Joe Pater, a graduate student at the University of Maine, and a recent transplant from Chicago.

“It’s something my friends and I did a few years ago, back in 2005 and 2006, in Chicago,” said Pater, who owns the 10 acres where Wonder Jam will be held. “It was hard to do in a city, with so much other stuff always going on. Now that I’m here in Maine, I felt like I should try it again.”

Pater is working toward a master’s of business arts at UMaine, but his other passion is alternative sources of energy.

“There’s so much discussion around energy, and the changes that are taking place in our world,” said Pater. “I have a huge interest in the environment, and as a businessperson, I see a lot of opportunity for alternative energy. We’re all going to have to change the way we work, they way we live and the way we think. We’ve had the same mindset about energy for the past 75 years, and with climate change and the oil crisis, we’re going to have to learn how to live differently. And soon.”

Pater has invited groups to Wonder Jam such as Green Jobs Now, First Wind, Peace and Justice groups from throughout Eastern Maine, and small alternative energy businesspeople, who do everything from retrofitting cars for biodiesel, to growing organic, sustainable crops.

And, of course, there’s the music. Kicking off the festivities at 1 p.m. is Beam Me Up, an all-girl party pop band composed of Orono High School students. Following them at 3 p.m. is Huak, the Portland-based post-punk band who recently released its debut album, “Trajectory,” on Peapod Recordings (personal bias interjection: best Maine album of 2008, hands down). JP and the Other Two, an alternative folk-rock band from Bangor, follow them at 4 p.m.

Then, after a dance party from DJs Zoran Djuranovic and Corey Pelletier, the bluegrass band Raw Chicken takes the stage at 7 p.m. Raw Chicken was formed by longtime area musician Ben Moors, best known for his groups Propane Tank and a .45 and Bad Island. Moors and Pater are both MBA students at UM, and Moors assisted Pater in the musical lineup for the festival.

“Ben was a huge help in getting this off the ground,” said Pater. “It came together really well once we started working together.”

Rounding out the lineup is Bootiddy, a guitar and keys duo from Orono that’s reminiscent of Tenacious D, Beck, Ween and R. Kelly. Yes, you read that correctly. R. Kelly. If that’s not reason enough to check out the show, I don’t know what is.

“We want folks to come out, enjoy some music and learn about alternative energy options here in Maine,” said Pater. “It’s free, you can camp, and it’s laid back. We just want to encourage dialogue among concerned people.”

Wonder Jam is set for 1 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, on the Phinney Farm Road in Lincoln. It’s free, but donations are very much encouraged. For more info, visit www.wonderjam.org.

eburnham@bangordailynews.net

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