The Fretliners - Winners of the Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Competition

Greetings fellow bluegrassers!

This month we have a great review with tons of photos of the Telluride Bluegrass Festival from Elliot Siff, an interview with Nadine Sekerez about Snowygrass and some mini-reviews of Pagosa Bluegrass Fest and Rail on the River from board member Amy Martin!

John Pierce - President, Colorado Bluegrass Music Society

Telluride Bluegrass Festival

Review by Elliot Siff

This June Telluride Bluegrass Festival celebrated 50 years, maintaining its unique vibe and top quality music experience.  The traditions that happen every June in the picturesque box canyon have brought like minded artists and festivarians back year after year as a sacred pilgrimage and ode to friendships, loved ones, music and nature.  Parma-grins and tears of joy are a common site under the alpenglow in the surreal surroundings.  World class music permeate from the main stage with one top notch, inspiring act after another.  The folks at Planet Bluegrass have taken significant consideration and effort to make an experience that makes any attendee feel like they are “sitting on top of the world” and the 50th was no exception.

The musical mix featured many long time Telluride artists whose sounds seems to be a part of of the valley since they’ve performed at the festival for  decades.  Folks like Sam Bush, Bela Fleck, Peter Rowan, Tim Obrien, Jerry Douglas and Del McCoury.  Additionally many of the prominent “jam grass” bands descended on the festival this year, something fitting because looking back on the Telluride lineups since the beginning feature and promote boundary pushing music with funkiness, groove, experimentation and a sort of hippie mountain vibe…I mean that’s why Sam Bush is the King of Telluride and has played 49 of the 50 of them!  Those traditions paved the way for bands like Yonder Mountain String Band, Leftover Salmon, The Infamous Stringdusters, The String Cheese Incident and Greensky Bluegrass, all of which were in attendance to perform, hang and collaborate with their heroes and peers this year.  

With just one main stage and a carefully curated lineup, fans get the chance to settle in for the day and take in each act, with old time Telluride faves as mentioned above, but also some newer acts and inspiring headliners that stretch beyond bluegrass.  Two acts, whose names I was familiar with but hadn’t  experienced yet beforehand were Bella White and Sierra Ferrell, two separate, astounding acts led by young women who are old souls and amazing songwriters.  Bella White sang a powerful set early on day one with her charming and playful approach to delicate and emotional songs.  Sierra Ferrell had 3 sets (workshop, main stage and nightgrass), and it only took a few moments of seeing her perform to see why.  She is an upbeat, cool chick, with a 50’s fashion sense and the charm of Dolly Parton mixed with the lonesome feelings of Hank Williams, performing songs that seem ancient, yet come from her young catalog. Something special that I really appreciate about bluegrass and bluegrass artists is the community aspect.  Main stage headliners and curveball acts that were super special for the 50th included Malian musician Bassekou Kouyate, the “Bela Fleck” of the ancient Ngoni instrument, sentimental Sunday sets by Gregory Allen Isakov and Emmylou Harris with Watchouse, being reminded how awesome Nickel Creek is, after so long, and the unique experience of seeing the legendary collaboration of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss close out and already spectacular weekend. 

Those brief musical memories and descriptions don’t cover the entire lineup, favorites or account for all the blending, jamming, special guest sit ins, tributes, late night campground jams and other “only in Telluride” moments.  But let it be known, Telluride isn’t for the faint of heart, the four day festival in a high altitude box canyon alpine town might be near the summer solstice, but up there one day can and will contain all seasons on a normal year, and this year was far from normal.  The first few days had low lying could cover, cool/cold temps, heavy, consistent rains, lightning, hail, snow and some sun.  Day two brought two full site weather evacuations and while it cut two sets short and caused delays, all artists still performed and the party was allowed to go on later.  These trials and tribulations also made the sunny days that followed even more beautiful, especially with the freshly snow covered peaks!

Telluride has always been an incubator for upcoming bands and artists.  Seeing acts rise out of the town park campground and eventually play the main stage has happened on more than one occasion.  The annual band competition has been very well respected for a long time and has caught future big name acts early in their careers.  It was super exciting this year to see three Colorado bluegrass bands round out the four acts invited from the prelims to the finals on the coveted main stage.  The Floodgate Operators, The Fretliners and Slay all represented Colorado in the single mic competition all with fantastic support from fans and friends.  Everyone I talked to after had unique opinions of who did best and why and indeed they all deserved to be on that stage, but intimately it was The Fretliners from Lyons who took home the win the honor of performing the festival next year, recording studio time, album mastering and other great prizes.  Keep an eye on all of these amazing Colorado acts

When I think of Telluride I think of the awe inspiring landscape and music, and celebration of life and happiness and all things good, collaboration, peace, family, friendships and what to me is the greatest place to be on earth at that moment, a recharge and power up for the summer season.  Sentimental moments and moments of reflection are common stock there in the field and on the stage and Telluride to me is the ultimate celebration of humanity and nature and a lot of the things that make this life beautiful for me.  Cheers to 50 Years Telluride, see you soon!

