As we celebrate the return of RockyGrass, the El Niño has blessed Colorado with one of the lushest summers in years. Our sod, planted last spring, has flourished into an iridescent green with the spring and summer rains. This past week, 300 students young and old re-awakened the Ranch with the ancient tones of Bill Monroe and beyond at the RockyGrass Academy. This weekend we welcome 4,000 Festivarians to bring the Festival to life, sharing the finest acoustic music this side of the bluegrass universe—as KGNU streams the music to the other side of the universe for our friends who couldn’t make it. Once again, we are proud to fill your vintage reusable cup with New Belgium’s Summer Bliss, along with a tasty selection of other NBB brews. For the first time, we’ll also be serving delicious cocktails made with natural ingredients from local artisans, including sangrias, margaritas, and gin drinks. This year, know that your beverage tips will help fund solar panels for 6 new permanently affordable homes in Lyons, thanks to our partnership with Habitat for Humanity, the Town of Lyons, and Sunsense Solar.
Along with installing a new solar system on our Wildflower Pavilion, Sunsense is providing free solar phone-charging inside the Festival grounds. And we’re continuing our transition to reusables, offering long-lasting sporks instead of compostable utensils to reduce the amount of waste being trucked out of Lyons. Don’t miss the HillBenders late-night reimagining of Tommy in the Wildflower Pavilion on Saturday. Then hold your loved ones close (in the Western Swing style), as we present Red Knuckles’ first-ever headliner show on Sunday. Drink lots of water; use sunscreen often; pick, dance and sing; and have the time of your life. We’re so glad you’re here. LOVE, THE FOLKS ON PLANET BLUEGRASS
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There is no lifeguard watching your kids in the river. Please monitor your children carefully. Climbing the hillsides or cliffs is strictly prohibited. Feel free to sit in any open tarp (especially up front) until the tarp’s owners return. Please do not smoke in the audience. Wander over to the smoking tent near the river and deposit your butts in the proper receptacles. Please. Once placed on, wristbands are non-refundable and nontransferable. If you remove, tear, damage, or lose your wristband, we will not replace it. Please use only low-backed chairs in designated areas. If we can roll a basketball under your chair, we will ask you to move it behind the sound booth. Umbrellas, shade tents, and other view-obstructing items are allowed only along the river and back perimeter.
TARP LINE POLICY
Festivarians may begin assembling for the next day at midnight
Lost and found is located at the festival box office.
At a designated time after midnight Planet Bluegrass will randomly distribute numbers to everyone in the line; one number per person
No dogs are allowed at the festival, in the campground, or in the parking lots. If you leave your dog in your car, we will call Animal Control and safely remove your dog from the car by whatever means necessary.
The next morning, Festivarians will be admitted into the festival in this randomly-assigned order, followed by first-come first-served
Please be respectful of others and do not stand in the festival seating areas.
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SALADS & THINGS
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With your help, the Planet Bluegrass festivals have become models of Sustainable Festivation. As we continue to refine and expand this communal effort, here are four areas we’re focusing on this year. WASTE AND REUSE
Three years ago we took the next step toward “zero-waste” by removing all landfill trash containers from the inner festival grounds, allowing us to achieve a 90% landfill diversion rate inside the festival. We encourage you to pack-out any non-recyclable, non-compostable trash. The Sustainable Festivation crewmembers at each waste station (members of the Lyons High School band) will help you sort your waste and direct you to the appropriate waste containers. Even better than compost and recycling is reuse. This year we’re replacing single-use compostable utensils with reusable sporks (a spoon, a fork, and a knife in a single long-lasting utensil). Buy yours for $1 from any food vendor and reuse it throughout the festival. Or if you’d prefer a full setting, we’re selling 5-piece bamboo sets (spoon, fork, knife, and chopsticks) at the Country Store with a handy case and carabiner. We’ve extended reuse into our wine booth again this year by switching from bottles to high quality cask wines. By using reusable wine kegs we’re saving hundreds of glass bottles while offering higher quality premium wines.
If you must dispose of your reusable beer cup, please use the special cup recycling containers (by the beverage booth and festival exits) to help us close the loop on recycling.
FOOD AND WATER
We encourage everyone to “drink local” using our free locally-filtered water stations (next to the beverage booth and behind the box office). If you forgot to bring your reusable bottle, we’ll be selling long-lasting Klean Kanteens at the Country Store.
Backstage, where we serve over 350 meals per day to artists and staff, we continue to source most produce from Colorado farms. Our partnership with Colorado’s Red Bird Chicken allows us to offer chicken that is treated humanely and raised hormone- and antibiotic-free.
LOCAL ECOSYSTEM
Thanks to flood recovery donations from New Belgium Brewing, this Spring we planted several hundred new native trees and shrubs along the river corridor and throughout the property. Please tread lightly near this new vegetation (marked by pink ribbons); these plants are an important part of restoring our riparian ecosystem after the 2013 flood. We do our part to protect our local ecosystem throughout the year by fertilizing the Ranch with 100% chicken manure while using no herbicides or pesticides on the property. The 7 acres of sod, which we planted on the festival grounds after the flood, is a special strain of Texas Bluegrass that requires 2/3 less water than our pre-flood Kentucky Bluegrass.
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ENERGY AND OFFSETS
Our festivals and offices have been 100% wind-powered since 2004, thanks to our partnership with Renewable Choice Energy. This year we’re again purchasing carbon offsets to neutralize the emissions created by all our artists’ travel and lodging as well as the shuttle buses in Lyons.
