Howdy Sweet Folkies,
Howdy Sweet Folkies,
Ah, words just don’t do justice to express how wonderful it feels to be together again. May thanks be to Saint Festivaria for assisting in the facilitation of our annual end-of-summer gathering! We’ve come to view it as a family reunion of sorts. We know we’re technically writing this before we see you, but GOSH we just know y’all are going to look so lovely in your Festy dresses, overalls, and sun hats. It’s too much… Your smiles are dazzling, it's blinding us!
We spent the last week with friends old and new at our Song School. Needless to say we’re feeling full to the brim with emotions! We laughed, we cried, we wrote under the shade of the Cottonwood trees and sang to these beautiful cliffs surrounding us… Now we’re ready to sunbathe and soak up some good musical vibes.
Our team at Planet Bluegrass HQ has been dabbling in talent management since we’ve been apart. We gathered a variety of woodland creatures with the goal of giving them instruments and teaching them to play our favorite folk songs. They've really gotten quite good! They kept asking to be included on the Main Stage. We compromised and let them be the stars of this year’s artwork instead. It’s a win-win for everyone!
Now, go do what you do best: connect with Folks, eat some fish tacos, and plop yourself into the Saint Vrain. We are so glad you’re here!
Love, Love, THE FOLKS ON PLANET BLUEGRASS
Rules & Guidelines
Rules & Guidelines
First thing’s first, feel free to sit on any open tarp (especially up front) until its owners return. Make a few friends and do some dancing, that’s what we’re all here for!
Some Reminders While We Have You Here
• Tarps may be no larger than 10’ x 10’. We will be checking!
• Climbing the hillsides and cliffs is strictly prohibited.
• There is no lifeguard watching your kids in the river. Be sure to monitor your children carefully!
• Sunshades and high-back chairs are only allowed in designated areas. All high-back chairs must be behind the sound booth. If we can roll a basketball under your chair, we will ask you to move it behind the sound booth.
• Umbrellas, shade tents, and other view-obstructing items are allowed only along the river and back perimeter of the festival grounds.
PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL OF OTHERS—do not stand in the festival seating areas, and do not smoke in the audience!
Instead, wander over to the smoking tent near the river, and deposit your butts in the proper receptacles. Sustainable Festivation, ya know?
Lost and Found is located at the Main Festival Box Of ce.
TARP LINE POLICY
Festivarians may begin assembling for the next day’s line numbers no earlier than 11pm, along the pedestrian walkway outside of the Main Box Of ce
At around midnight, the number line will be led through the customs gate, where we will distribute random numbers and mark wristbands to show receipt of a number. These numbers will be shuf ed randomly. Each person may receive no more than one number.
The next morning, Festivarians should re-assemble in line number order beginning one hour before gates. Festivarians will be admitted into the festival in this randomly-assigned order, followed by all Festivarians without line numbers.
11th through 13th, 2023
Home! Home! HONEY, WE’RE
HQ 2.0. Festivaria. Bluegrass Barbie’s Dreamhouse. The Fest Lab. We’re still sorting through names, but it’s official: the Planet Bluegrass offices have moved!
In the middle of July we took over ownership of 19661 North St. Vrain Drive. We thought hey, July is typically a pretty soft month for us here on Planet Bluegrass. RockyGrass and Academy who? Our schedules are wide open, we’ve been begging someone to ask us to move! HA! We’re joking. It was a wild clusterpluck of a whirlwind and we’re still barely unpacked, but we’re making great progress and we love our new space!
Located just a skip, hop, and jump from the Ranch and Farm, we’ve only just begun to explore the potential. With so much more space on our hands, (almost 9,000 square feet!) the possibilities are endless.
We spent the last 4 years at the old Valley Bank building on 2nd Avenue. From selling local tickets via the drive thru window during Covid to our traditional “Fry-Day” (our team’s excuse to get fries for lunch every Friday), we have fond memories of working together in that space. It was a collaborative and welcoming environment that housed plenty of dogs, the occasional cat, and copious amounts of Snickers in the candy jar.
Now, you know how sometimes things turn out perfectly and exactly just how they were supposed to? This is one of those situations. As we nest into our new home, we get to watch our dear friends at LEAF (the Lyons Emergency & Assistance Fund) nestle into the Bank and make it their own forever home!
As many of you know, LEAF offers a human services safety net for people in need in the greater Lyons area. Together with 269 volunteers and 314 donors and partners (a ne group to which Planet Bluegrass is proud to be part of), they directly served 22.6% of our local population through their ve human services programs in 2022. LEAF has been searching for a home to call their own for over 4 years. Now that the Bank is in their hands, they’re ready to get creative with some construction!
Lory Barton, LEAF’s Executive Director says, “[We plan to replace] the roof along with some other repairs, equip the Pantry, storage, and food prep area, build out an ADA-compliant bathroom, and add another of ce on the main level. We'll nish the lower level for behavioral and addiction recovery services. The space
will include offices, a casual reception area, a classroom, and bathroom. We'll also spruce up the exterior to include a Lyons sandstonepaver gathering area and community gardens.”
