Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Reveals Amazing Preliminary Line-Up!

Planet Bluegrass is proud to announce the preliminary lineup for the 22nd Annual Rocky Mountain Folks Festival, held August 17-19, 2012 on the Planet Bluegrass Ranch in Lyons, CO.

• Lyle Lovett & His Large Band
• Amos Lee
• Randy Newman
• Kasey Chambers
• Dawes
• Darrell Scott
• Elephant Revival
• Peter Himmelman
• Caleb Hawley
• And many more still to be announced…

3-day passes and camping are available now at www.bluegrass.com or 800-624-2422. Single-day tickets will be available early this Spring with the announcement of the complete single-day lineup. Tickets continue to sell at a record pace – over 30% ahead of last year’s early-summer sell-out. Holiday-priced 3-day passes sold-out on January 9 – a full month earlier than last year.

From its inception as the “summit on the song,” the festival has looked beyond the confines of a “folk” festival toward great songwriting in all genres.

The 2012 lineup welcomes 4-time Grammy winner Lyle Lovett for his first-ever performance at the Folks Festival. Legendary Grammy, Emmy, and Academy Award-winning singer-songwriter Randy Newman shares his witty and satirical 30-year+ catalog for just his second Folks appearance (first appearing in 2002). Philadelphia folk-soul troubadour Amos Lee returns for his third Folks set, on the heels of last year’s Billboard #1 album Mission Bell. Australian country-folk superstar Kasey Chambers will again charm festivarians with her endearingly honest songs and freewheeling wit.

The 22nd annual festival sees the return of two of Planet Bluegrass’s most beloved artists: virtuosic multi-instrumentalist / singer / songwriter Darrell Scott (who spent much of the last year in Robert Plant’s Band of Joy); and the inspiring and unpredictable Peter Himmelman, whose recent Folks appearance found the Grammy and Emmy-winning folk-pop songwriter leading the entire festival in a conga line around the grounds.

The carefully curated lineup also welcomes newcomers: critically-acclaimed young roots quartet Dawes (who have recently performed as the backup band for both Jackson Browne and Robbie Robertson); Nederland-based transcendental indie-folk quintet Elephant Revival; and the wry observations of soulful New York City troubadour Caleb Hawley.

The festival opens on Friday morning with the nationally-recognized songwriting contest, the Folks Songwriter Showcase.  Ten finalists, chosen from more than 500 submissions, perform 2 songs on the main stage. The winning songwriter, as chosen by a panel of music industry professionals, is given a new guitar and a full main stage set at the 2013 festival. Past winners include: Deb Talan (of the Weepies), Chuck E. Costa, Erica Wheeler, Megan Burtt, and 2011 winner Caleb Hawley.

With a dedicated family activity area – including crafts, nature activities, and music performances – and the sandy beach and cooling waters of the St. Vrain River running through the festival grounds, the festival is popular with families and “festivarians” of all ages.

In the week leading up to the Folks Festival, nearly 200 songwriters of all abilities converge on the Planet Bluegrass Ranch for The Song School (Aug 12-16). Now in its 19th year, 5-day songwriting retreat focuses on the art, craft, and business of songwriting. Songwriters camp at the Ranch; wander between classes held under large tents; participate in a large open mike each evening in the Wildflower Pavilion; and share songs, stories, and inspiration in a uniquely supportive and open environment. The 2012 faculty includes Darrell Scott, Mary Gauthier, Peter Himmelman, Pat Pattison, and Steve Seskin. A few student spaces may still be available at www.TheSongSchool.com or 800-624-2422.

The Planet Bluegrass Ranch is nestled in the foothills in the historic quarry town of Lyons, CO, midway between Boulder and Rocky Mountain National Park. With its burgeoning year-round music community, the small town of Lyons is “quietly becoming the Nashville of the Rockies” (NPR’s All Things Considered).