Last fall our partners at Sunsense Solar donated their time and expertise to install a 13.2kWh solar panel array on the south roof of the Wildflower Pavilion. Funded in part by contributions from Keen Footwear, this array of 54 SunPower modules is the largest solar project in Lyons to date, and the first Lyons project to utilize net metering to feed excess power back into the grid. With an anticipated annual production of 20,000 kWh, this system is expected to prevent the emission of 15.5 tons of CO2 per year.
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8TH ANNUAL CAMPSITE CHALLENGE:
With more than 2,000 campers in Lyons this weekend (more than doubling the size of our town!), it’s more important than ever to be mindful of our camping footprint. In collaboration with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics and EcoProducts (suppliers of free BioBags for your campground compost), we will again be rewarding campsites that excel in creative, sustainable camping. To nominate your campsite or one of your neighbors: 1. Submit a 1-page entry form at the Leave No Trace booth – explaining how the campsite exhibits clean liness, sustainability, and creativity. 2. Stop by the Leave No Trace booth each day to view all the campsite entries and vote for your favorites.
Each day we select 2 winners —one random, one staff choice—for prize packages that include: • New Belgium beer • Kelty coolers • Klean Kanteen reusables
Planet Bluegrass will select the Grand Prize winner (of 2016 on-site camping passes!) after the campground pack-out on Monday.
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Congratulations to 2014 winners: Happy Birthday Grass
A year ago, a huge sense of relief swept over Planet Bluegrass. The 500-year flood that devastated our land in September 2013 could not keep us from welcoming Festivarians back for the RockyGrass “Rebirth Celebration.” After a tireless 10 months of rebuilding, the Ranch was ready—even with some improvements. But while the recovery of Planet Bluegrass is essentially complete, our town continues the long work of rebuilding. Many residents are still displaced; our parks still need repair; and many other projects are underway to rebuild Lyons stronger than ever. Planet Bluegrass has now turned our attention to helping rebuild Lyons. The flood blasted away many homes—homes that could not be rebuilt in the new floodway. So as our first project, Planet Bluegrass has joined with Habitat for Humanity and the Town of Lyons to develop up to 6 permanently affordable “habitat homes” in our town. In June, Planet Bluegrass purchased the former Valley Bank property (on 2nd & Park Street) that had been vacant since the flood. We have
Future site for Habitat for Humanity homes.
begun the rezoning process that will ultimately provide 6 new homes to replace those that were lost in the flood. And here’s how Festivarian Nation is going to help… The tips you left at last year’s New Belgium beer booth were donated to help rebuild the fire station lost in the flood. This year, your RockyGrass beer booth tips will help fund the installation of solar panels on Lyons’ new Habitat for Humanity homes. (Thanks to our ongoing partnership with Sunsense Solar, who helped bring solar power to the newly rebuilt Wildflower Pavilion.) With every cold pint of RockyGrass Summer Bliss, you are helping to bring permanently affordable housing back to Lyons AND these new homes will be sustainable—with a carbon footprint significantly less than the homes that were washed away.
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Parents: please accompany your children while in the family area.
We’re excited to welcome more younger Festivarians into the RockyGrass community every year. Join us in our expanded family area (next to the kids beach behind the Wildflower Pavilion) for a variety of fun, planet-minded activities throughout the day – 10:30am ‘til 5pm. COLORADO MOUNTAIN CLUB
Strum, beat, and play your way through the Instrument Petting Zoo! The entire family can try out ukuleles, hand drums, guitars, mandolins, banjos, fiddles, mini-pianos and more. Their knowledgeable staff of instrument petting zookeepers provide the instruments; you provide the curiosity. Serving the community since 1979, Swallow Hill promotes the joy of learning and listening to roots music through classes and concerts throughout the year.
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O
AMDA PEN I - 9LY PM
Visit the CMC booth for their daily schedule of youth-oriented outdoor adventure activities. Try out the slack line and hula hoops. Play mountain safety games, and discover 10 essential wilderness survival tips. Take your knot-tying skills to new heights, while safely ascending a tree. Founded in 1912, the CMC acts as a gateway to the mountains for novices and experts alike, offering year-round activities, events, and schools centered on outdoor recreation.
FAST • FRESH • LOCAL Glacier Ice Cream • Soft Serve Burgers • Hot Dogs • Sandwiches Shakes & Malts • Fresh Cut Fries FREE SINGLE SCOOP WITH ANY PURCHASE WITH YOUR WRISTBAND 138 MAIN STREET, LYONS
303.823.5800
LYONSDAIRYBAR.COM 10
SWALLOW HILL MUSIC ASSOCIATION
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ROCKYGRASS CONTESTS BRING OUT THE BEST IN PICKERS AND JUDGES BY JOHN LEHNDORFF When the first fiddler launches into “Tom and Jerry” to start the instrument contests on Friday, they’ll be standing onstage in the Wildflower Pavilion in part because of their parents, Bill Monroe, and Tom Hicks. Everybody knows Bill as the Father of Bluegrass Music. But he also put up his own money in 1973 to fund the first Rocky Mountain Bluegrass Festival and the first contests at the Adams County Fairground. Tom Hicks has been one of the Festival’s unsung heroes for 16 years. As the RockyGrass Contest Director he has helped turn the instrument and band contests from a regional honor into one of the most coveted awards the bluegrass festival world has to offer. Just ask previous band winners like the Steep Canyon Rangers. Hicks had entered the fiddle and mandolin contests at the Pitkin County Fair and judged contests in the early years of the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. When the Festival moved to Lyons and became “RockyGrass,” Hicks answered the call for a Contest Director. “I’m a fairly organized person and I had been a deejay so I thought I could do it,” he said in his matter-of-fact way. He arrived with a calm demeanor, a box full of forms and pencils, and a format he liked for the instrumental contests. “It was three tunes, no repeats. No electric instruments and only one backup musician. And judging was to be done in the blind,” he said.