The work LEAF does is vital to the success of our community. We are so excited for these new developments in Town, and absolutely cannot wait to see everything that LEAF is preparing to do. They will be looking to the community for capital support as well as seeking additional grant funding. If their fundraising is successful, they hope to complete the project and move in late this year or early 2024.
“It’s time for it ... even smaller mountain communities have Food Pantries and community centers: it's Lyons’ turn now!”
Mark your calendars for Sunday August 27th!
LEAF, in partnership with the Lyons Community Foundation, will be hosting their third annual Hootenanny at River Bend. Expect live (and local!) music, rubber ducky races, food trucks, dancing, kids activities, a silent auction, and more.
Campsite Challenge
Campsite Challenge
With more than 1,500 campers in Lyons this weekend, (nearly doubling the size of our town!), it’s critical that we respect these beautiful Festival grounds that we get to call home for a few days. In collaboration with Leave No Trace, we will be rewarding campsites that excel in creative, clean and sustainable camping.
To nominate your campsite or one of your neighbors, pick up an entry form at the Leave No Trace booth and tell us your secrets to keeping your campsite clean. While you are there, pick up free compostable bags (supplied by Eco-Products) for your campground compost. We will announce a random winner each day from the stage and reward them with goodies from our partners including OZO, Zeal, and Mountainsmith (so get your forms in early!).
One grand prize winner will be selected Sunday afternoon. This grand prize winner will receive a pair of FREE 3-day passes and camping for next year’s Festival!
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2022 WINNER: CATHY COLLENTINE OF CAMP TRIBUTE
Libation Libation statiOn
Hard Seltzer
WineCocktails
marys
FINALLY HERE! FESTIVALE FESTIVALE
IS
As we entered our second year working with Upslope Brewery, we got to thinking about what we could do to make this year’s Festival experience extra spectacular for everyone involved. The answer seemed obvious and came to us immediately—a collaborative beer, duh!
Something crisp, light, and highly sippable–perfect for long sunny days chock-full of dancing. And thus FestivAle was born (or technically reborn, since we made a batch once in the early nineties)!
So, on a gray afternoon in early spring, Planet Bluegrass team piled in Planet BlueVan (if you know you know), and headed to Upslope’s North Boulder location to brew a gosh darn beer! Needless to say, none of us knew what we were doing and felt entirely out of our depths but luckily the experts at Upslope were at our side. We brought the one thing we know a lot about (instruments), and let the Upslope team guide the way. Thank goodness for them!
We donned protective eyewear (OSHA is that you?) and got to measuring. Barley, wheat, hops, honey, and orange peels… Stir it all together with a banjo or mandolin for added spice and heightened harmony. Sprinkle in a few guitar picks to get that twang just right.
We can’t wait for you to try the fruits of our labor! Grab your own FestivAle at the bar, and stop by the Upslope booth in our sponsor area each afternoon for small batch samplings and tap-side hangs.
Family Tent
COME FIND THE FAMILY AREA ALONG THE RIVER BEHIND THE WILDFLOWER PAVILION!
While you’re over there, check out the Instrument Petting Zoo (courtesy of HB Woodsongs). This is a place for kids and their parents to discover, strum, and play a variety of instruments. HB Woodsongs’ knowledgeable staff of instrument zookeepers provide the instruments, you provide the curiosity. Open 11am-4pm.
Be sure to also join our friends from the Wild Bear Nature Center in their tent in Harmony Greene (the sponsor area to the left of the Wild ower). Wild Bear’s goal is to inspire a lifelong connection with nature and community through creative exploration of the outdoors. You won’t want to miss it!
We ask that parents please accompany their kids at all times while in the Family Area.
Near the Silo Near the Silo
Independent music deserves independent ticketing.
See Tickets is proud to be Planet Bluegrass’ Fair Ticketing Partner
August 11th through 13th, 2023
Composting has always been a critical part of Sustainable Festivation. That’s because it’s the only way to keep certain parts of our waste stream out of the landfill-namely food scraps and the certified compostable products used in places where reusable alternatives aren’t an option. But just when we had our dedicated Sustainable Festivarians fully trained, Boulder County and others began to encounter a composting conundrum.
We’ve been lucky in Lyons and Telluride to have access to composters willing to accept post-consumer food scraps and packaging. Most composters in the US only accept yard trimmings, though that is starting to change as the awareness of the food in land ll and climate connection grows. One reason so many composters only accept yard trimmings is because accepting food scraps and compostable packaging comes with a signi cant risk–contamination from non-compostable materials.
