Article Contributed by Mike
Published on 2026-03-10
Photo: Courtesy of Z2 Entertainment
Z2 Entertainment and 105.5 The Colorado Sound present an evening of thoughtful indie folk and singer-songwriter storytelling as Blind Pilot and John Craigie take the stage at Chautauqua Auditorium in Boulder on Thursday, June 25, 2026.
Doors open at 6:00 pm with the show beginning at 7:00 pm. Tickets go on sale Friday, March 13 at 10:00 am and can be purchased HERE. This event is open to all ages.
The evening brings together two artists whose music resonates through sincerity, lyrical depth, and a shared reverence for the connective power of song.
The first Blind Pilot album in eight years, In the Shadow of the Holy Mountain, emerged from a period of artistic crisis and the radical transformation of their creative ecosystem.
“I went through a few years where I wasn’t able to write—I tried therapy, I read books on writer’s block, I went on writing trips, but nothing was helping,” says Israel Nebeker, frontman for the Oregon-bred band. After stepping back and reimagining his songwriting approach, Nebeker challenged himself to write an entire album in a month, then brought those songs to his bandmates with a newfound sense of receptivity.
“I told myself that whatever songs came through in that month would be for the love of the band and music we make together,” Nebeker explains. “Instead of being controlling in the studio, I wanted to let the songs live and breathe with the band as an entity. By the time we finished, it was the most joy we’d ever had in making an album together.”
Produced by Josh Kaufman (The Hold Steady, David Wax Museum), In the Shadow of the Holy Mountain brings a potent new energy to the elegantly composed folk and indie rock heard on past albums like 2016’s And Then Like Lions. In a profound step forward for the band — whose lineup also includes drummer and co-founder Ryan Dobrowski, bassist Luke Ydstie, and multi-instrumentalist Kati Claborn — Blind Pilot’s fourth full-length unfolds with remarkable fluidity, fully harnessing the group’s undeniable chemistry.
“In the past we’ve always been very serious and intentional about the process, but Josh often encouraged us to throw away our preconceived notions of what the songs were supposed to be,” says Nebeker. “So much of the album came from all of us playing live together, listening to each other and trusting our instincts, and really getting to the core of the song,” Dobrowski adds.
The result is perhaps the most revelatory expression yet of Blind Pilot’s deep reverence for music as a connective force. While the band plans to tour primarily as a quartet in support of the record, the album also features contributions from longtime trumpeter and keyboardist Dave Jorgensen and vibraphonist Ian Krist.
For Dobrowski and Nebeker — who formed an early iteration of the band as college students in the mid-2000s — the moments of closeness and collaboration remain the lifeblood of Blind Pilot.
“For me making this album felt like celebrating being together and still feeling that deep connection that’s been a throughline for our entire adult lives,” Dobrowski says. “One of my favorite things about music is the way it connects us as bandmates, connects us to an audience, and then connects people in that audience with each other. It’s this powerful thing that’s unlike anything else — and in a way it’s kind of like magic.”
For over a decade, John Craigie has built a devoted following through music that draws listeners in not with spectacle but with sincerity and songs that feel like conversations.
His new album I Swam Here, out February 6, 2026 on Zabriskie Point Records, was written and produced by Craigie and recorded between New Orleans and Astoria. Seven tracks were cut at Deslonde St Studios with musicians handpicked by Sam Doores of The Deslondes, including Howe Pearson, Max Bien Khan, Jonny Campos, and a guest appearance from Desiree Cannon. Longtime collaborator Anna Moss appears across much of the record.
The remaining tracks were completed at the Rope Room in Astoria, maintaining the same sonic palette and collaborative spirit. The album’s cover art, painted by Brittany Schall, nods to the design of mid-century samba and jazz records.
The singles from the album trace the path of its creation. “Fire Season,” engineered by Bart Budwig, was among the first songs written and features Cooper Trail, Nevada Sowle, Luke Ydstie, and Jamie Greenan. “Dry Land” was reworked in Astoria after early New Orleans sessions did not quite capture the intended feeling. “Edna Strange,” inspired by Marty Robbins, stands out as the only track where Craigie plays steel-string acoustic guitar, accompanied by Max Bien Khan on nylon-string leads and a trio vocal arrangement replacing Moss’s harmonies.
Following 2024’s Pagan Church with TK & The Holy Know-Nothings — which spent six weeks at No. 1 on the Americana Albums chart — I Swam Here feels both expansive and intimate, shaped equally by the musical history of the Gulf Coast and the quiet landscapes of the Pacific Northwest.
Craigie remains a tireless live performer, touring throughout the United States, Europe, and Australia. He has appeared at festivals including Newport Folk, Pickathon, Edmonton Folk Festival, and High Sierra while sharing stages with artists such as Langhorne Slim, Sierra Hull, Gregory Alan Isakov, Brett Dennen, and Jack Johnson.
His annual #KeepItWarm Tour donates $1 from every ticket sold to regional nonprofits, and his John Craigie On The River trips along the Tuolumne and Rogue rivers have become beloved gatherings for fans.
I Swam Here represents a grounded, collaborative step forward — blending New Orleans grit with Pacific Northwest stillness while showing a songwriter continually widening the world of his music.
Event Details
Blind Pilot + John Craigie
Chautauqua Auditorium – Boulder, CO
Thursday, June 25, 2026
Doors: 6:00 pm | Show: 7:00 pm
All Ages