entirely—a fact Hicks was loathe to divulge. “The judges don’t know who is playing. The contestants are only referred to by number,” he said. He also lined up more than a few good judges over the years who needed more than a capacity to hear “Grey Eagle” over and over again. “You need to be a musician. You have to have that ear. A good judge has a pretty good idea about the player’s skills in a few bars,” he said. Noting the overall ability, expression, rhythm, tone and general tastiness, judges have to move along because there are up to a dozen musicians in each category. “You can’t take all day doing it,” Hicks said.
He likes to remind potential contestants that The 3 RockyGrass judges for the fiddle, guitar, while they may be iconic acoustic musicians now, mandolin, banjo and dobro categories are not only Mark O’Connor and Tim O’Brien were unknowns not in the audience, they are in another building when they competed at the Festival.
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“It’s the flatpicking guitar contest. One guy pulled out his fingerpicks Bryan MacDowell knows a bit about entering con- and got eliminated.”
‘YOU COMPETE AGAINST YOURSELF’
– Contest Director Tom Hicks
tests and the impact it can have on a bluegrass career. In 2009 he won the Winfield championships in fiddle, mandolin and guitar. A year later, ‘THIS IS SHOW BUSINESS’ as a 19-year-old, he entered every RockyGrass When it came to the band contest, Tom Hicks said he instrument contest except the dobro and won the formulated the rules after seeing Del McCoury and Hot Rize singing around one microphone. “For the RockyGrass fiddle, guitar, and banjo contests. band contestants, I decided one mic was the way to “RockyGrass was a big thing, but there’s only do it. That’s the way they used to do it and there was pressure if you let it get to you,” MacDowell said. some choreography required. This is show business, “When you are playing in a contest the most impor- so we’re looking for stage presence,” Hicks said. tant thing is not to look at it as a competition. It’s ultimately a platform to share your talents,” he said. Needless to say, the judges in the band category are in the audience to see the bands perform. MacDowell’s best advice to contestants—besides “don’t exceed the time limit”—is to avoid trying to At 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, it’s a given that the Wildimpress the judges by playing fast. “Technique is flower Pavilion will be standing room only with important but play with taste, not just a lot of notes. folks wanting to hear the next great bluegrass Establish once that you can play fast but don’t do band. “The last few years of the band contest it all the whole way through,” he said. “The judges have been very memorable. Where else in the want to make sure the player is not a one trick pony.” world can you come and hear this many talented musicians?” Hicks said. He urges musicians to not be intimidated by contests. “Prepare well and then have fun. Any competitor When the 43rd annual RockyGrass opens Friday with learns something every time they enter a contest,” he 2014’s band winner, Caribou Mountain Collective, one said, adding that he almost never saw contestants man will be missing. Tom Hicks retired this spring. trying to psyche-out other musicians. “If someone tries to do that to you it probably means you’ve got “I’ve done it for 16 years. Plus: I don’t want to be away from my garden for a week or more in late July. ’em worried. It’s almost a compliment,” he said. You can blame it on the squash bugs,” he said. MacDowell hasn’t been back to RockyGrass since his triple win. He said he can’t wait to take the “I have a lot of gratitude for all the folks who have main stage Friday night as a member of the Claire entered the contest over the 16 years. It was all about them.” Lynch Band.
Veteran journalist John Lehndorff has written about Colorado music festivals since the late 1970s.
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Since the first Rocky Mountain Bluegrass Festival in 1973, the band and instrument contests have been a central part of the festival experience. Past finalists have included Mark O’Connor (1974), Tim O’Brien (1975), Steep Canyon Rangers (2001) and Chatham County Line (2004). Discover the next generation of musicians as they vie for new instruments and spots on the main stage.
INSTRUMENT COMPETITIONS Each instrument contestant performs 2 tunes in the preliminary round. The top 3 on each instrument advance to the final round where they perform 2 different tunes. Judged “in the blind,” pickers and fiddlers are scored using the following criteria:
PRIZES
1st Prize: New Instrument! (see below) 2nd Prize: $100 3rd Prize: $50
50% OVERALL ABILITY
(includes difficulty, expression, and execution)
25% RHYTHM 25% TONE
MANDOLIN
1st Prize: Gibson Sam Bush Signature Model F-5 Prelims: Friday, 2:30pm, Wildflower Pavilion Finals: Saturday, 10:00am, Main Stage
BANJO
FIDDLE
1st Prize: Deering John Hartford Banjo Prelims: Friday, 11:30am, Wildflower Pavilion Finals: Saturday, 10:30am, Main Stage
1st Prize: 1948 A. Schroetter Violin Prelims: Friday, 4:00pm, Wildflower Pavilion Finals: Saturday, 9:45am, Main Stage
FLATPICK GUITAR
DOBRO
1st Prize: Gibson J-29 Acoustic Guitar Prelims: Friday, 1:00pm, Wildflower Pavilion Finals: Saturday, 10:15am, Main Stage
1st Prize: Dobro Hound Dog Deluxe Square Neck Prelims: Friday, 5:30pm, Wildflower Pavilion Finals: Saturday, 9:30am, Main Stage
BAND COMPETITION
Cheer on these inspiring young bands as they gather around a single microphone to compete for a spot on the 2016 RockyGrass lineup.
