Grateful Web caught up with Dave Johnston of Yonder Mountain String Band just in time to talk about 2016 so far and the upcoming Red Rocks show on August 20th, 2016.  They will headline with Preservation Hall Jazz Band and the Drive-By Truckers in support.  

GW: So you are in the studio today, that is very cool.  Can you tell me more about that?

Let me begin by saying that this was a typical Umphrey’s McGee show. And I was really happy with that. You see, UM does something not a lot of other bands are able to do: they bring a great energy and excitement to everything they are doing. To go along with this, all of the guys in the band are at the apex of musicians on their particular instruments and this means that even when they don’t “have it” they still play incredibly well and do great things.

The monsoons came late to southern Colorado and New Mexico this summer, causing festival promoters to watch the skies. Here in South Fork, CO at the opening of the 11^th annual Rhythms on the Rio Music Festival rain-heavy clouds released their payloads earlier in the day, well before the festival opened around 5 pm. Alexander Kofi and the Jah Kings’ great vibe pushed those clouds further away to reveal a great night for some spectacular music.

The decline of 1970's Grateful Dead piano player Keith Godchaux was sad but not entirely unexpected. The hardships of the never-ending grueling tour and travel schedule (that had always been for The Dead) had taken its toll on Keith and his wife Donna Jean Godchaux, a talented Muscle Sholes-alum vocalist. It was Donna who introduced Keith to Jerry Garcia in 1971 after a Dead show they had attended.

A magical weekend came to a close on the captivating grounds of historic Black Oak Ranch in Mendocino County as the 6th annual Enchanted Forest Gathering wrapped another wondrous festival experience within the lush embrace of the majestic oak forest and refreshing Tenmile Creek.

Since 2011, Steady Legend has been entertaining audiences in Austin as well as the state of Texas. Two years after the release of their debut album in 2015, the band is preparing to release their second album “Chapter Two” in January 2017.

FREAKY DEAKY - The Largest Halloween Event in the Midwest - is thrilled to announce the complete artist lineup for its eighth anniversary! The 3-day festival returns to the expansive Toyota Park just outside of downtown Chicago in Bridgeview, Illinois over Halloween weekend. Featuring 50+ artists spanning multiple genres, Freaky Deaky 2016 promises a chilling and thrilling experience that will bring the freak out of everyone this October.