There are a lot of similarities between composting and recycling, but there is one really important difference. While most recycling systems are speci cally designed to separate materials like plastics, aluminum, glass, paper and nonrecyclable items, sorting technology for composting is still in its infancy. To make matters worse, contamination from non-compostable materials constitutes a much bigger risk for composters than non-recyclable material does for recyclers.
This spring, the primary composter serving the Denver-Boulder area was forced to temporarily suspend the acceptance of certi ed compostable products, citing contamination from non-compostable items like conventional plastic and glass.
Since April, we’ve been working with our longtime partner, Eco-Products, on a solution that would enable the events in Lyons to continue collecting compostable products as we’ve done in the past. We were able to nd a site in Colorado Springs that will accept our compost based on our (and your) excellent track record of creating a clean compost stream. It is not an ideal solution because of the extra miles to haul it and the extra money and time that it will take, however, after our analysis it was still the least carbon intensive solution.
There is a lot to learn here for all of us. Access to composting can be taken away if we don’t educate ourselves and do everything we can to keep noncompostable materials out of compost bins.
Did You Know? Did You Know?
THE U.S. PUTS MORE FOOD IN LANDFILLS THAN ANY OTHER SINGLE MATERIAL? AND WHEN THAT FOOD BREAKS DOWN IN LANDFILLS IT CREATES METHANE---A GREENHOUSE GAS MORE THAN 80 TIMES WORSE THAN CO2 ON A SHORT TERM BASIS?
As much as it pains us to say it, there is truth to the phrase “When in doubt, throw it out” for composting. If you are unsure if your item is compostable or not, please don’t put it in the compost bin. Please note that all serving items from our vendors are certi ed compostable! For this year, to ensure that our compost stream is uncontaminated we will not be placing compost bins in the campgrounds. Campers can bring their compost into the festival grounds where the bins are monitored and our staff will assist you in composting them. Thank you for your continued Sustainable Festivation efforts!
Songwriter Showcase
Songwriter Showcase
We open the 33rd Annual Rocky Mountain Folks Festival with our internationallyrevered songwriting competition. The Songwriter Showcase is open to performing songwriters who are not currently signed to a major recording or publishing deal. Past winners include Kira Small, Robby Hecht, Caroline Spence, and Alexa Wildish.
This spring, artists from around the States submitted original songs to be considered by our panel of music industry experts. After carefully listening to more than 400 entries, our judges selected ten finalists. Each will perform two songs for us on the Main Stage Friday morning.
SHOWCASE FINALISTS
KATIE BOECK Nashville, TN
ANNA CUTLER Boulder, CO
MARISA DEERING
Mission Viejo, CA
JACKSON EMMER Carbondale, CO
CINDY KALMENSON Ojai, CA
SOPHIA RANKIN Tucson, AZ
COLE SCHEIFELE Boulder, CO
MIKE STOCKSDALE
Culver City, CA
LEWIS TURNER Fort Collins, CO
JOEL VAN HORNE Denver, CO
ThisyearweconnectedwithDaveyDiamonds at Animal Lane Studios and Rose Charmers Production team (Charlie Rose & Phoebe Hunt) in Lyons, CO. They have generously offered to award the Songwriter Showcase winner with a half day (3-5 hour) recording session!
SCORING CRITERIA:
• 50% Quality of Composition Depth, insight, cleverness
• 25% Quality of Vocal Rendering Vocal quality, pitch, tone
• 25% Quality of Delivery Instrumental technique, charisma
1st Place:
Main Stage set at 2024 Festival, Taylor Guitar, Recording session at Animal Lane Studio, and $400
2nd Place: $500
3rd Place: $400
4th Place: $350
5th Place: $250
6th-10th Place: $150 each
Each of the 10 finalists will perform in a “Showcase Finalists In-The-Round” set in the Wildflower Pavilion. Join in on these intimate performances and discover your new favorite songwriter. Purchase their music in the Country Store to show your support!
WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED FROM THE MAIN STAGE FOLLOWING THE CONTEST FINALS 2022
Winner: Shanna in a Dress
Folks Festival Folks Festival
Friday August 11 th
10:00am
Gates Open
10:30 - 12:30
Songwriter Showcase
12:45 - 1:45
Caitlin Canty
2:00 - 3:15
Dead Horses
3:45 - 5:00
Benjamin Dakota Rogers
5:30 - 6:45
Katie Pruitt
7:15 - 8:30
The Tallest Man on Earth
9:00 - 10:30
Larkin Poe
saturDAY August 12 th
10:00am Gates Open
10:45 - 11:45
Shanna in a Dress
12:15 - 1:15 Humbird
1:45 - 3:00
Leyla McCalla
3:30 - 4:45
Stephen Kellogg
5:15 - 6:30 Celisse
7:00 - 8:30
Shovels & Rope
9:00 - 10:30
Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band
SUnDAY August 13 th
10:00am Gates Open
10:30 - 11:30 The Sensational Barnes Brothers Noon - 1:00 The Pairs
1:30 - 2:45 Seth Walker
3:15 - 4:30 Kuinka
5:00 - 6:15 The Secret Sisters
6:45 - 8:00 Tank and the Bangas
8:30 - 10:00
Charley Crockett
Wildflower Pavilion Wildflower Pavilion
Friday
August 11 th
1:15 - 2:00
Bill Nash & Rabbi Joe Black
2:15 - 2:45
Phoebe Hunt
3:00 - 4:30
Showcase Finalists:
Katie Boeck
Jackson Emmer
Cole Scheifele
Anna Cutler
5:00 - 5:30
Mary Gauthier
5:45 - 6:15
Vance Gilbert
saturDAY
August 12th
11:45 - 12:15
Eben Grace Trio
12:45 - 1:45
Showcase Finalists:
Mike Stocksdale
Sophia Rankin
Joel Van Horne
2:00 - 2:45
Mark Gibson & Jill Brzezicki
3:15 - 3:45
Katie Wise & Bhakti Explosion with JJ Jones
4:00 - 4:30 Justin Roth
4:45 - 5:15
Rebecca Folsom
5:30 - 6:00
Arthur Lee Land
SUnDAY
August 13th
11:30 - Noon
Jenn Cleary and Friends Kids Show
12:15 - 12:45 Strangebyrds
1:00 - 2:15
Showcase Finalists:
Marisa Deering
Cindy Kalmenson
Lewis Turner
2:45 - 3:15
Chicago Mike Beck
3:30 - 4:00 Paul Reisler
4:30 - 5:00
Steve Seskin
5:15 - 5:45 Ellis
Caitlin Canty
FRIDAY
The Artists
The Artists
12:45 - 1:45
Dead Horses
FRIDAY
2:00 - 3:15
Caitlin Canty is the name, folk, blues, and country ballads are the game. We feel like we know her even better now since she spent all of last week teaching at our Song School! The small-town Vermonter has a sound Rolling Stone calls “dreamy and daring.” Caitlin’s fourth studio record, a follow up to 2018’s Motel Bouquet came out this past June. Titled Quiet Flame, the entirely acoustic (no drums or other electric instruments) masterpiece was produced by Punch
Milwaukee duo Dead Horses is composed of songwriter Sarah Voss and upright bassist Daniel Wolff. The pair met in college, and like to consider themselves more of an intimate, folk-inspired conversation between two close friends as opposed to a conventional band. Fine by us, we’re listening to everything they put out either way! Averaging 120 shows per year, touring is their backbone. Their most recent album, Brady Street, is their first full-length project since
Brother, Chris Eldridge, and features Sarah Jarosz, Brittany Haas, Andrew Marlin, Paul Kowert, and a host of other all-stars. Winner of the 2015 Telluride Troubadour contest, Caitlin has shared stages with Mary Chapin Carpenter, The Milk Carton Kids and our very own Saturday closer Josh Ritter. You’re equally likely to find her singing to a packed Station Inn in Nashville as you are to catch her curled up at home with her furry soulmate.
2018’s breakthrough, My Mother The Moon, which found the band praised by the likes of NPR, Rolling Stone, Billboard and more. According to Sarah, their intimate, folk-inspired songs “... are about hope and joy, [and] sharing a message that you’re never alone.”
With Sarah’s emotive and sensible songwriting and Dan’s intrepid bass playing, they’ve weaved a patchwork of classic and contemporary influences that get in our ear and stay there. We just cannot stop listening to them!
Benjamin Dakota Rogers
FRIDAY
3:45 - 5:00
Inspired by fellow troubadours like Tyler Childers and Colter Wall, multiinstrumentalist Benjamin Dakota Rogers is riding a creative wave with no end in sight. With an innate ability to match his instrument with the guttural twang of his voice, his 2019 release Better By Now introduced him as a unique talent in Americana music, and 2023’s Paint Horse solidified him as someone you need to be paying close attention to. A master of hard-driving and powerful
folk with a contemporary edge, he was raised in Southwestern Ontario on his family’s farm. He spent his formative years building greenhouses, growing vegetables, and living off the land. In case you’re wondering, yes, there was a big VW bus involved, usually found blasting fiddle music as it toted the family from music festival to music festival. These days you can find him tapping trees for maple syrup, and making more music that we will undoubtedly devour and put on repeat.
Good News, Festivarians!