SCHEDULE
Prelims: Saturday, 1:30pm, Wildflower Pavilion Finals: Sunday, 1:30pm, Wildflower Pavilion
BAND COMPETITION PRIZES 1st Prize: $750, strings & 2016 RockyGrass main stage performance 2nd Prize: $500 & strings 3rd Prize: $300 & strings
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2015 CONTEST BANDS The Blackberry Bushes Seattle, WA Bottom Dollar String Band Austin, TX Cisco and the Racecars Chandler, AZ Gallatin Canyon Charlottesville, VA
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Grandpa’s Cough Medicine Jacksonville, FL Mary Beth Cross & Meadow Mountain Music Denver, CO Mayhem Gulch Boulder, CO Mipso Chapel Hill, NC
Rapidgrass Golden, CO Red Dog Ash Denair, CA Silver Plume Denver, CO Twisted Pine Boston, MA
Featuring more than 350 photos; full-page reproductions of each poster; essays by Sam Bush, Chris Thile, Béla Fleck, Tim O’Brien, and dozens of others; and year-by-year accounts by Pastor Mustard. SPECIAL ROCKYGRASS PRICING!
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MAIN STAGE FRIDAY JULY 24
SATURDAY
JULY 25
SUNDAY
10:00am Gates Open
9:00am Gates Open
10:00am Gates Open
11:00 - Noon Caribou Mountain Collective
9:30 - 11:15am Instrument Contest Finals
10:30 - 11:30am Greg Blake & Mountain Soul
12:15 - 1:30pm Sierra Hull
11:30 - 12:30pm Wood & Wire
1:45 - 3:00pm The Kruger Brothers
12:45 - 1:45pm Chatham County Line
3:30 - 4:45pm Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band
2:00 - 3:15pm Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
5:15 - 6:30pm Claire Lynch Band
3:45 - 5:00pm Dailey & Vincent
7:00 - 8:30pm The Infamous Stringdusters
5:30 - 6:45pm I’m With Her:
9:00 - 10:30pm Earls of Leicester
featuring Jerry Douglas
Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz & Aoife O’Donovan
7:15 - 8:30pm Del & Dawg 9:00 - 10:30pm Sam Bush Bluegrass Band
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JULY 26
(Gospel set)
11:45 - 12:45pm Billy Strings & Don Julin 1:00 - 2:15pm Danny Paisley
& the Southern Grass
2:45 - 4:00pm Crooked Still 4:30 - 6:00pm The David Grisman Sextet 6:30 - 8:00pm Del McCoury Band 8:30 - 10:00pm Red Knuckles & the Trailblazers
WILDFLOWER PAVILION
FRIDAY
JULY 24
Instrument contests: see page 14 for details.
SATURDAY JULY 25
SUNDAY JULY 26
12:30pm Shepherd Valley Waldorf School Strings
Noon
1:30pm Band Contest: Preliminary Round 3:45pm Wood & Wire: The Woodshed Sessions 5:00pm Billy Strings and Don Julin
11:00pm The HillBenders TOMMY: A Bluegrass Opry
Pete & Joan Wernick: Basic Jamming, Only 4 Chords Needed - GCDA (Bring your instrument!)
1:30pm Band Contest: Final Round 3:00pm Eli West and Ryan Drickey: American and Swedish Folk Traditions 4:30pm Livingston’s Bluegrass Bonanza
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CARIBOU MOUNTAIN COLLECTIVE
Friday 11:00 - Noon
It is a unique honor to play the first Sun—out today!). CMC’s RockyGrass notes of the season to reverberate roots already run deep as Allen Cooke off Planet Bluegrass’ sandstone won the 2013 RockyGrass dobro cliffs. We’re confident that Caribou contest and bassist Curly Collins Mountain Collective will exceed your played the Wildflower with Mountain expectations! The Nederland, CO Standard Time. Together with fiddler quartet have accomplished a lot in Etienne Cremieux and guitarist Miles two laps around the sun: gold stars Perry, their sound is tactfully maudlin on their bluegrass report card include and freshly sentimental, with catchy reaching #19 on the Relix Radio melodies and clever lyrics. To hear a Chart and releasing a music video CMC song is like reconnecting with for their tune “Long Gone” (from their an old friend—familiar, comfortable sophomore CD Went Down With The and restoring.
At age 23 most of us are clueless, professionally flailing and trying to figure out how to make it in the world. But while youth is an obstacle for many budding careers, Sierra Hull seems to have mastered time—and people are noticing. Her star-studded fan club includes Dolly Parton, who has declared Sierra “a beautiful and talented gift to this world.” Other acclaimed pals include Alison Krauss, who mentored Sierra from a young age (even
THE KRUGER BROTHERS
Friday 1:45 - 3:00pm
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taking her along, at age 10, to perform at the White House); and Béla Fleck, who is producing Sierra’s upcoming third album. The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) has nominated her for 8 different awards, and her high, pure voice is reminiscent of a young Alison herself. Oh—and Sierra writes most of her own music. If you’re hunting for a Whole Package kinda gal, look no further—she’s up on stage this Friday afternoon.