FEATURED FESTIVAL - Snowygrass

July 14-16 - Estes Park, Colorado

Interview with Nadine Sekerez by John Pierce

Nadine Sekerez is the force behind Snowygrass Festival in Estes Park, CO which is now celebrating its 8th year. Nadine is a member of the CBMS board, co-founder of the Lost Penny band and lives in Estes Park.

Q: What made you decide to start a bluegrass festival?

I should start with my introduction to Bluegrass. Many years ago, I became involved in the music scene in Houston. (I'm from Indiana, though) There was a Mandolin player I saw at local venues-- Kelly Lancaster--who played in a Gypsy Jass band. He also played bluegrass. I later learned that he played on Jeff Scroggins' first solo album. I became friends with Kelly, and he gave me a few bluegrass guitar lessons. A year or so later, I moved to Estes Park and eventually owned a restaurant with my husband. Some local musicians approached us to see if we would allow a Bluegrass Jam to be hosted in our space. These were local grassers, Garth Lewis, Greg Miles, Greg Glasgow, and Tom Thomas. It was one of the very first locations of our local jam. Sometime after that, we moved away for a few years. When we returned, I discovered that the jam was alive and well at the Rock Inn, and bluegrass was everywhere in Colorado. Candice Mohr, of Snowy Peaks Winery, was a fan and threw a free, backyard party in July 2016, behind the winery, featuring three bands--Ran Off the Rooster, Follow the Fox, and ReinTarnation, the band made up of our four original grassers. I was merely an attendee at this little day festival she dubbed, "Snowygrass". Ten months later, a friend was playing at the winery. I decided to drop in to support him, as well as her venue, and express appreciation for supporting live music there as well as with her little festival that I assumed would be annual. She thanked me but explained that they did not have the bandwidth to continue the festival. I asked, what if someone else did it? The name is too good and it was a great party. I seriously did not mean myself. I probably knew people who would be interested in doing it. In about ten minutes, I realized that if it continued, I would have to do it. I felt I NEEDED to make it happen, for my friends, really. This was eight weeks from when the July date would come up. I started gathering information on what I would need to do and how I would finance it. I went to the community and asked for sponsorship. I learned that I needed to offer sponsorship packages and sell that as marketing, but also as a beloved community event and a vision. Immediately, I involved non-profits. The community amazed me with their trust in this vision and in me. The only experience I would say that I had that applied to this was that I had catered events, so I knew how to plan for flow, scheduling, and logistics. I had no experience with booking bands, but I educated myself by asking questions of anyone I could. It was a free, one-day festival with six bands, including Bonnie and the Clydes, Wood Belly, Ran off the Rooster, and ReinTarnation. It was a great success in the community, and success begets success, so I did it again, and so on, always making improvements each year.

Q: Besides being in one of the most beautiful spots in Colorado, what makes Snowygrass "different" as a bluegrass festival?

I think SnowyGrass feels like a party thrown for local friends that is also very welcoming to everyone. Maybe that's not unique. It has been a draw for people who never really heard much bluegrass, and especially haven't seen it live. Those folks become fans of Bluegrass BECAUSE they attended SnowyGrass, and that feels good. Our local filmmaker, Sean Doherty is one of them. He was so moved by what he observed filming our festival over the years that he spent a year making a documentary about it. I have seen people attend from many different cultures and countries. The fact that it is held in a tourist town with people on vacation looking for what's going on in town probably accounts for that. It is also a dog-friendly festival, and last year and this year, we give half-price to people 13-22.

Q: The dates for Snowygrass have changed from August to mid-July this year - can you elaborate on why you made this change?

In 2016, it was the week before RockyGrass. After that, we made it 2 weeks after, which sometimes falls in July and sometimes in August. In 2020, when I wasn't even sure I could host the event, we delayed it to August. So, the intention is always to have it in July, and now you can see that it is largely based on when RockyGrass is within the parameters of the best possible weather in a mountain town.

Q: About how many people attend Snowygrass each year?

