2018 Line-Up

David Crosby is a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer
and co-founder of the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash.
Joining him on tour will be five musical friends: James
Raymond on keys, Mai Agan on bass, Steve DiStanislao
on drums, Jeff Pevar on guitar, and Michelle Willis on keys
and vocals. Crosby is in the midst of an incredibly creative
and powerful period, showcasing his skills as the brilliant
songwriter that he is and on this tour, he will be performing
music from his soon to be released new album Sky Trails
alongside some of his best-loved songs and greatest hits.

Over the course of 30 years in Nashville, Brent Rowan has played with countless pop and country artists to record more than 15,000 sessions. His credits include work with George Strait, Sting, Brian Wilson, Neil Diamond, Olivia Newton-John, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. He is a five-time nominee for CMA’s Instrumentalist of the Year Award and an Academy of Country Music Guitarist of the Year. As a producer, Rowan has released multiple gold and platinum records.

This summer, Brent will be joined by Arkansas-native Joe Nichols. Nichols harnessed his musical passion to become a steady hitmaker, racking up six Number Ones and eight Top 10s, including chart-topping modern classics like “Brokenheartsville” and “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off.” He’s a four-time Grammy nominee, an ACM, Billboard, CMA, and CMT Award winner, and his 2013 album offering, Crickets, kept the success going, sending both “Yeah” and “Sunny and 75” to
Platinum-certified Number One status. Of his latest album Never Gets Old, released in 2017 Nichols says, “I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. I still feel the exact same passion.”

Six-time GRAMMY Award nominee Nnenna Freelon has earned a well-deserved reputation as a compelling and captivating live performer. In 2014, Freelon starred in the critically acclaimed show “Georgia on My Mind: Celebrating the Music of Ray Charles” at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. Freelon is no stranger to the music of the master singer – she toured with Ray Charles, as well as many other greatest jazz artists including Ellis Marsalis, Al Jarreau, George Benson, and others.
She is particularly excited about her current venture as the writer, composer and producer of the original theatrical presentation of The Clothesline Muse, a devised theatrical work of dance, music, spoken word, vibrant art and projections. She is also one of the stars of the musical theater piece.
Freelon has always been respected as an artist and for her passion for education. In November 2011, The White House asked Freelon to headline the Asia Pacific Economic Summit for 300 Presidents, Premiers and Heads of State from around the world. This was on the heels of receiving the YWCA of North Carolina’s inaugural “Legend Award” for her outstanding artistry and her dedication to education..
Freelon’s career has garnered consistent respect for both her solo albums and those on which she collaborates or is featured. She has created a diverse and outstanding legacy of creativity and performance that has garnered an ever-growing fan base from audiences to leaders worldwide.

John Michael Montgomery has turned an uncanny ability to relate to fans into one of country music’s most storied careers. Behind the string of hit records, a roomful of awards, and critical and fan accolades lies a connection that goes beyond his undeniable talent and his proven knack for picking hits. Since the days when “Life’s A Dance” turned him from an unknown artist into a national star, John Michael’s rich baritone has carried that most important of assets–believability. Few artists in any genre sing with more heart than this Kentucky-born artist.

It is readily apparent in love songs that have helped set the standard for a generation. Songs like “I Swear,” “I Love the Way You Love Me,” and “I Can Love You Like That” still resonate across the landscape. It is apparent in the 2004 hit “Letters From Home,” one of the most moving tributes to the connection between soldiers and their families ever recorded, and in “The Little Girl,” a tale of redemption that plumbs both the harrowing and the uplifting. It is apparent even in the pure fun that has always found its way into John Michael’s repertoire–songs like “Be My Baby Tonight” and “Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident),” where John Michael’s vocal earnestness takes musical whimsy to another level.