Originally hailing from Switzerland, the Kruger brothers—Jens (banjo), Uwe (guitar), and bandmate Joel Landsberg (bass)—have dexterously mastered the American spirit. In fact, they have been so seamlessly indoctrinated that Doc Watson himself once announced, “The Kruger Brothers are just about as fine a band as I’ve ever played with.” The banjo defines their unique sound: simultaneously crisp and alert like morning birdsong, yet soft and
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SIERRA HULL
Friday 12:15 - 1:30pm
dreamy as a cool creek on a hot day. Their newest album, 2015’s smart and delicate Lucid Dreaming, features the Kontras Quartet ingeniously recreating the hypnagogic process of falling asleep and discovering cognizance therein. Despite the record’s vast exploration of slumber, the Kruger Brothers will do anything but put you to sleep. To watch is to be transported to a new place altogether, somewhere pleasant, familiar and serene—a waking dream.
PETER ROWAN BLUEGRASS BAND
Friday 3:30 - 4:45pm
“Music to me was all that longing of adolescence…the romanticism… the lonesome sound.” These days, the pickin’ scene is replete with mentions of ‘progressive’ and ‘innovative.’ But what about tradition and heritage? In a world constantly moving forward and moving on, Peter Rowan ably bears the torch of the past. His résumé reflects a prodigious career— strumming with Bill Monroe and Jerry Garcia, playing the Grand Ole Opry, and winning Grammys. This Friday
In 2014, Digital Journal listed Claire Lynch as “One of the 10 Best Angelic Voices of Our Time.” Long recognized as a creative force in acoustic music, Claire is a pioneer who continually pushes the boundaries of the bluegrass genre. At the 2014 IBMA Awards, she received two trophies: Song of the Year for “Dear Sister” (the title cut from her latest CD); and Recorded Event of the Year for a guest vocal appearance with Special Consensus on Country Boy: A
THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS
Friday 7:00 - 8:30pm
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afternoon, with bandmates Keith Little (banjo), Paul Knight (bass), Chris Henry (mandolin), and Blaine Sprouse (fiddle), Peter will bridge the ages, marrying yesterday’s sound with today’s sound systems. Although Peter’s style is often evocative of times past, it is anything but passé. Peter and his Bluegrass Band deftly traverse the decades, masterfully reminding us of what has been, while maintaining a signature flair unlike anything we have heard before.
Bluegrass Tribute to John Denver. The current Claire Lynch Band has the innate ability to perfectly interpret the beauty and subtlety of Claire’s music, featuring 2-time IBMAwinning bassist / clawhammer banjo player / dancer / percussionist Mark Schatz, soulful mandolinist/guitarist Jarrod Walker, and young string wizard Bryan McDowell—who at age 18, earned an unprecedented triple win in both the Winfield and RockyGrass instrument contests.
They can shred. They can serenade. And, perhaps most remarkably, each and every Stringduster is a skilled songwriter. Experts at coloring outside the lines, Andy Hall (dobro), Andy Falco (guitar), Chris Pandolfi (banjo), Jeremy Garrett (fiddle), and Travis Book (bass) flirt with a number of genres: bluegrass, pop, folk, country, and some unidentifiable offshoot of gypsy blues. While their studio albums outline the spirit of each tune, their melodies truly come
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CLAIRE LYNCH BAND
Friday 5:15 - 6:30pm
to life onstage. But their rigorous boundary-pushing isn’t limited to fingers on strings. The adventurous ‘Duster attitude shows in everything they do: from guest sit-ins (Phil Lesh, John Scofield) to hauling their instruments along on a 100-mile paddle trip up the Salmon River— accompanied by their biggest fans, of course. On this Friday evening, we find ourselves on a different river, but our expectations for adventure are colossal nonetheless.
EARLS OF LEICESTER
FEATURING JERRY DOUGLAS
Friday 9:00 - 10:30pm
Jerry Douglas remembers the early rehearsals with the Earls of Leicester: “The first time we played through a song the hair went up on my arms.” A fan since he was 8, Jerry had carefully chosen his 5 fellow Earls to celebrate the musical personalities of the original Flatt & Scruggs: guitarist Shawn Camp (Lester), banjoist Charlie Cushman (Earl), fiddler Johnny Warren (son of original fiddler Paul Warren), bassist Barry Bales (Cousin Jake), and cur-
As its name suggests, Wood & Wire is an acoustic band with a love for pure music played well. Needing only the materials that make up their instruments to deliver their message, the band plays with an intensity and honesty that is undeniable. In 2011, the group—Dom Fisher (bass), Tony Kamel (guitar), and Trevor Smith (banjo)—exploded onto Austin’s bluegrass and old-time-music scene, quickly gaining a national following through extensive touring and
CHATHAM COUNTY LINE
Saturday 12:45 - 1:45pm
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rent touring mandolinist Jeff White (Curly). And of course, Jerry—the most acclaimed dobro player in history, with 3 CMA Musician of the Year nods and a discography surpassing 1,600 recordings—channeling Josh Graves. “It was so close to the original thing, I just knew this is it.” To close this Friday night, we welcome the 2015 Grammy winners back to the stage where they debuted 2 years ago, turning back the clock for an evening of authentic Flatt & Scruggs.
festival appearances. In 2014 they rounded out the quartet by adding mandolinist Billy Bright, a veteran of the scene who has worked with the likes of Tony Rice and Peter Rowan. With this newly solidified lineup, Wood & Wire are bringing their modern take on traditional music to fans around the country. Bluegrass aficionados will revel in Wood & Wire’s technical prowess and songwriting as they blend and bend the definition of the modern stringband.