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Katie Pruitt
FRIDAY 5:30 - 6:45
The Artists
The Artists
The Tallest Man on Earth
FRIDAY
7:15 - 8:30
Georgia born singer, songwriter, and guitarist Katie Pruitt is full to the brim with raw talent. With vocals that are stop-you-in-your-tracks powerful and a knack for crafting deeply personal and honest lyrics that make us feel borderline too many things, each of her performances is filled with emotive prowess, demonstrating the immense strength in vulnerability. Touching on themes of love, self-discovery, mental health, and the complexities of the human
Some people might find it easy to confuse The Tallest Man on Earth, Kristian Matsson, with Guinness world record holder for tallest man alive, Sultan Kösen, but we don’t really get it. Kristian Matsson is a Swedish singer/ songwriter, a talent the New York Times calls a guitar-slinger rooted in folk, [with songs that are] troubadour ballads at heart,” and Sultan Kösen is a really tall Turkish farmer. No hard feelings for Turkish farmers (or tall
Festivarians, are you ready to rock?
experience, Katie’s music makes us ache for more by the end of each song. If, after listening to her debut album Expectations, you’re picking up on some acerbity, well you’re spot on! “I called the album Expectations because I liked that it was ironic,” she says, “the record is really about letting go of what other people expect fromyou,andbeingfreetojustfinally be yourself.” And be herself she is, garnering praise as she continues along in her musical journey.
people), it’s apples and oranges for sure, but we digress. Dylanesque at heart with a charismatic stage presence and a longing for social interchange, Kristian’s newest album Henry St., produced by Nick Sanborn of Sylvan Esso, is his first project featuring a full band. “My entire career I’ve been a DIY person… so I’d just do everything myself.” Now we get to see what happens when friends come to play!
Larkin Poe
FRIDAY 9:00 - 10:30
We certainly hope you answered yes, because Megan and Rebecca Lovell are in the house, and when Megan and Rebecca Lovell are in the house, the only possible outcome is face melting rock & roll. Named Larkin Poe after their great-greatgreat grandfather, the sister duo is flavored by their southern heritage. They are masters of weaving blues into rock into that deep, funky fresh soulful sound that gets
you up and movin’ whether you like it or not. Their 2022 album Blood Harmony blew us out of the water. No Depression applauds them for “...their ability to write and deliver songs that reveal the shadows and light through which we pass in our everyday world,” and NPR designates them as “A Sister Act with Staying Power.” Prepare yourselves for the incredible strength behind their live performance. It’s magic.
The Artists
The Artists
Shanna in a Dress
SATURDAY
10:45 - 11:45
Humbird
12:15 - 1:15
It’s Folks Fest day two! How are we feeling, Festivarians? Us personally, we’re on cloud nine. As always, we begin our Saturday morning Summit of the Song with the winner of last year’s Songwriter Showcase. Joined today by her full band, Shanna in a Dress is the quirky girl next door you wish was your best friend. Spontaneous banter and a playful stage presence makes it so no two of her performances are the same–every time you see her you get
The Humbird, referred to outside the scientific and birding communities as Siri Undlin, is a captivating and elusive avian species native to Minnesota. Ok you got us! Humbird isn’t a real bird, it’s a moniker. Humbird (aka Siri) released Pharmakon in 2019. A fusion of experimental folk and environmental Americana genres, it was followed up by sophomore project, Still Life, which paired the pleasant mix of wintry longing with the
Leyla McCalla
1:45 - 3:00
play in facilitating conversations about social issues.” Despite the title of her newest single, “Help Me Willie Nelson!,” Humbird doesn’t need anyone to teach her how to cruise or write a song that touches the moon. She’s doin’ that all by herself!
An alumna of GRAMMY winning Carolina Chocolate Drops, Leyla McCalla is a cellist by trade. Today, however, you’ll see her playing not only cello, but guitar and banjo as well as singing in English, French, and Haitian Creole, the language of her heritage. No big deal or anything! Leyla became familiar with the tenor banjo through traditional jazz while living in New Orleans. “I started researching Haitian folks songs, and I was
amazed to discover this incredibly rich banjo tradition.” Her new record Breaking the Thermometer explores the legacy of Haiti’s first radio station. A mix of musical performance and spoken word and including a plethora of Leyla’s own personal research, it dives into her own identity as a HaitianAmerican woman through infectious rhythms and velvety crooning. We are delighted to welcome Leyla for her first performance on the Planet!
The Artists
The Artists
Stephen Kellogg
SATURDAY
3:30 - 4:45
Celisse
5:15 - 6:30
Are you ready for Stephen Kellogg? He is most certainly ready for you! Stephen has released a whopping 17 albums and performed more than 2,000 shows across 21 countries. He is part of an elite Folks Festival entourage that are not only playing our Main Stage, but are published authors! His debut novel, Objects in the Mirror: Thoughts on a Perfect Life from an Imperfect Person, was released in 2020. Each chapter is tied to a
There’s a buzz about Celisse Henderson that cannot be ignored. Celisse began playing acoustic guitar at eighteen years old. She took a beginners class at her local community college. Then, about 8 years ago, she picked up an electric guitar. Needless to say, the rest was history. In the years since, she has collaborated with artists like Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, Dave Matthews, Joni Mitchell, Jon Batiste, and Brandi Carlile. You
song, beginning with a set of lyrics and then diving into the meat of the stories. He released his most recent album, Keep It Up, Kid in 2022. A man inflicted with an excess of self-awareness, you can find him living in New England with his lovely wife, four daughters, and their cat, Holly. Unfortunately, cats aren’t huge fans of music festivals, otherwise we would have required that he bring Holly by to meet us. Next time, please Stephen!
