Photos by Tim Dwenger
Telluride Blues & Brews is always a one-of-a-kind weekend in paradise, but with bluebird skies, beautiful weather, and a notable line-up, this year was special (and yes, I’ll probably say that next year, and the year after as well).
On the personal side, we did something a little different this year and pulled into town on Thursday evening instead of getting up before dawn and making the drive from Denver on Friday. Yes, we are getting older, and yes, even if you are in your twenties, this is a good idea. We had a stellar meal at Sidework and a few cocktails before getting a good night sleep and waking up on Friday morning ready to really dig in and get after it with some blues from Dragondeer. As you may remember, this very blog helped Dragondeer land their first gig at Blues & Brews so it was awesome to see those boys tearing it up on the main stage to kick off a powerhouse day that featured Marco Benevento, Monophonics, Samantha Fish, Booker T, and the duo of Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite.
While it’s tough to pick highlights from this day, I’ve got to say that Marco’s set was a welcome change from the typical Blues & Brews performer as he laid down some jazzy grooves and even dropped a cover The Knife’s “Heartbeats” into the mix. Monophonics is always a treat, but Courtney McClary’s gender reveal mid-set made this one memorable (it’s a girl btw) and while Samantha Fish isn’t my favorite, she’s a trip to watch up there and she definitely won over several new fans with her raw and rockin’ blues. When Booker T took the stage I wasn’t sure what to expect, but his Stax Review set blew my mind with faithful renditions of his own “Green Onions” alongside blistering versions of two Sam & Dave classics “Hold On, I’m Coming” and “Soul Man,” and Jean Knight’s “Mr. Big Stuff.” Damn if that man can’t still deliver! The night wrapped with a set from Harper and Musselwhite and while it didn’t pack the punch of the next two nights headliners, it was great to see Charlie blow that harp again alongside the smooth and soulful voice of Ben Harper as they ran through most of their recent album including “The Bottle Wins Again” and “No Mercy In This Land.”
When the sun is gone and Town Park empties out, the Juke Joints are rolling and on Friday night we made our way into the Sheridan Opera House to catch a magical night with Dragondeer and Monophonics. Both bands delivered passionate sets in the close quarters of the 105 year old theater and capped the day off right.
Saturday dawned bright and Son Little ushered in the Grand Tasting with a set of old school blues that gave way to a memorable set from The California Honey Drops. Always a treat, the Honey Drops whipped the buzzed crowd into a frenzy as beads flew through the air Mardi Gras style. Midway through their set, the kids parade wove its way through the dancing crowd and larger than life puppets and smiling children pushed the mood even higher.
With the crowd at the top of their game, Marcus King and his band took the stage and proceed to indoctrinate us all in the art of marrying blues and jazz. King is a future legend and his prowess on the guitar was equaled only by the band that stood at his side. As they ran through several tunes from their new album, King’s fretboard heroics left many in the crowd slack-jawed and I, for one, wanted his set to go on for another couple of hours but JJ Grey was a nice consolation prize when Marcus tipped his cap and went to get ready for his Juke Joint appearance.
After JJ Grey’s career spanning set, the stage was primed for one of the true legends and innovators of the blues, Mr. Robert Plant. While I have to admit that my expectations were high (and that’s putting it mildly), Plant delivered in spades. From the “Good Times Bad Times” opener through the “Whole Lotta Love” closer, this was the kind of set that you tell your kids about. Plant was in great voice as he belted out the classics and poured his heart into songs from his new album, Carry Fire, alongside most of the gems you’d want to hear from his days with Led Zeppelin. It was a memorable evening in town park and the best part was, after Plant left the stage, there was still more fun to be had in town where Marcus King Band delivered a monumental set at The Sheridan.
Shaking the cobwebs out on Sunday morning is always a bit of a chore, but after the Saturday we all experienced it took a little something extra. Fortunately I summoned the strength and made it to Town Park to catch Don Bryant and his set pumped me full of energy as he delivered a heartwarming 60 minutes of old-school R&B. Bryant’s set included gems like “Nickle and a Nail,” “Shotgun Wedding” and “Don’t Give Up on Love” as he set the stage for RL Boyce and the Hill Country Allstars and while they didn’t necessarily thrill me, Anders Osborne was in the wings of the stage getting down a bit. Unfortunately Valerie June didn’t really do it for me either and I took the time to make my way into town and have a drink on the roof of the New Sheridan Hotel in the late summer sun because I had a feeling we were in for it with the last two acts of the weekend.
When I got back to Town Park, the one and only Anders Osborne was taking the stage for his annual late afternoon set and yet again he delighted the faithful with his blend of soulful, heartfelt songs, and blistering guitar playing. With “Mind of a Junkie,” a sit in from Johnny Sansone on harmonica, and “Different Drum” this set was a memorable one.
On the heels of Osborne’s set, Warren Haynes and Gov’t Mule took the stage and delivered one of the best sets I’ve seen them play. With Haynes always stellar guitar playing on songs like “Hammer and Nail” and “Patchwork Quilt” alongside teases of favorites like “Mountain Jam” and “Norwegian Wood,” The Mule played for nearly two and a half hours. As we closed in on the end of the set, and the festival, they delivered both “Soulshine” and a monumental take on Neil Young’s “Cortez The Killer” that led me to forgive Warren for not dropping a single Pink Floyd song into the mix two nights after The Mule played a whole set of Floyd at Red Rocks.
It was another great year in Telluride and Steve Gumble and the Blues & Brews team served up another amazing iteration of this legendary festival. I can’t wait to see what’s to come!
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