Roughly 400 people each day, but since there are day passes, there would be more different people who actually experience at least part of the festival. It's small-ish. I would like to see it reach 600.

Q: I see the "site" of Snowygrass has changed this year and camping is available for the first time -- could you discuss how this will change the festival?

We had such a sweet little spot by the river for years, but it had its challenges. There was no space for camping or jamming, people had to find parking in crowded public lots. I had to actually start closing the road between the park and the winery for safety and space reasons--that required traffic engineering and a permit. We did not have flush toilets on site. We needed to change locations due to major road construction that would disallow the event from being there ever again. It was really precarious whether we would find a suitable spot. Having it be near natural features was important to me, and if we had to trouble ourselves with moving, it had to have space for camping and jamming. So--those challenges are what will change. There will be camping and jamming, flush toilets, ample parking, and space for more vendors--including more non-profits who can set up and represent themselves. These amenities attract more of the core Bluegrass folks.

Q: Is your focus mostly on local bands or nationally known acts?

This festival started with three beloved, local bands, so primarily having local bands has always been very important to me. Adding National bands is partly about, who would my friends and I like to hear? Who would Colorado like to get a chance to hear? Many of them are bands that I have seen myself. One great example is Special Consensus. I saw them at IBMA and thought, yeah! Let's bring them! Another is Way Down Wanderers, who I saw in Pagosa. I saw Seldom Scene at Midwinter, and of course, they are legends! The first time I booked National acts was actually for a concert series I produced in 2018. I had heard Goodnight Texas on Pandora and loved them, so I brought them to Estes Park. A month later, I featured Ray Wylie Hubbard. A friend was always playing Snake Farm at the jams, and I thought, well, I'll just bring him here! I learned you can just do that! (With enough money. HA!) I met both Becky and Bruce at RockyGrass and love them both as people and as musicians, so here they are this year!

Q: Sometimes the mountains of Colorado can have something we call "weather" :D How has Snowygrass addressed this challenge?

How does one address the weather. Well--it seems to always rain during some portion of the festival. Traditionally, that has been during the Blue Canyon Boys set. Obviously, the stage is always covered, and other festival tents for merch and greenroom. I have observed how well most festival-goers deal with the elements. They bring umbrellas for sun and cover from rain, appropriate shoes, sunscreen, rain jackets, and I see them hunker down when it rains. So far, we have never dealt with snow or hail. The wind is always a factor with tents, so I have great volunteers who jump in and secure things. Lightning is always the most serious factor. My sound crew at Rockfan is vigilant about that and will delay things if it gets within a certain number of miles. They watch the radar, and I trust them. In 2021, our Friday show was delayed 45 minutes. If that happens again on Friday this time, I will start to think It's Special C's fault.

Q: Besides having bands, Snowygrass also advertises workshops - can you expand on that?

The first year I produced SnowyGrass, I had a kids' jam, hosted by Jon Pickett. It wasn't about Bluegrass per se. It was with parents and toddlers and a variety of instruments and drums on a blanket. Another year we had a drum circle hosted by a couple of our local music teachers and The Learning Place, with a special invitation to a local group with Special Olympics. The Learning Place also set up an interactive map. (That nonprofit will join us again this year.) I guess creating learning opportunities for the community and being inclusive has always been a vision. I am a former gymnastics coach and teacher, plus have kids of my own, so including a teaching opportunity has always appealed to me. Plus, I have enjoyed Academy at RockyGrass, and know that this is something that would give an extra benefit to attendees in general. So, in 2019 we had Pete and Joan Wernick on the bill, so that seemed like a great opportunity to have our attendees experience a Bluegrass Jam if they never had before, and for our local grassers to experience Pete and Joan in a personal way. That was so beloved that we asked CBMS and then president, Kevin Slick, to host one the following two years. This year, we will have a beginner jam hosted by Kevin Slick of Orchard Creek Band, fiddle workshops by Becky Buller and Bruce Molky, and banjo workshops by Ned Luberecki and Allison de Groot.

Q: What kind of support do you get from Estes Park for your festival?