saw her play a tribute to Sister Rosetta Tharpe with Lizzo on Saturday Night Live. If you’re really paying attention, you also saw her in some episodes of “30 Rock” and “Rescue Me” back in the late aughts. With her debut album forthcoming, Celisse holds us in the palm of her hand. You’d think her hands would be busy from darting across the fretboard of her guitar, but here we are nonetheless, just a pile of putty in them…
Shovels & Rope
7:00 - 8:30
If you know us at all, then you know we have a huge soft spot for a married duo that makes music together. There’s just something about it…talk about swoon city! Needless to say, we are really big fans of Shovels & Rope. From Charleston, South Carolina, Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst began collaborating in 2002 (although it wasn’t until 2008 that they gifted us with their first album). Their most recent record, Manticore was
released in early 2022. The idea was to create a soft, bare-bones followup to 2019’s raucous By Blood. That notion was thrown out when the pandemic hit and they were given the rare opportunity to experiment in their home studio.
“It’s not heavy metal, but in our guts, it feels a bit like Heavy Metal,” says Michael. All that sonic exploration, and they still find time to curate a music festival of their own (called High Water).
11th through 13th, 2023
The Artists
The Artists
Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band
9:00 - 10:30
The Sensational Barnes Brothers
SUNDAY
10:30 - 11:30
His smile is infectious, his lyrics are heartfelt and poetic, and his wise, witty word plays consistently result in moments of inspiration and luminously-crafted musical gems.
Josh Ritter is a longtime friend of Folks, with tonight being his 6th performance on the Main Stage. He is joined by the Royal City Band, with Zachary Hickman on bass, Ray Rizzo on drums, Mark Erelli on guitar, and Justin Carroll on keyboards. Add in Josh’s warm and distinctive voice
Welcome to the Sunday morning circus! If you’re looking for a good time, you’ve come to the right place. Lay out your lawn chairs and get ready to soak up the enchantment of The Sensational Barnes Brothers. Memphis grown Chris and Courtney Barnes channel the spirit of soul and gospel music all the while infusing it with a modern edge that keeps everything bright and fresh. But it makes sense, because music is in their blood. Their mother was a Raelette (a backup
London, Ontario based folk group
and you’ve got yourself the perfect quintet. You’d think 9 studio albums (the most recent, Spectral Lines, was released in April), 5 live albums, 7 EPs, and 20 singles was enough, but Josh hasn’t stopped there- he’s also a New York Times bestselling author! His most recent novel, The Great Glorious Goddamn of It All, was released in 2021. Talk about a catch, geez. Josh’s endless imagination and compulsion towards creativity is a gift to us all. Enjoy!
singer for soul icon Ray Charles), and their father a singer/songwriter. They grew up making music as a family, performing and even recording albums together. Their debut record Nobody’s Fault But My Own pulls from an arsenal of legendary 1970s classics, and we’re expecting more new music from them soon. So best put on your Sunday best, folkies. We expect to see The Sensational Barnes Brothers singing, playing, and dancing for a long time to come!
The Pairs
SUNDAY
NOON - 1:00
The Pairs is powered by soaring sister harmonies (now you already know full well how much we love these!), as well as lifelong friendships. Renee and Noelle Coughlin have known Hilary Watson for as long as they can remember. These three classically trained vocalists are backed up by punk-drummer Steve Plimmer, and together their easy chemistry bridges the gap between the stage and their audience, as if
you’ve just pulled a chair up to their family’s lively kitchen table. Their debut album Noise was released in 2019. They’ve followed it up with a series of striking singles including “Sunday to Tuesday,” “Easier to Leave,” and “Yellow Lines.” We are expecting their newest album, When Will We Find Our Way?, this October. With a unique blend of stories focused on life’s hope, hilarity, and hardship, The Pairs will fill your cup and leave it overflowing.
August 11th through 13th, 2023
Seth Walker
SUNDAY
1:30 - 2:45
The Artists
The Artists
Kuinka
SUNDAY
3:15 - 4:30
Growing up on a commune in rural North Carolina, Seth was a cello player long before discovering the guitar in his twenties. A former resident of Austin, New Orleans, and Nashville, he currently calls Asheville home. But returning to his North Carolinian roots doesn’t mean Seth forgot the experiences of living in so many storied places–in fact, it’s just the opposite. He spent his time soaking up the sounds and absorbing the musical lineage of
Kuinka, pronounced coo-WINK-uh, means "how" in Finnish. As in how interesting that these bandmates met in New York City, even though their roots are all back in small-town Washington state! Comprised of Nathan Hamer, Zach Hamer (more of that sibling stuff!), Michelle Nuño, Jillian Walker, and Miranda Zickler, their first album The Wild North introduced their fun and upbeat joyousness to the modern folk and Americana scene. Kuinka brings
those varied places, and infused them into his refreshing meld of gospel,blues,R&B,pop,andcountry rock. He’s released ten albums, the most recent, I Hope I Know produced by Jano Rix of The Wood Brothers. With a bluesman’s respect for roots and tradition, Seth can also add published author to his already hefty CV. His memoir, Your Van Is On Fire, is a charming melange of a touring musician’s life, composed of short essays, poems and paintings.
