Photos by JohnRyan Lockman
Along with many others in our state, I made the pilgrimage down to Telluride for the 42nd Annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival. Over the years, I’ve attended the festival in many roles, as a box office volunteer, a fan, a writer, and, this year, a band manager. From whatever angle, though, the vantage points consistently deliver an amazing celebration of live music, friendships old and new, and a non-stop, unmatched festival experience.
By Sunday of the festival each year, it’s always hard to believe that the week has come to an end, but looking back at some of the finer moments and highlights, it’s easy to remember what makes us return year after year. With some exceptions, I’ve tried to highlight in this review the bands and performers that are not always present at Telluride year after year. Of course, the staple bands of TBF (Sam Bush Band, Peter Rowan, Punch Brothers, Telluride House Band, Yonder Mountain, Leftover Salmon, Jerry Douglass, Bela Fleck, and so many others) provide the base and foundation for the festival each year and truly help to cultivate the experience and sound of the festival. Very often, though, it’s the random variety of debut bands whose appearances are peppered in each year that truly add that unique spice to the festival and leave such unforgettable impressions.
Best Stage Presence: Rhiannon Giddens
No longer the seated folk singer, the banjoist and lead singer of Carolina Chocolate Drops boldly showed why her solo career is receiving such acclaim. From hammering into people’s heads how to pronounce her name, to dancing around on stage, to singing her songs with such emotion that a hot afternoon crowd couldn’t stay still anymore, Rhiannon Giddens proved to be one of the most flamboyant stage divas of the weekend. Her mixture of originals with old classic country covers (for one, Dolly Parton) and even an enchanting Gaelic tune all triggered the most positive of crowd reactions.
Best Nightgrass Encore: Trampled By Turtles
NightGrass shows often allow bigger touring artists to play more intimate settings and the result is often a bit of risk-taking and special moments that are become meaningful in these small town venues. Trampled by Turtles concluded their Thursday Palm Theater show with a stirring and reflective “Knocking on Heaven’s Door,” paying homage for a second time in the night to probably the only more famous Northern Minnesotan musician than TBT. Then, declaring to the audience the idea of doing something special, Dave Simonett yanked the microphone off the stand and proceeded into the front rows of the crowd for a rousing, playful, and loose rendition of Otis Redding’s “Bring it on Home to Me.” The crowd welcomed him in with open arms.
Most Overwhelming Energy: Lau
One of the bands from which I had no idea what to expect was but seriously impressed was Lau. The band totally dominated their environment and the festival grounds. The sometimes-abstract melding of stringed instruments, accordian, and effects mesmerized the early Friday crowd.
Most Emotional Set(s): Band Competition
The Telluride Band Competitions each year in Elk’s Park and on the Main Stage always trigger the most emotions in me (and I assume the rest of the crowd). Up-and-coming, seldom heard-of bands boil down their catalogs of music into nerve-filled, emotion-driven, three-song sets. The crowd is truly treated to the best that the ten bands had to offer. Big props to Denver-based The Lonesome Days who took home second place and an even bigger congratulations to the Lil’ Smokies from Missoula, Montana, who won first place and will be returning next year to play the main stage.
Best Morning Festival Crowd: Trout Steak Revival
On most festival mornings, the first band on the lineup usually plays to a scattered field of early-risers, venders, and those laid-back festivarians who like to sit down and enjoy the calm before the storm. On Saturday morning, though, when Trout Steak Revival took the stage, the campgrounds and condos emptied as a roaring crowd rushed the front half of Town Park and did not stop dancing until the final notes of the encore. The Denver-based quintet has enjoyed a dramatic rise in the last year since their win in the 2014 TBF Band Competition, shedding even more credence to a lyric from their set opener, “It Only Takes a Little Spark / To Get a Fire Going”
Best Elk’s Park Dance Party: Fruition
Speaking of dancing crowds, the Elk’s Park crowd was on their feet from their first moment Fruition started laying down their music and no one stopped dancing until the final moments. Mixing, acoustic, electric, bluegrass, country, and just the right amount of rock and roll, this Portland group made their case loud and clear for a main stage set next year, especially after NightGrass, FirstGrass, and countless campground jam sessions.
Best Genre-Buster: Janelle Monáe
Well, every year there are definitely several ‘genre-busters’ that expand the scope of the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, but to say Janelle Monáe expanded the scope of the type of music at TBF would be an vast understatement. With open ears, the Town Park crowd embraced the high energy, sometimes Michael Jackson-esque stage presence and vocals, magnified by the all-white costumes and backdrop, light show, and backup musicians and singers that were relentless in their trade. The set turned Telluride Bluegrass on it’s head.
Best Cover Song: Greensky Bluegrass
Greensky Bluegrass picked up the energy on Sunday afternoon, especially after bringing up Sam Bush to jam a couple tunes. The band then slowed down the tempo of their set with the opening chords of the Grateful Dead’s “Black Muddy River.” Paul Hoffman’s voice echoed tenderly through the verses, meandered vividly within the chorus, and resonated through the hearts and souls of all who listened. A singer not always recognized for his evocative stage presence, the final verse soared from Hoffman’s lungs, while coupled with hand gestures and body language that seemed so rooted and instinctive that you would have thought he indeed was singing a song of his own. Chill bumps literally covered my arms and I knew now I was a Greensky fan for life.
Best Acoustic Guitar Solo: John Butler
On Thursday night, John Butler let the rest of his trio take a break, one they probably didn’t expect to be so lengthy, as he sat down and filled the canyon with a guitar solo that resonated with energy and spanned the genres of folk, jam, country, and psychedelic rock. His guitar playing was simply captivating.
Best Live Performance: Lake Street Dive
Two years ago in Telluride, Lake Street Dive was the band everyone was discovering in awe for the first time. After two years of busting out and blowing up on the national scene, they returned to the festival and proved why they are selling out large theaters across the country and being featured in Rolling Stone as “the year’s best new band.” Anchored by the soulful vocals of Rachel Price, the band’s set wowed the festival crowd with Motown beats and jazz club vibes, all done in such tight polished fashion as you could expect from this Brooklyn quartet.
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