As I mentioned earlier, that first year I had to just go out to the community and explain what my vision was, and why. I was overwhelmed by the trust and support I received. I am a longtime resident here, and so many have seen me as a business owner and as a musician. I went to them with sincerity and not with fanfare, and they trusted me and found value in this vision. Local friends volunteer, and even when they are paying attendees, I know they have my back. Most of those original sponsors continue to sponsor, and as I have added new ones, they continue to sponsor. In-kind sponsorships have been so valuable. The local newspaper runs ads, a local restaurant will provide some catering. Our luxury lodging for traveling bands is provided in kind. The stage is built by a local contractor. The Town of Estes Park and the Special Events Department and the Estes Valley Recreation District have been very cooperative. It really does take a village. In turn, I invite local non-profits, market our sponsors as much as possible, and give perks for being such. I try to carry out this great task of hosting hundreds in our community with due diligence. It is a great responsibility and privilege, and I am overcome sometimes with the support.

Snowygrass Music Lineup:

  • Special Consensus

  • Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen

  • Becky Buller Band

  • Molsky's Mountain Drifters

  • Brandywine & the MightyFines

  • Orchard Creek Band

  • Blue Canyon Boys

  • Lost Penny

  • Ragged Union

  • FY5

  • Chain Station

Thanks so much to Nadine Sekerez for taking the time to answer questions about Snowygrass. We are big supporters of local festivals in the CBMS and we think Snowygrass gets better every year!

Pagosa Folk n’ Bluegrass

Festival review By Amy Martin

I have been attending this festival for about a decade now, and it’s truly one of my favorites. Located in Pagosa Springs, the campground at this festival boasts space, shade, and LOTS of picking. The stage is walking distance from anywhere in the campground, and it’s a short, beautiful walk. You will surely pass by some busking kids, and if you are lucky, you will catch the friendship bracelet sale. I was lucky. Clean bathrooms, great food options, and crafty vendors also live here for the weekend.

The line up is always top notch, and what I love most about this festival is the lineup is very diverse (Folk AND Bluegrass) and changes year to year. There are definitely some standards that I look forward to catching (FY5, Bonnie & Taylor Sims and Stone Hall for example) but I always leave with a new band on my Spotify playlist. This festival also has a workshop tent, where you can experience music in a very intimate setting. I very much enjoyed my time listening to Larry Keel and Ben Majeska trade stories this year. I’ve been a huge Keels fan since they played a show in our basement 15 years ago, and getting to say hi to Larry and Jenny at the workshop tent was quite a treat.

Major perk alert, when you’ve had your fill of sunshine for the day, need a break from the crowd, or crave a nice shower, the Hot Springs are just down the hill. It’s like a vacation from your vacation. Put this one on your radar folks! You will for sure become a lifelong patron.

Back to the Table of Contents

Rail On The River

Festival review by Amy Martin

Rail on the River is one of Colorado’s newest weekend festivals, but don’t let that fool you, this production is PRO! Organized and produced by Paul Rennix and Kori Loadman, this festival takes place at Parrish Ranch in Berthoud, and fully embodies and promotes community. There’s a potluck upon arrival, a community bar, and a “Wake and Bake” finish. In fact, this place is SO community, that my very first sight driving in was a gentleman named Dan’s camp that had a table set up full of trinkets with a sign that read “Take what speaks to you.” Turns out a ring pop was calling my name.

The campground is small but mighty, with full hook ups for RVs, a handful of rentable teepees, a dance hall, flushable toilets, and BONUS, there’s a river (think mini Big Thompson). You can soak, float, or fully submerge. It’s a nice way to cool off mid day, and a great way to meet new friends. There’s plenty of shade and plenty of room to spread out everywhere you go, and it’s a very refreshing feeling to not have a care in the world about set up. Your tarp and tent can go just about anywhere, and there’s no waiting in line or running. Just tarp-laying.

The stage is graced with several local bands, all who typically enjoy the fun all weekend long. (aka, there’s campground picking too y’all!) There’s variety, diversified musical genres, and pure joy in each set. I was quite pleased at the amount of dancing that took place on the day I was there, and how interactive the crowd was with each other. I was invited to dance by more than one stranger, who weren’t strangers for long.

Although this was my first time there, it most definitely will not be my last. I found myself right at home amongst all the tie-dye and smiles, and I enjoyed live music, a quick tow-dip in the water, and an afternoon pick all in a single day. I look forward to next year when I can enjoy this festival in its entirety, and I highly encourage you to do the same.

This group will also be putting on an arts and jam camp this August, which as briefly explained by Paul “is an experimental, artistic, and creative experience.” You can read more about that here.

https://coloradograss.org/

This month for our “Power Pickin’ from the Past” image we have the third annual Rocky Mountain Bluegrass festival poster from 1975!

Contributors to this month’s newsletter:

  • John Pierce — President, CBMS

  • Amy Martin — Board member and social media honcho for CBMS

  • Elliot Siff - Local photographer extraordinaire