Article Contributed by Gratefulweb
Published on 2026-02-17
High in the Colorado Rockies, where bluegrass meets alpine air, two of the most influential forces in modern roots music will converge for a pair of unforgettable summer nights. Trampled By Turtles and Leftover Salmon bring their boundary-breaking blend of Americana, jamgrass, and high-energy string music to Dillon Amphitheater on Friday, August 7 and Saturday, August 8, 2026.
Tickets go on sale Friday, February 20 at 10:00 AM MT.
Friday Tickets |
Saturday Tickets
TRAMPLED BY TURTLES
Trampled by Turtles are from Duluth, Minnesota, where frontman Dave Simonett initially formed the group as a side project in 2003. At the time, Simonett had lost most of his music gear, thanks to a group of enterprising car thieves who ransacked his vehicle while he played a show with his previous band. Left with nothing more than an acoustic guitar, he began piecing together a new band, this time taking inspiration from bluegrass, folk, and other genres that didn’t rely on amplification.
Simonett hadn’t played any bluegrass music before, and he filled his lineup with other newcomers to the genre, including fiddler Ryan Young (who’d previously played drums in a speed metal act) and bassist Tim Saxhaug. Along with mandolinist Erik Berry and banjo player Dave Carroll, the group began carving out a fast, frenetic sound that owed as much to rock & roll as bluegrass.
Their crossover appeal has landed them at the #1 spot on Billboard’s Bluegrass Charts with every record they’ve released while playing marquee festivals like Coachella, ACL Fest, and Lollapalooza. Countless tours with diverse artists ranging from Shakey Graves, Zach Bryan, Wilco, Caamp, Mt. Joy, Willie Nelson, The Avett Brothers, Lord Huron and many more have followed, solidifying a loyal fanbase. Their last full-length album Alpenglow was produced by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy. 2025 began with the band releasing a cover of Bon Iver’s “From Emma” with Caamp’s Taylor Meier (aka Sumbuck) on lead vocals. A few new collaborations are set to be announced in the coming weeks.
LEFTOVER SALMON
Few bands stick around for thirty-five years. Even fewer leave a legacy during that time that marks them as a truly special, once-in-a-lifetime band. And no band has done all that — and had as much fun doing it — as Leftover Salmon.
Since their earliest days as a forward-thinking, progressive bluegrass band with the guts to add drums to the mix — unafraid to stir in any number of highly combustible styles into their ever-evolving sound — to their role as pioneers of the modern jamband scene, Leftover Salmon has been a crucial link in keeping traditional music alive while pushing it forward with their uniquely weird style.
The band now features a lineup that has been together longer than any other in Salmon history and is one of the strongest the legendary band has ever assembled. Built around founding members Drew Emmitt and Vince Herman, the group is powered by banjo wizard Andy Thorn and driven by the steady rhythm section of bassist Greg Garrison, drummer Alwyn Robinson, and dobro player & keyboardist Jay Starling.
The current lineup continues Salmon’s long, storied history — emerging from progressive bluegrass, coming of age as one of the original jam bands, and rising to become architects of what is now known as jamgrass. They helped create a landscape where bands schooled in traditional bluegrass could break free through nontraditional instrumentation and an innate ability to push songs into new psychedelic directions live.
For more than three decades, Salmon has never stood still. They are constantly changing, evolving, and inspiring. If someone wanted to understand what Americana music truly is, they could do no better than to attend a Leftover Salmon show — where the band effortlessly glides from a front-porch bluegrass number to the down-and-dirty Cajun swamps of Bourbon Street, before firing one up high in the Colorado mountains.