Once a band has subscribed to a particular genre, there tends to be pressure to stay pigeonholed. Chatham County Line is a group of four gentlemen—Dave Wilson (guitar), John Teer (mandolin, fiddle), Chandler Holt (banjo), and Greg Readling (bass)—capable of ignoring that immense pressure. And as a result, their body of work—6 consistently inspired studio albums, capped by last year’s critically acclaimed Tightrope—is about as diverse and
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WOOD & WIRE
Saturday 11:30 - 12:30pm
thrilling as the local topography back home in North Carolina. CCL reconciles twang with emotion, artful lyricism with crisp instrumentals, and thoughtful, poignant storytelling with a buoyant stage presence. Masters of both reverence and revelry, this is a performance that won’t disappoint. If today is your first time seeing this dynamic foursome perform, prepare to fall in love; that’s how we’ve felt ever since they won the RockyGrass band competition back in 2004.
FRANK SOLIVAN & DIRTY KITCHEN
Saturday 2:00 - 3:15pm
Hot off the griddle with a 2015 Grammy nomination for Best Bluegrass Album, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen’s latest album Cold Spell sounds the way a well-mixed Old Fashioned tastes: a little of something familiar, a little of something sweet, and a little bite to make it edgy. The band itself follows the same recipe: comprised of Frank Solivan (mandolin), Mike Munford (banjo), Danny Booth (bass), and Chris Luquette (guitar), the FS&DK sound is reliev-
After a long day of stompin’ and slappin’ and general bluegrassery in the sun, Festivarians can get a little tuckered out. But go ahead and skip your afternoon coffee today, because this gang of Southern wonders is sure to persuade you to your feet. If bluegrass bands had collective closets, Dailey & Vincent’s would be full of brass and shiny stuff: they’ve been decorated to the nines by the IBMA (plus the odd Grammy nod or three), and it ain’t hard to see why. With
I’M WITH HER:
SARA WATKINS, SARAH JAROSZ & AOIFE O’DONOVAN
Saturday 5:30 - 6:45pm
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ing like a cool breeze and hot like an oven, all at the same time. Speaking of ovens, have you heard that they like to cook? If you’re lucky enough to catch the Dirty Kitchen Experience on tour, you’ll find yourself belly-up to a feast: Frank and friends are known for serving up gourmet supper with a tasty concert for dessert. Although you can’t eat what they’re cookin’ in the Kitchen this year at RockyGrass, we can’t promise it won’t whet your whistle anyway.
impeccable vocal harmonies, danceable melodies, and solid instrumental chops, the sextet of Jamie Dailey (guitar), Darrin Vincent (bass), Jeff Parker (mandolin), Christian Davis (guitar), BJ Cherryholmes (fiddle), and Jessie Baker (banjo) jump nimbly between driving bluegrass and gospel numbers fit for church. This Saturday afternoon keep your smiles and dancing shoes close by, because D&V are going to have you reaching for them again and again.
What’s got fifteen strings, the voice of 3 angels, and sports a mean shade of red lipstick? If you’re stumped, you obviously have yet to meet bluegrass’ newest band of beauties, I’m With Her. Despite all 3 members having essentially grown up at Planet Bluegrass festivals, fiddler Sara Watkins (Nickel Creek), banjoist Sarah Jarosz, and guitarist Aoife O’Donovan (Crooked Still) never jammed together until they co-led a workshop at last summer’s
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DAILEY & VINCENT
Saturday 3:45 - 5:00pm
Telluride Bluegrass Festival. And, as the old adage goes, the rest is history. Although the alluring trio has yet to release their first album, they have already bestowed upon our unworthy ears two ethereal singles, including a haunting a cappella rendition of Nina Simone’s “Be My Husband,” and a nostalgia-evoking cover of John Hiatt’s “Crossing Muddy Waters.” Bring a jacket to this set—it just might give you a case of goosebumps.
Nov. 6–8
2015
RHIANNON GIDDENS AUG 14 DAVID GRISMAN BLUEGRASS EXPERIENCE AND THE JEFF AUSTIN BAND SEPT 11 TICKETS SUMMERATTHECENTER.COM 720.898.7200 SPONSORED BY
CO-PRESENTED BY
Andrew Duhon
Mary Gauthier
John Fulbright Jonatha Brooke
Dar Williams
Ray Wiley Hubbard
Bruce Cockburn
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn
Cara Luft & The Small Glories 10 String Symphony • 3hattrio Anne McCue
August 9
435-259-3198 MoabFolkFestival.com presenting sponsor
produced in partnership with
concerts.botanicgardens.org JULY 24TH THROUGH 26TH
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DEL & DAWG
Saturday 7:15 - 8:30pm
For 50 years, Del McCoury’s music has defined authenticity for hardcore bluegrass fans, while remaining at the top of the list of what’s-goingon-today in bluegrass music. “Del epitomizes the bluegrass musician from the previous era, and also this one,” says Jerry Douglas. “He’s become like the new Bill Monroe.” By Del’s side this Saturday is iconic mandolinist David Grisman. An acoustic pioneer and innovator, David forged his own uniquely
A lot has happened since we first asked the King of our baby brother festival (Telluride, anyone?) to put together a special “Bluegrass” band for the 2001 RockyGrass. The mandolin (and fiddle) prodigy from Kentucky was already a towering figure in acoustic music: as the co-founder of seminal progressive bluegrassers New Grass Revival; or an in-demand collaborator with everyone from Emmylou Harris to Lyle Lovett. But now with 7 solo albums and an award-winning
GREG BLAKE & MOUNTAIN SOUL (GOSPEL SET)
Sunday 10:30 - 11:30am
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personal artistic path, combining elements of jazz and bluegrass with international flavors and sensibilities to create his own distinctive Dawg Music (the nickname given to him by Jerry Garcia). In doing so, he’s inspired new generations of acoustic string musicians, while creating his own niche in contemporary music. These two iconic figures have shared a musical and personal friendship for years, and you’ll hear their connection at RockyGrass.