Traveling the world with their unique, high-energy performances, the Django Festival All-Stars pay tribute to the style of Django Reinhardt (1910-1953), one of the greatest guitar players of all time and the first European jazz musician to make major contributions to the development of the guitar genre. His driving, swinging style became known as “hot jazz” and it continues to grow in popularity globally. The Django All-Stars honor the best energetic traditions of this French Gypsy Jazz, but add their own creative interpretations, arrangements, and original compositions, all with the stunning virtuosity typical of these highly regarded players.
-Vail Jazz

Django Reinhardt’s original jazz inspiration was Louis Armstrong, and his closest American counterpart was Art Tatum. Like both, Reinhardt’s greatest gift was turning sheer virtuosity into exuberant showmanship. It wasn’t just that he could leave a crowd breathless with a dazzling run along the guitar neck, but that his remarkable sense of composition and context could command an audience’s attention. Like Armstrong, Django held the crowd like a magnet; now imagine a stage filled with six contemporary Reinhardt descendants, and you’ll get a sense that the collective talent pool on the bandstand is larger than the Arc de Triomphe.

Melissa Etheridge is one of rock music’s great female icons. Her critically acclaimed eponymous debut album was certified double platinum. Etheridge’s popularity built around such memorable songs as “Bring Me Some Water,” “No Souvenirs,” and “Ain’t It Heavy” for which she won her first Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal. Etheridge hit her commercial and artistic stride with her fourth album, Yes I Am, featuring the massive hits “I’m the Only One” and “Come to My Window,” a searing song of longing that brought her a second Grammy. The six times platinum album spent more than two and a half years on the album chart. Etheridge is also an Oscar winner for Best Original Song in 2007.

In 2011 Melissa made her Broadway debut as St. Jimmy in Green Day’s rock opera, American Idiot, where she replaced Billie Joe Armstrong for one week, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Etheridge released Memphis Rock and Soul, an album honoring Stax Records, in the fall of 2016.

Over the course of more than a dozen years and six studio
albums, singer-songwriter Amos Lee has continued to
evolve and challenge himself as a musician. His soulful
style takes inspiration from R&B, jazz, and folk music.
Lee’s collaborations with artists such as the Los Angeles
Philharmonic, Mobile Alabama Community Gospel Choir,
and Colorado Symphony at Red Rocks have pushed his
music-making in diverse directions while staying centered
on his heartfelt, smooth vocal delivery. At his Strings
performance, Lee will be accompanied by his own band
for a lively performance.
Lee’s 2006 sophomore album, Supply and Demand,
was featured in the Top 100 of the Billboard 200 chart.
His latest album, Spirit, was released in 2016 to fan and
critical acclaim.

The Dustbowl Revival is an Americana and Soul band with eight full-time members who combine the sounds of New Orleans funk, bluegrass, soul, pre-war blues, and roots music, into genre-hopping, time-bending concerts that new fire out of familiar coal. The band was founded in 2008 in the bohemian enclave of Venice Beach, California.

The band released their fourth studio album in 2017 with Grammy Award winning producer and Flogging Molly founding member Ted Hutt. While the band launched with an old-time style and deeper bluegrass roots, they recently departed toward a more modern soul sound, still with their mixture of New Orleans swing, Americana, blues, and roots-rock.

Over the last five years Dustbowl has become known for their free-flowing and joyous live shows, combining a funk rhythm and brass section with a fast-picking string band section. They’ve opened for a diverse roster of bands including Lake Street Dive, Trombone Shorty, and The Preservation Hall Jazz Band; toured China as a guest of the state department; and headlined festivals including Delfest, Floydfest, and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. The band garnered attention with their music video for “Never Had to Go,” which featured famous actor Dick Van Dyke and garnered over 10 million cumulative views.

The Dustbowl Revival brings their newest sound – the place where funk and folk meet – to an audience in Steamboat Springs.

Shovels & Rope, a Charleston two-piece band comprised
of Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst, mixes folk, rock,
and country to create soulful and dynamic tunes. The
Americana Music Association has twice nominated them
for Duo/Group of the Year and awarded Song of the Year
to “Birmingham” from the 2012 album O’ Be Joyful.
Creating a huge sound that defies what listeners may
believe is possible for two musicians, Shovels & Rope
delivers performances that make audiences feel alive.

Multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird’s music has undergone
stylistic shifts while remaining true to his intellect and
creative perspectives. His curiosity and respect for
varied musical traditions have helped him to seamlessly
transition from jazz and swing to sophisticated pop.
Classically trained in Suzuki violin, Bird also plays guitar
and glockenspiel and is an expert whistler as well as a
touted singer and songwriter. He has collaborated with
artists ranging from Fiona Apple to Jim James and
has been lauded by NPR, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork,
and others. At his Strings performance, Bird will be
accompanied by his band.

The Indigo Girls have spent thirty-five years performing together, produced fifteen albums (seven gold, four platinum, and one double platinum), earned a Grammy and seven Grammy nominations, and have toured arenas, festivals, and clubs the world over. It is rare to find musicians together so long, rarer still with such profound successes. Their music lives in the hearts of generations of dedicated fans and continues to inspire young musicians. This loyalty is not accidental. Perhaps their relevance over three decades can be credited to the mighty collisions of distinct aesthetics forging new paths over time. The Girls’ refinement — not only of style and skill, but of their own creative processes — allows access to ever new and liminal spaces.

A long creative marriage fosters its own scrappy beauty, though, and theirs grows more nuanced, weather worn, and lovely in each successive album. Saliers and Ray live separate lives and take on independent projects, but share “the same set of values,” says Saliers. “We both embrace the struggle, share the same energy. We are sisters in our embrace of life.

The Indigo Girls (Emily Saliers and Amy Ray) released their sixteenth studio album, One Lost Day, on June 2, 2015. Vast in its reach, but unified by the traveler’s sense of wonder, gratitude, and empathy, One Lost Day moves like a centrifuge, pulling the listener close to linger in the small moment, then casting out onto sonic currents. This is music of the past, present, and future.

Since they left Mexico for Ireland in 1999, Rodrigo y Gabriela have established themselves as one of the most popular acoustic instrumental bands in the world. They have sold more than 1.5 million albums worldwide and sold out venues like the Hollywood Bowl, the Royal Albert Hall, Sydney Opera House, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and Le Zenith in Paris on numerous occasions.

Their film work includes the soundtracks to Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and Puss In Boots, and they have collaborated onstage and on record with artists as diverse as Robert Trujillo (Metallica), Al Di Meola, Zack De La Rocha (Rage Against The Machine), and Anoushka Shankar. In 2010, Rodrigo y Gabriela played at tThe White House in Washington for President Obama.

From humble beginnings as buskers on Dublin’s Grafton Street, endless touring and a great word- of- mouth buzz carried the band forward until their international break out with the release of their self-titled 2006 album, which spawned the hits “Tamacun,” “Diablo Rojo,” and their cover of “Stairway To Heaven.”

Their album 11:11 followed in 2009. The band’s last studio album release was 2014’s 9 Dead Alive. In 2017, the duo celebrated the 10th Anniversary of their breakout self-titled album with a deluxe reissue and extensive world tour during. They are currently writing and recording a new studio album.

Don McLean
Don McLean is an enduring singer-songwriter and forever associated with his classic hits “American Pie,” “Vincent (Starry Starry Night),” “And I Love You So,” and “Crying.” Since first hitting the charts in 1971, Don has amassed over 40 gold and platinum records and been inducted into the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame.

In 2012, Don was awarded the BBC Folk Music Lifetime Achievement Award. The same year also brought the release of “American Troubadour” on CD and DVD and the worldwide broadcast of the documentary of the same name, which charted Don’s life and career.

PURE PRAIRIE LEAGUE
From their beginnings in mid-Sixties Ohio as a group of friends playing cover tunes to the present-day unit featuring founding member/pedal-steel innovator John David Call, veteran bassist Mike Reilly, propulsive drummer Scott Thompson, and guitar ace Donnie Clark, Pure Prairie League continues to embellish their rich 43-year history as one of Country-Rock’s pioneering forces. As one reviewer recently wrote: “PPL’s sound combines sweet memories with edgy, contemporary muscle. Their vocals are as strong as Kentucky moonshine and the musicianship and performance skills are as sharp as a straight razor.”

 Before the show, enjoy dinner at Strings Café. Reservations are required: