Snowmass Announces Thursday Night Free Concert Series

         Snowmass Announces Thursday Night Free Concert Series

                    Musical Lineup Includes the true “American Band” Grand Funk Railroad

Snowmass Village, CO, April 2, 2014 – Snowmass Tourism is pleased to announce the popular free Thursday night concert series lineup for the 2014 summer season starting on Thursday, June 19.  Celebrating its 23rd season, the free concerts will run on Thursday evenings through August 14 on Fanny Hill.   This summer lineup includes legendary rock band Grand Funk Railroad, California folk rock band, Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers, rock fusion band Fishbone and more. Shows start at 6:15 p.m., except for Thursday, June 26 which starts with an opening act at 5:40 p.m., followed by Grand Funk Railroad, and the Wanderlust Spectacular, Thursday, July 3, which begins at 7:00 p.m. The Snowmass Summer of Free Music Series produced by Jazz Aspen Snowmass.

FREE THURSDAY NIGHT CONCERT SERIES LINEUP

June 19 – Simplified (Island Rock)

When the laid back vibe of Myrtle Beach, SC meets acoustic rock of Lake Michigan, Simplified, the island rock band arrives with a loud and welcoming splash.  With a never-ending tour schedule, including over 3,000 powerhouse, popular performances, Simplified members, with both electric and acoustic acts, are enthusiastic as ever.  From Key West, FL to New York City and throughout the Midwest, their hard work, perseverance and commitment have always been key to their hard earned success.  They have been praised as one of Pandora Radio’s top played indie rock bands.

June 26 – Grand Funk Railroad (Rock)

Known as “The American Band”, the high-energy five-piece group will play forty shows all over the USA this year. Grand Funk Railroad (GFR) includes original founding members Don Brewer (vocals and drums, writer and singer of the multi-million selling hit, We’re An American Band) and bassist Mel Schacher, “The God Of Thunder”. Joining Don and Mel are true “All Stars”. Singer Max Carl is a rock veteran from 38 Special. Max penned and sang 38’s biggest hit “Second Chance” and was co-founder of California’s legendary Jack Mack and the Heart Attack. Don refers to Max as “the best blue-eyed soul singer on the planet”. Lead guitarist Bruce Kulick is best known for his 12 years with KISS and also has credits with Michael Bolton, Meatloaf and Billy Squier. (KISS members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were influenced early on by Grand Funk.) Keyboardist Tim Cashion has a master’s degree in music from the University of Miami. Affectionately called “Dr. Tim”, his credits include stints with Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band and English soul man Robert Palmer.

The True Story Band will open for GFR at 5:40 p.m., and is comprised of veteran Roaring Fork Valley locals whose professional performance tenure spans over four decades.  The band’s musical influences include elements of Country & Western, R&B, and a strong backbone of Classic Rock & Roll.  Led by guitarist/vocalist and Snowmass Village resident Damian Smith, the band also includes local jazz legend Terry Bannon on keys, Aaron Taylor on drums, and Julian Gregory on percussion.

July 3 – Wanderlust Spectacular (Music & Light Show starts at 7:00 p.m.)

The Wanderlust Spectacular (kicking off the Wanderlust Festival weekend) is the Cirque du Soleil of yoga, a sacred celebratory extravaganza that actively engages the audience to participate with their mind, body, heart, and soul. Through rich imagery, innovative lighting design, and cutting edge music, we will tell the compelling story at the core of Wanderlust’s mission – how to find one’s own true north. This ensemble show features yoga pioneers DJ Drez, Cameron Shayne, Shakti Sunfire, Hemalayaa, MC Yogi, YogaSlackers, AcroYogis, HANNAH and Quixotic dancers.

July 10 – Big Sam’s Funky Nation (Funk)

Hailing from New Orleans as the former trombone player of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Big Sam always entertains audiences with his exhilarating brand of high-voltage funk, rock, jazz, and hip-hop, termed “Noladelic Powerfunk.”  The San Francisco Chronicle asserts “(Big Sam is) the top man on the slide trombone in the birthplace of jazz. Big Sam’s Funky Nation is primarily a funk and rock that can also have elements of traditional jazz, contemporary jazz, acid jazz, dance, hard rock and even punk.

July 17 – Hot Buttered Rum (Progressive Bluegrass)

Hot Buttered Rum is an American five-piece progressive bluegrass act based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The group performs frequently at music festivals, including the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Newport Folk Festival, South by Southwest, High Sierra Music Festival, Bonnaroo Music Festival, Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. They have also headlined The Fillmore in their home city of San Francisco and have performed with a wide array of artists, including Phil Lesh, Ben Harper, Chris Thile, Bela Fleck, Peter Rowan, and Bill Nershi. Their song “Right Between Your Eyes” is the theme music for the PBS TV show, “Cook’s Country“. The band’s three songwriters — Aaron Redner, Nat Keefe and Erik Yates — spin tales about the good times, the bad times, and the roads in between, and belt them from the heart in three-part harmony.

July 24 – Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers (Folk Rock)

Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers made a needle’s-eye leap onto the national music circuit in 2012, bringing with them a refreshing sound, spirited stage show and wellspring of good vibes, along with a turntable and milk crates stocked with their favorite vintage vinyl for backstage sustenance. Now, the San Francisco-based band and its striking front woman with a girl-next-door demeanor step out with Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers, a luminous, heartfelt patchwork of California folk-rock, brisk Americana and show-stopping soul, punctuated with fresh four-part harmonies, crisp rock guitar and Nicki’s soaring, nuanced vocals that some critics say remind them of Linda Ronstadt.  The first record under the banner of the full band, Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers is very much a family album, featuring 11 new songs penned by the band members, arranged and produced by Nicki’s husband and the band’s musical director, Tim Bluhm.

July 31 – California Honeydrops (R&B)

The California Honeydrops is a blues and R&B American band formed in November 2007 playing in the subway stations of Oakland, California. Crossing genres from roots and blues to R&B and soul, The California Honeydrops’ sound is tied together by their instrumentation, vocal harmonies and New Orleans style. The Honeydrops’ more unusual instruments include a home-made gutbucket bass, jug, and washboard. Their rhythms are punctuated by trumpet, piano riffs, and bluesy vocals.

August 7 – Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas (Zydeco)

Growing up in a Creole-speaking home in St. Martinville, Nathan eagerly sought out the music of Zydeco originators such as Clifton Chenier. Later, while recovering from a serious illness, Nathan decided to dedicate himself to learning the accordion. That dedication blossomed into an illustrious career, which now spans three decades. Nathan formed The Cha-Chas back in 1985, and since then has brought his unique take on this regional South Louisiana music to all corners of the globe. Inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2005, he was honored last year with the Zydeco Music Association’s Lifetime Acheivement Award. The Cha-Chas has been voted the top Festival Band in the country, and have won the coveted Big Easy award for Best Zydeco Band for several years running.

August 14 – Fishbone (Rock Fusion)

Celebrating 25 groundbreaking years, Fishbone has been trailblazing their way through the history of American Ska, Rock Fusion and Black Rock since starting their professional career in Los Angeles burgeoning the Alternative Rock music scene of the mid-1980s. Their sound has often been imitated, but never duplicated. They have toured worldwide with such bands as the Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Roots, Les Claypool/Primus, Fela Kuti, The Dead Kennedys and many more. Angelo Moore’s ability to combine thought-provoking, humorous social commentary with Fishbone’s brethren’s frenzied, up-tempo music and frantic, euphorically entertaining stage show has cultivated their undisputed reputation as one of the best live acts in music history.

The Snowmass Summer of Free Music Series is sponsored by Anheuser-Busch, Crestwood Condominiums, the Aspen Camp of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Jim Beam Brands, Pernod Ricard Wines, and Stripped Cocktail Mixers.   Media sponsors include the Aspen Times and the Snowmass Sun. Reasonably-priced beers, wines and premade cocktails from Jim Beam along with a variety of fine wines will be available for purchase. For more information on lodging packages, or for all the great summer events in Snowmass, go to www.gosnowmass.com or call 1-800-SNOWMASS (1-800-766-9627).

SNOWMASS TOURISM MEDIA CONTACT: Patsy Popejoy, Public Relations Manager, Snowmass Tourism at 970-922-2285 or ppopejoy@snowmasstourism.com.

 

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