Drew Emmitt

Music on the Mesa Festival launched its third year on a hot day in El Prado NM, just north of Taos, at the Taos Mesa Brewery. Under clouds that gifted rain later in the day at a very opportune time, music lovers came early, swelling crowds to capacity every single night of the fest.

On this opening Friday, June 2, festivalgoers were treated to NM singer/songwriter Ry Taylor on the large earthen amphitheater and the California-based Sweetwater String Band on the patio stage.

Chances are if you’ve been to a bluegrass festival the memories most prevalent are not so much that of the “scheduled” performers but more of the impromptu jams and unscheduled collaborations.  It’s with that spirit that the McCoury family decided to embark on a traveling bluegrass festival called The Bluegrass Ball.  In the past 3 years, The Bluegrass Ball has traveled across the country picking up multiple pickers and fans along the way. 

Every summer music festival season brings a slew of new concepts and destinations for “festivarians” to pick and choose from. You have to marvel at the fact that so many continue to thrive year after year considering the number of options that are out there. In Colorado alone, thousands of tourists from everywhere come to enjoy countless summer music festival options. Maybe you made it to Rockygrass in July and rejoiced in the revival of a flood-ravaged site miraculously sprung back to life with true roots community effort.

Santa came early this year.  I must have been a good girl because Sept 6-9 2013, everything I asked for was left under the trees at Shoe Fest.  I had a taste of Nederland CO here at Camp Shaw in Manteno IL.   I saw some of the best dub stop music all weekend long.

Well, it wouldn’t be NedFest without a little rain and a lotta Vince Herman. As the first hopeful few sauntered on to the grounds last Friday, we dared the sky to open up wider and keep pouring down on us. It hadn’t stopped us Nedestrians before (we’re no fair-weather fans) and it certainly was not going to now that Whitewater Ramble, leaving tradition behind, plugged in and opened up the weekend with some lively tunes.

Drew Emmitt of Leftover Salmon will bring The Drew Emmitt Band to Shoe Fest over the weekend of September 6th-8th. Shoe Fest is a three day outdoor music and camping event, featuring live music performances, which will take place at Camp Shaw-waw-nas-see in Manteno, IL.Floodwood, featuring Al Schnier and Vinnie Amico of moe.

Get on the Bus! Pickin’ on the Poudre is the quintessential Mishawaka BOOMshakalaka! Awkward as that may seem to describe the Fort Collins bluegrass quartet Head for the Hills composed of Adam Kinghorn (Guitar), Michael Chappell (Mandolin), Joe Lessard (Fiddle), and Matt Loewen (Bass), it’s appropriate. For nine years, H4TH has blown away Cache la Poudre patrons with their acrobatic backwoods antics.

Mishawaka Amphitheatre's 2013 season commences this Saturday May 18 with Head For The Hills' Pickin on the Poudre, presented by 88.9 FM KRFC. This event has become a beloved tradition...opening the venue's summer season with the Fort Collins area's premier bluegrass group.

North Carolina’s Steep Canyon Rangers have been picking quality bluegrass since their formation in the early 2000s, but it took a little while for their well-deserved recognition and success to begin snowballing.

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