it all together with a new, electric jolt. With elements of dream-pop, synth-pop, and guitar rock-revival, their newest single “Dream House” was released this year. Paste Music finds them “...engaging and original with a proper amount of established canon and innovation,” and we think that sums it up quite nicely. They lace stories throughout their lyrics, taking time for both lamentations and celebrations. We are so honored to have Kuinka here today!
The Secret Sisters
SUNDAY
5:00 - 6:15
More sister duos!! How did we get so lucky? We’re just a sucker for those blood harmonies, what can we say. The Secret Sisters are Laura and Lydia Rogers. Born and raised in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, their junior release, 2017’s You Don’t Own Me Anymore, was nominated for a GRAMMY. Both new mothers, they write with an eye towards comforting women in their journey through the modern world. They grapple with love and loss in their
most recent release, Saturn Return Produced by Brandi Carlile, it is the first where the sisters composed all songs without any co-writers. It not only holds carefully crafted musical arrangements and soul-baring songwriting, but nuggets of wisdom and heartwarming messages throughout, including our favorite: It doesn’t matter when you bloom / It matters that you do. harmonies wash over you like the St. Vrain river.
HEY!
you pickers, grinners, pluckers, plinkers, strummers, shredders, stompers, yellers, thumpers, mashers, grassers, crooners, choppers, riffers, noodlers, pile-drivers, boom-chickers and song-slingers, y’all gotta plug in sometime.
And that’s where we come in. Grace Design builds great sounding, reliable stage preamps for acoustic musicians, right here in Lyons, CO. You’ll see them onstage at RockyGrass and FolksFest and we’ll see you there!
www.gracedesign.com
The Artists
The Artists
Tank and the Bangas
SUNDAY
6:45 - 8:00
Charley Crockett
SUNDAY
8:30 - 10:00
Festivarians, prepare yourselves. This is about to be everything you didn’t know you were waiting for (and needed desperately). New Orleans formed Tank and the Bangas bring together the most unique blend of soul, R&B, hiphop, funk, and spoken word that we have ever heard. It is truly SUCH a treat. Winners of NPR’s 2017 Tiny Desk Contest, TatB’s popularity has (rightfully and well deservedly) soared since their forming in 2011.
We have one question, folks. Take a look around you–have you ever in your life seen so many ten gallon hats in Boulder County? We certainly haven’t, but it just goes to show that everyone here is on the same page: Charley Crockett is everything we aspire to be, and we can only begin to achieve his level of perfection by mimicking his aesthetic and singing along to his songs as loud as we can. Charley released his first album,
The band is made up of frontwoman Tarriona “Tank” Ball on lead vocals, Norman Spence on keys, and Joshua Johnson on drums. The trio met at an open mic night. Their most recent album Red Balloon has deliciously eclectic throwback vibes and includes such lauded guests as Questlove, Wayne Brady, Trombone Shorty, and Jacob Collier. It’s a triumphant celebration of the beauty of Black life. It’s communion in our cup.
A Stolen Jewel, in 2015. In the time since, he has released eleven more, the most recent being 2022’s The Man from Waco. Let us emphasize: that is twelve studio albums in just 9 years. Baby, he’s workin’!
A stunning combination of blues, Texas country and folk, he continues his upward trajectory, spurred along by his soulful voice and that twinkle in his eye. Lyons is one of his last state-side twirls before our boy heads abroad!
In Loving Memory
On May 26th, 2022 Griffin Charles Ferguson, fondly referred to as “Griff,” was killed in a motorcycle accident in Lyons. The son of Planet Bluegrass’ President Craig Ferguson and Sally Truitt, Griffin was a beloved brother, friend, protector, and professional firefighter dedicated to serving this community. Griffin loved fiercely, intensely, and without question.
After his accident, the Planet Bluegrass family gathered for RockyGrass and Folks Festival, in shock and utterly heartbroken. We were held in our tremendous grief by the buoyancy of the Festivarian spirits surrounding us, supported by our found festival family. We were cradled by these glorious grounds; the very same Griffin was born and grew up on. All the while through our pain we knew we were exactly where we needed to be: with the community that raised him.
It’s been one year, and we don’t miss Griffin any less. We don’t think we ever will, but we are finding joy in the moments we are able to be close to him, remembering his effortless vibrancy, anima, humor, and sass. Oh, the sass! We were lucky to have him and love him. Thank you for seeing our grief and loving us through it. Planet Bluegrass will always be Griffin’s home before anything else.