documentary (Revival: The Sam Bush Story), this only-at-RockyGrass trad bluegrass set remains an important milestone for the master of in-thepocket grooves. On this Saturday night, Sam and his band—Scott Vestal (banjo), Stephen Mougin (guitar), Todd Parks (bass), and Chris Brown (drums)—make their boldest statement of the year by being defiantly traditional, fusing Sam’s lust-for-life energy and spiralling improvisations with Monroe’s ancient tones.
On this gospel Sunday morning we are called down to the St. Vrain River to rejoice in spirited harmonies and heavenly soul from the pulpit of the “Flatpickin’ Preacher.” A 5-time SPBGMA Bluegrass Guitar Performer of the Year (and two-time nominee for Traditional Male Vocalist of the Year), Greg Blake acquired his love for mountain-flavored music growing up in the hollers of Davis Creek, West Virginia. Since 2007, Pastor Greg has led the congregation at Elk
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SAM BUSH BLUEGRASS BAND
Saturday 9:00 - 10:30pm
Creek Community Church in Conifer, as well as lead vocals in the crack bluegrass outfit Jeff Scroggins & Colorado. Joined on this glorious RockyGrass morning by Jeff Scroggins (banjo), Tristan Scroggins (mandolin), KC Groves (bass), and Jake Simpson (fiddle), Greg’s deep, resonant voice leads us on a redemptive celebration of mountain soul from the immortal hollers of West Virginia to the sacred hilltops of Colorado.
led by Darrell Scott
BILLY STRINGS & DON JULIN
Sunday 11:45 - 12:45pm
Incendiary American roots music only scratches the surface of the intensity and authenticity of this duo-turnedtrio that has taken the acoustic world by storm in the past year. A lifelong guitar picker, Billy Strings is a rambunctious firecracker whose passion for playing and singing old time music maintains a precision and intensity rarely seen in acoustic music. Mandolinist Don Julin (author of Mandolin for Dummies) is a musical chameleon, equally comfortable
When Béla Fleck’s all-star bluegrass project closed the 2012 RockyGrass Saturday, the buzz in the crowd was united: who was that lead singer? But the diligent Festivarian recalls a Sunday afternoon in 2009, when Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass delivered one of the most gut-bustingly intense trad sets in recent RockyGrass memory. Danny’s career began in 1971 at age 15, when he joined his father Bob Paisley’s band the Southern Grass. When Bob passed in
CROOKED STILL
Sunday 2:45 - 4:00pm
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playing the sophisticated sounds of Dawg Music and the traditional driving chops of Appalachia. The two have formed an unlikely alliance that, along with newly assimilated bassist Kevin Gills, was dubbed by The Bluegrass Situation “the unholy child of Pantera and Tony Rice.” Hang on to your hats, this set is going to redefine what you think you know about the guitar / mandolin duo. Just when you think you’re ready, trust us when we say you’re not.
2004, Danny stepped up to carry on his family’s rich 4+ decade tradition. Backed today by the highwire energy of longtime fiddler T.J. Lundy (son of Southern Grass co-founder Ted Lundy), banjoist Mark Delaney, bassist Eric Troutman, and mandolinist Ryan Paisley (Danny’s 15-year-old son), this is no genre-bending whatsit ‘grass. This is powerful, no-count-offrequired, capital-B Bluegrass, sung with guts and bluesy soul, as if life hinges on every note.
As humans, we are simple creatures: we love music, and once we’ve connected with a tune, it becomes a part of our story. That being said, it can be devastating when a favorite group takes a break from touring— like when a good friend tells you they’re going to move far away. It felt kinda like that when Crooked Still announced they were going on hiatus in 2012. Ever since, we’ve longed to hear angelic Aoife O’Donovan sing over the expert accompaniment of Dr.
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DANNY PAISLEY
& THE SOUTHERN GRASS
Sunday 1:00 - 2:15pm
Gregory Liszt (banjo), Corey DiMario (bass), Tristan Clarridge (cello) and Brittany Haas (fiddle). Their songs are delicate and intricate works perfectly capable of jumping between American and Celtic roots, drawing on the historical legacy of beautiful string music everywhere. Like their popular Johnny Cash cover, nothing, not even a grave, can hold back this group of wonderfully talented musicians from sharing their gift with us.
