It’s that time of year again. It’s February and us Colorado locals are well into the routine of skiing, drinking whiskey and listening to Bluegrass in our ski gear. These activities are a Coloradans way of “living the life.” So why not bring them all together and call it a festival? Well, a few great minds at Bonfire Entertainment did just that. Once again, our favorite bands are playing at a small festival..in the middle of a ski town…where the beer flows freely. It’s Winter WonderGrass season, ya’ll. Let’s get after it.
To the excitement of many, there are a few new additions to the festival this year including a new stage. Dubbed “The Soapbox Stage,” this small stage pays homage to an older method of story-telling, acting as a platform to showcase some of Bluegrass’s most influential acts in a more intimate setting. The stage is in The Soapbox Café, a heated lounge area with a coffeehouse vibe. Jennifer Brazill, Director of Marketing for Bonfire Entertainment, described the stage as “an old rustic backdrop, hand built from recycled materials and an old-time microphone. Featuring some of the scene’s most prolific songwriters, the Soapbox creates a warm ambiance for fans and artists to connect on a more intimate level.” Expect to see some bigger names at this cozy café, like Noem Pikelny of Punch Brothers, Paul Hoffman of Greensky Bluegrass and Dave Simonett & Dave Carroll of Trampled By Turtles.
I was able to meet with the wonderfully talented Dave Simonett and pick his brain about the festival, his hometown and what the fans can expect from TBT this year.
To kick things off, I’d love to get some background on you. Speaking back to your roots, how has Duluth, MN shaped you? How has it shaped your songwriting? I’d imagine the two are pretty intertwined.
Yeah, you know I’ve spoken about this some in some other interviews and I can’t pin down a real definitive answer like ‘Oh I wrote this song about this place. Duluth inspired these lyrics in particular.’ But I think there’s such a subconscious effect that happens when thinking about a musician’s hometown. Duluth is cold, it’s stark. It gets me into that mental place to write—a place where I probably wouldn’t be if I was somewhere else. Somewhere a little bit warmer. It’s a small town; it’s an inexpensive place to live, so I think that’s a big draw for artists. There’s a big support for the creatives. We support each other and the town supports us.
You’ll be performing with Dave Carroll, banjo player from Trampled by Turtles, on the new SoapBox Stage this year. What does a session like this bring to the fans that we wouldn’t typically see with a TBT set? New music? Covers? Or TBT originals with a more intimate sound?
It’s going to be a mix of all of those things. Dave lives in Colorado and I live in Minnesota so we don’t see each other a whole lot, so when we do it’s really nice. We did some shows together last year and that was a lot of fun. But yeah, we’ll do some Trampled stuff, some new stuff. I’ve been working a lot on my solo project, Dead Man Winter, so we might dabble in some of that. I’m looking forward to it.
Trampled was at this venue a few years back for Snowball Music Festival and we were one of the only bands with instruments and I just remember it was really cold haha. We’ve also done Winter Wondergrass in Tahoe and that was great. This year should be a lot of fun.
Trampled by Turtles continues to break the barrier of a typical indie-bluegrass band. Each year, your shows bring the heat more and more with such an explosive sound. Your lights have been on another level, too. That being said, do you guys have anything unique planned for Red Rocks this year? Or perhaps any new music?
Well, first I’d just like to say thank you. That’s always really nice to hear.
We’re always trying new stuff and we like to explore any new music on the stage. We’re definitely working on new material and feel like the stage is the best place to test it out. As far as Red Rocks and upcoming shows this year, let’s just say I like to go into things unplanned. Haha, that’s all I can really say.
Finally, who is your favorite band/artist right now?
That’s the hardest question that you’ve asked so far! Well that’s an interesting question because, what’s today? Thursday? Tomorrow’s Friday…so my answer will probably change tomorrow. But I’d have to say this band called The Pines. They’re a local band, and they’re good friends. So yeah, check ‘em out.
Winter Wondergrass begins this Friday at 2:30pm in Nottingham Park. I’d advise you to get your tickets to this amazing Jamgrass festival before it sells out. Just be sure to wear some gloves.
Winter WonderGrass
February 19th – 21st
Tickets: $149 (3-Day Pass)
PURCHASE HERE
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