Take a moment to thank the amazing firefighters and EMTs that work daily to make our home safe. They are vital to this community. And, in Griffin fashion, better go ahead and give your dog a squeeze and a big kiss as well.
If you are reading this, you have arrived at Planet Bluegrass, a destination that in and of itself is otherworldly. Where harmonious tones are the native tongue, tiedye and river shoes are the customary dress code, The Festivarian Bill of Rights is the law of the land, and our voices rise together. Nestled within these river encased cliffs, it’s sometimes hard to imagine our sanctuary of song is connected to the larger one, the one that is currently suffering from the release of too much carbon dioxide into its atmosphere.
That being said, we wholeheartedly believe that gathering together as we do is not only good for our souls, but in many ways, it’s also good for the environment. For example, while Festivating the typical Folks Festivarian emits less carbon than they would during their normal daily activities. While it’s true that in Festivation we may overindulge in group
sing-a-longs, campground shenanigans, tarp hangs, and FestivAle (have you tried it?), it also means that we forgo our normal daily commutes, use less energy while camping, conserve water (yeah we smell ya), and, thanks to the efforts of our compost crew and buy-in from our food vendors, collectively divert more waste into recycle and compost streams.
SO What is tHe carBON imPAct OF Festivating?
It’s a complex problem to analyze and one that we’ve been contemplating and refining over the past 15 years using a massive in-house spreadsheet created with the help of expert consultants in the eld. Last year we not only estimated and purchased carbon offsets for the Telluride Bluegrass Festival footprint (a voluntary commitment that we’ve made and kept since 2007!), but also RockyGrass and Folks Festival.
This means that we track all of the carbon released by the Festivals which includes YOUR unique Festivarian Footprints. Dip your feet in the water and let that soak in. Yes, you heard right: your Festivarian travel to and from Lyons creates “Scope 3 Emissions” which, along with
the travel of artists, vendors, and staff, are included in the overall Festival calculations. Check out our 2022 Festival Footprint (Telluride, RockyGrass, & Folks Festival) to see how it all adds up. Can you see what’s at the heart of the issue. Or should we say “sole”...? If you said Festivarian Travel, you nailed it!
Total 2023 Festival Footprint
telLuride + rOckygraSs + FOlks Festival
1,112.5 mt cO2e
Travel
% By Festival
This year, to help us better track emissions, we’ve partnered up with Aclymate, a Coloradobased company that offers an all-in-one platform that helps small businesses track emissions, set goals, report, and purchase carbon offsets through their easy and affordable software. With their expertise, we have already felt a huge number-crunching burden lifted off of our plates (which are reusable of course!).
In conjunction with Aclymate, we’ve developed the rst-in-the-nation Festivarian survey that allows you to calculate your individual Festivarian Footprint taking into account your travel, lodging, and potential avoided emissions from camping, adjusting your thermostat, and not driving daily. It also gives you the opportunity to offset your own emissions by investing in one of the four carbon offset projects that we’ve selected.
carBOn OFFset PrOjecTs
Last year Planet Bluegrass invested in two different carbon offset projects: Nepal HighEf ciency Cookstoves & China Hebei Province Wind Farm. Both projects are classified as emission avoidance projects and are third party verified. The Nepal High-Efficiency Cookstoves project, in particular, spoke to us
Be entered for a chance to win a pair of 3-Day
Passes
with camping to the 2024 Folks Festival when you calculate your Festivarian Footprint and purchase offsets!
because it promotes women empowerment through the increased adoption of fuelef cient cookstoves.
Although there are many, many projects to invest in, Aclymate has hand-picked four great projects for you to choose from when you purchase offsets.
cALl tO actiOn
We hope you answer our call to action to submit your Festivarian Footprint survey. Many of you already have and we thank you for participating! It allows us to see where we have work to do and where we can engage our community. It makes us all part of the climate solution!
Elephant Revival
With Fruit Bats (sOlO)
Saturday, August 19th
FallGrass:
a PaviliOn Pickin’ Party On Planet Bluegrass
September 15th & 16th, 2023
WildFlOWer PaviliOn cOncert series:
East Nash Grass
Wednesday September 20th, 2023
The Last Revel
Wednesday October 11th, 2023
Visit Bluegrass.com beginning in October for details on our upcoming events. Tickets for 2024 will go on sale between December and February.
Printed on FSC-certi ed 80# Neenah Conservation text - a 100% post-consumer recycled ber, made with 100% renewable energy.
51st Annual TelLuridE BLuegraSs FeSTivAl
June 20-23, 2024 RockyGRaSs academy
July 21-25, 2024
52nd Annual RockyGRasS
July 26-28, 2024
Song SchOol August 4-8, 2024
34th Annual FolkS Festival August 9-11, 2024
11th through 13th, 2023