10th Anniversary • September 18-20, 2015 Flagstaff, Arizona
RICKY SKAGGS & KENTUCKY THUNDER THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS Steep Canyon Rangers * Mountain Heart Laurie Lewis & The Righthands * Sierra Hull John Reischman & The Jaybirds AND MORE! camping • jamming • workshops • band contest
www.pickininthepines.org
JULY 24TH THROUGH 26TH
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THE DAVID GRISMAN SEXTET
Sunday 4:30 - 6:00pm
Much as hardcore bluegrassers look to 1946’s Blue Grass Boys recordings as the birth of classic bluegrass, so do progressive pickers look to the David Grisman Sextet’s self-titled 1977 debut as a watershed moment. Grisman grew up in New Jersey, studying Monroe-style mandolin in the ‘60s Greenwich Village folk scene. But it took a change of coasts (and forays into bluegrass, folk and rock), for him to find his instrumental voice, incorporating elements of
“Everybody else was crazy about Elvis, but I loved Earl.” So began Del McCoury’s half-century courtship with stringed instruments (the banjo and guitar, in particular). Del launched his career as one of Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys, eventually moving on to form his own band, the Dixie Pals, and later, to play with his sons, Ronnie (mandolin) and Rob (banjo). Other talented musicians wandered into the mix and then away again, but Jason Carter
RED KNUCKLES & THE TRAILBLAZERS
Sunday 8:30 - 10:00pm
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jazz, swing, and gypsy. With the 1977 album’s opening strums of “E.M.D.” Dawg Music emerged fully-formed, unleashing a new sound, repertoire, and worldly aesthetic onto the bluegrass and stringband universe. Nearly 40 years later, we’re thrilled to present the current David Grisman Sextet— George Cole (guitar), Chad Manning (fiddle), Matt Eakle (flute), Jim Kerwin (bass), George Marsh (drums)—for their first RockyGrass set in more than a decade.
(fiddle) and Alan Bartram (bass) are here to stay. Collectively, Del and the boys have almost as many all-star accolades as the number of years they’ve been a band, including 31 IBMA awards and two Grammys. On this closing evening of the 43rd RockyGrass, we’re proud to present one of the fundamental characters in the bluegrass saga to once again win over the hearts and voices of Festivarian Nation, as he’s done on this stage since 1994.
We survived a 500-year flood, so we figured, “heck, we can survive a headlining performance from Red Knuckles!” But let’s go ahead and admit it: we’re a little frightened. We’re handing over the Festival launch codes to a Western swing quartet from Wyoming, MT—and no one knows how this will end. After decades in the back of the Hot Rize bus, will Red’s extravagant lighting requirements break the Festival? Will an entire set of Wendell’s “take-off”
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DEL MCCOURY BAND
Sunday 6:30 - 8:00pm
guitar and Waldo’s sizzling electric table (and shameless discount donut peddling) forever crack the RockyGrass space-time continuum? Will our tongue remain firmly in cheek to the end of this bio? Or do Red and the ‘Blazers—Wendell Mercantile, Waldo Otto, and Montana, WY bassist Swade—have plans afoot to make this one of the most unforgettable RockyGrass closing sets ever? Hold onto your flyswatters, Knuckleheads. You’re not at the Eat Café anymore.
Pete Wernick’s 2nd Annual Winter
Bluegrass Camp January 3-9 (6 days!) Sun. night - Sat. afternoon
in Boulder, CO.
“
We teach All bluegrass instruments welcome. people to play All levels, never-jammed to advanced! Students real bluegrass – in realistic-size will be grouped by experience. Band members groups: one of attending together get a major discount, “band each instrument.” lab,” and performance opportunities. Daily instruction on all the instruments and 3-part harmony singing, taught by Pete and Joan Wernick with top Colorado teacher/musicians. Lots of jamming in coached groups!
is a culmination of my 35 “Thisofcamp years camp teaching and directing experience
Pete
(200+ camps nationwide and overseas), the best way I know of having a really satisfying time, playing music and furthering one’s bluegrass skills.”
Our two goals:
Fun & Results!
NIGHTS INCLUDE open mics, bluegrass movies, and lots of time and space to jam and practice – all in the comfortable and hospitable Boulder Inn, under an hour from Denver’s International Airport. Affordable room rates for campers. (Staying at the Inn not required.)
BGJAM.COM
For more info,
Upcoming Classes! Check BGJAM.com for Wernick Method classes led by Annie Savage Sundays Aug. 30>. Kevin Slick Tues. nights Sept. 29> ... at the FARM School, Lafayette, CO and now at many other locations in 40 states and 12 countries.
Check out Pete’s Jam Instruction DVDs at the RockyGrass Merch Tent
... play along with Pete and Drew Emmitt, Nick Forster, Sally Van Meter, Ben Kaufmann, Michael Kang, Joan Wernick!
25TH ANNUAL ROCKY MTN
FOLKS FESTIVAL
August 14-16, 2015 3-day passes and single-day tickets still available! THE SONG SCHOOL August 9-13, 2015 Sold-Out!
2016 TICKETS Visit Bluegrass.com in October for details about purchasing tickets through our online lotteries, including RockyGrass Academy, RockyGrass on-site camping, and Telluride Bluegrass camping in Warner Field and Town Park. All other 2016 tickets go onsale in early December. 43RD ANNUAL TELLURIDE BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL June 16-19, 2016 ROCKYGRASS ACADEMY July 24-28, 2016 44TH ANNUAL ROCKYGRASS July 29-31, 2016 Printed on FSC速-certified 70# Neenah Conservation text - a 100% post-consumer recycled fiber, made with 100% renewable energy
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