2024 Telluride Bluegrass Festival

I sure am glad you’re here. My strings are vibrating with excitement to get playing, but before we start, Sam asked me to reflect on our fifty years together here in Telluride. While my memory is a little choppy, I figured I had to give it a shot. Let me introduce myself properly. I was born in 1937, although “born” may not be the right term. I was created, carved out of wood, shellacked in varnish, and brought into being. A Gibson F5, although folks nowadays just call me Hoss. My friend Tony Rice coined the name way back in the day, and, like me, it’s stood the test of time.

I have been with Sam since 1973. We shared the experience of our first Bluegrass together in ‘75. I remember when he opened my case in Telluride, holy tremolo was it hard to breathe! But those mountains… be still my G strings. I think we both knew then and there that we had stumbled upon something special.

Even now, after fifty years, the rush of San Juan mountain air still tickles my bridge and invigorates my old frets. Of course, as the years have passed, I’ve collected signs of my journey—a scratch here, four fully redone fingerboards there—each a testament to the moments shared and the stories told through Sam’s music. I am a vessel of spontaneous pickin’ parties, countless chops, and heartfelt tunes.

Festival Director: Craig Ferguson

Festival Manager: Zach Tucker

Operations Supervisor: Jordan Bushouse

Festival Grounds Supervisor: Rich Estes

Operations Crew: Seth Hardcastle, James Hinker, Wyatt Lafollette, Ryan Lords, Ben Mattevi, Steven Roberts

Sustainable Festivation Supervisors: Walter Wright, Tyler Simmons

Poly Crew: Sam Ryden, Alex George, Stump

Chief of Security: John Cohn

Assistant Security Supervisor: Joe Piche

Crowd Management: Damion Alexander, Josh Blakeman, Sheri Brieski, Jake Cohn, Jonathan Greenspan, Frank Hensen, Lois Kaiser, Degrey Phillips, Randy Reece, Arthur Sowinski

Customs Gate Supervisors:

Debby Guarino, Franny Cohn

Gate Sta : Karl Cody, Nicole Cooper, Doug Furguson, Ruth Hensen, Heather Keith, Katie Papin, Shirley Purdy, Carol Reece, Consuelo Reyes, Tina Tharp, Donald Wainwright, Fran Windsor, Aaron Zak

Town Park Gate Supervisors: Marilyn Branch, Larry Stewart

Pedestrian Bridge Supervisor: Calvin Poon, Jared Fisher

Backstage Security Supervisor: Kelly Gratz

Backstage Security: Peter Ashmore, Colin Goldstein, Tom Hannahs, David Jones, Chris Klatt, Anna McCarty, Dot Newton, Shane Oltmanns, Rich Phan, Dan Plonkster, Danielle Pollack, Steven Sherman-Boemker, Mark Smither, Josh Thomas, Victoria Vinson, Charlie Wright, JD Yates

Pit Master: Hunt Worth

Pit Crew: Jon Foote, Sti Patterson, Bernt Ri e

Overnight Security: Gary Broughall, Carlos Figueroa, William Gustafson

Camping Supervisor: Kathleen Morgan

Town Park Campground Hosts: Jessica Heady, James Kell, Fawnda Rogers, Alex Wissing Zone 1 Camping Hosts: Aaron Cooklin, Mo Hanna

Warner Field Campground Hosts: Kristi Wheeler, Kelly Youngstrom

Lawson Hill Campground Hosts: Aurhianna Sandefur, Shelby Thomas, Laura Taschek, John Wontrobski, Amy Hardy, Serena Spor

Mary E Campground Hosts: Ben Kirk, Alex Rudback, Britney Traucht, Adriana Galue, Kevin Wyant

Valley E-Team Supervisor: Steve Green

Parking Supervisor: Dennis Green

Assistant Parking Supervisor: Susan Ensor

Sam and I have strummed on stages overlooking thousands, on bustling streets, and in quiet, intimate rooms. But after all that, when it really comes down to it, my favorite place to perform is in Town Park surrounded by dancing Festivarians. We are so grateful for the unyielding love you have all shown us from the very beginning. Thanks for coming on this journey with us. Here’s to many years and performances ahead.

Love, Ol’ Hoss

Vehicle Gate Supervisors:

Mary Alice Wagner, Julie Evans, Joanna McDonald, Ed Janus

Barricade Supervisors:

Ann Gabbot, Zanna Dobbs

O site Parking Supervisors: Kevin Ensor, Stewart Zwaicher, Doug

Hendrickson, Kivi Ferrin, Sue Knechtel

Backstage Hospitality/

Artist Supervisor: Amy Mendonca

Backstage Hospitaltiy: Cece Delhaute, Iris Ruckel, Tessa Wieszcholek

Backstage Catering Supervisor: Markus Chesla

Backstage Catering Sous Chef: Tom Corrado

Artist Transportation Supervisors: Jon Hill, Jeremy Matsen, Edward Kean

Box O ce Manager: Geo Wickersham

Box O ce Supervisors: Jelena Caplan, Early Ferguson

Volunteer & Vendor Supervisor: Allison Grimes

Media & Partner Relations:

Grace Barrett

Sustainability & Contests

Supervisor: Kyra Holt

Harmony Greene Supervisors: Wendy McFarland, Suzanne Teele

Concessions Supervisors: Jill Brzezicki, Mike Pingel, Bob Satterfield

Communications Supervisors: Luci Reeve, Sandy McLaughlin, Shine Pritchard, John Rosenberg

Country Store Manager: Dustin Boyd

Country Store Supervisors: Pat O’Kelly, Sean Sissel

Artist Consignment Supervisor: Kara O’Kelly

Family Tent Supervisor: Melissa Sumpter Harris

Contest Supervisor: Jackson Emmer

Elks Park Supervisors: Edee Gail, Chandler Holt

Elks Park Transportation: Tom & Nancy Richards

Stage Design: Ann Hall, Jacob Leeuwenburgh

Park Beautification: Claudia Kean

Libation Station Supervisors: Pam Bennett, Scott Kelley, Ashley Story, Dennis Andrejko

Nightgrass Supervisor: Elle Kane

Master of Ceremonies: Chris Daniels

Stage Crew

Stage Manager: Skip Kent

FOH Engineer: Tom Holmes

Monitors: Mike Bove

Backstage Manager: John Setser

Stage/FOH: Garth Michael

Lighting Director: Dave Hall

Lights: Jim Hurst

Audio: Mark Miceli

Stage Lead: Craig Rovello

Stage/Monitors: Brent Healy

Stage Patch: Ric Teller

Stage: Justin Milner, Rhett Snyder, Talia Krause, Levi Lokey

Labor/Spots: Tim Terito

Archivist: Jerry Newberger

Program Staff

Editors: Grace Barrett, Kyra Holt

Design and Layout: Pat Creyts

Contributing Writers: Steve Leftridge, Charlotte Bell, Grace Barrett, Kyra Holt, Zach Tucker

Advertising: Grace Barrett

Photography: Benko Photographics

Printing: Matt Coburn, Cottrell Printing

Cover Image: Zoe Rae Art

Planet Bluegrass

Year Round Staff

President & Irrigation Specialist: Craig Ferguson

Director of Educational

Programming: Steve Szymanski

Vice President: Zach Tucker

Sales Manager: Geo Wickersham

Director of Communication

& Partnerships: Grace Barrett

Artist Relations: Amy Mendonca

Wedding Coordinator: Sally Truitt

Festivarian Ambassador

& Volunteer and Vendor

Coordinator: Allison Grimes

Sustainability & Schools: Kyra Holt

Ranch Stewardess and Manager: Jelena Caplan

Festivarian Relations: Early Ferguson

Talent Buyer: Chandler Holt

Ranch Crew: Wyatt Lafollette, Tony King, Finn Oetting

O ce Dogs: Luca, Hazel, Stella, Maisie

Thanks to Our Festival Partners

Upslope Brewing Company, Eco-Products, Stem Ciders, Rumpl, Natural Life, Spirit Hound Distillers, Klean Kanteen, Meier Skis, Chaco, Leave No Trace, 14er Boulder, EcoAction Partners, Martin Guitars, Ozo Co ee, Eldorado Natural Spring Water, Protect our Winters

Planet Bluegrass would like to thank:

Zoe was born in Northern California and raised in Hawai’i. Growing up in Hawai’i her childhood was always spent outdoors which is where her love for nature started. She has always loved painting and drawing. Zoe’s first memory is her mom telling her it was time to learn how to write her name but she wanted to learn how to draw tulips first.

It wasn’t until she was in college that someone asked to buy one of her paintings. Thus Zoe Rae Art was created. Zoe taught art for five years while working on her art as a side business. It wasn’t until this past year that she decided it would be her last year of teaching and to make Zoe Rae Art her career.

Zoe currently lives in Colorado which has been inspiring her newest pieces of art. She feels that to paint a landscape you have to physically be there to know how to express it. This is why her work is of the places she has lived and traveled to. Instagram: @zoeraeart

At the age of 15 Sam won the national fiddle championship.

Ready to learn a little, check out our partners, and have fun while you’re at it?

Using the questions below, fill in the crossword puzzle in the pocket schedule and turn in your completed card at the Planet Bluegrass Host tent in Harmony Greene. Daily prizes will be selected as well as a Grand Prize – Meier Skis (with special Planet Bluegrass design!). You need not be present to win.

Across

1 EmPOWer yourself by stopping by to chat with the Protect Our _____ group and make sure your registration is up to snuff to VOTE in November.

8 The 51st Telluride Bluegrass Festival will set sail when Chris Thile proclaims, “_____”. Lucky us, because he’ll be bringing a salty sailor by the name of Billy Strings with him this year.

9 Do you know about The Town of Telluride’s new ______ Ban? Visit a Town representative & EcoAction Partners at The Host tent in Harmony Greene to learn about Telluride’s Climate Action Plan.

11 You may need to slip on a pair of plant-based sunglasses from _____ because the 2nd half century of the Telluride Bluegrass Festival has never looked so bright.

12 Want a chance to win a custom Telluride Martin Guitar, head to Harmony Greene to buy a raffle ticket.All proceeds go to _______.

13 Giving back to organizations like HEAL and Girl Talk is a core mission of our new woman-owned partner _________ Life. Embrace your inner bluegrass bohemian style and learn more about their mission.

14 Something shady is going on in the Family Area, and we mean shady in a good way! A big thanks to ________ for keeping us protected from the sun!

Down

1 Last year Planet Bluegrass and YOU, our loyal Sustainable Festivarians, diverted 52% of the total _____ created at the Festival from the landfill by recycling and composting.

2 The location downtown where you can catch our Troubadour and Band Contests as well as intimate musical sets.

3 This Plaza located in Mountain Village is home to our favorite kicko event, FirstGrass on Wednesday night!

4 Don’t be trashy! Visit the Leave No _______ booth in Harmony Greene to participate in our micro-trash pick-up (daily prizes) & Sustainable Campsite Challenge (Grand Prize: (2) Tickets to TBF 2025!). You can also grab a free compostable bag for your campsite thanks to Eco-Products.

HARMONY PUZZLE

Grand Prize

A PAIR OF MEIER SKIS with special Planet Bluegrass design!

5 We LOVE our beverage sta and volunteers. Let’s show them some love back. All the tips and profits are pooled and directly allocated to ________ organizations whose missions support the San Juan Miguel County community.

6 What new Festival partner uses 100% recycled polyester in their products?

7 One of our partners is celebrating their 35th anniversary this year. If you happen to have a pair of old sandals, take ‘em to their bus in Harmony Greene to get repaired for free.

10 The o cially proclaimed “King of the Telluride” who has played the festival for 50 years

11 The Golden, CO based artist responsible for this year’s beautiful poster artwork.

6 Sam got his number one mandolin, named Hoss, in 1973.

DO YOURSELF A FAVOR...

What is Harmony Greene, you ask? That’s a great question. Harmony Greene (you used to know it as Greentown) is the area snuggled next to the Country Store where all of our partners live for the weekend. We landed on that name because we feel a synchronicity with these partners and their values. Akin to the beautiful harmony of voices, we are stronger together!

What’s New and Exciting?

This year, four of our beverage partners were awarded “Best of” in their respective categories. Boulder Weekly hailed UPSLOPE the best brewery in Boulder, STEM CIDERS the best Cidery, OZO the best co ee roaster, and SPIRIT HOUND the best distillery! Talk about a quadruple crown (that’s not a thing so far as we know but it totally should be). If you’re ever on the Front Range, you need to check these places out!

On top of that, Spirit Hound brought home the award for Whisky of the Year at the prestigious London Spirits Competition. This is their second time securing that designation. Head over to give them all congratulations, and grab some samples while you’re at it. Ozo has their very own co ee booth with the rest of the food vendors.

Our Festival Host is centrally located under the Planet Bluegrass tent and is able to help answer any Festival related questions you may have. Harmony Greene is open from gates until 6pm daily.

Set Break Sessions

SPONSORED

BY KELTY & STEM CIDER

THURSDAY 1:15-1:45PM THE FRETLINERS

FRIDAY2:30-3:00PM PORCH COUCH TRIO

SUNDAY NOON-12:30PM TO BE ANNOUNCED

GIVE A WARM FESTIVARIAN WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST PARTNERS

RUMPL NATURAL LIFE 14ER BOULDER PROTECT OUR WINTERS!

We’re so excited to have these fine folks joining us for the first time!

Highlights of the Happenings in Harmony Greene

HARMONY GREENE TASTING SCHEDULE

Thursday 1:15 & 4:30

Turn in your completed Harmony Puzzle at the Festival Host tent booth for a chance to win a pair of Telluride Bluegrass branded skis from MEIER handmade in Denver, CO.

Saturday 1:00 & 3:30 Friday 2:30 & 4:15

Enter the ra e in the instrument tent, and you could be the proud owner of a custom Telluride Bluegrass D28 MARTIN GUITAR. All proceeds of the ra e will go to our lovely local partners at KOTO.

Sunday Noon & 3:00

Check your voter registration status and make sure you’re all set for November with our friends at POW

Bring your old CHACOS (worn out from enthusiastic Festivating, we’re sure) and send them in to be repaired free of charge! While you’re at it, check out the custom TBF strap we made to celebrate Chaco’s 35th anniversary. Get ‘em while you can (aka only during the Fester)!

Enter our Campground Challenge at the LEAVE NO TRACE booth for a chance to win a pair of tickets with camping to next year’s Festival!

Bluegrass Beers & Hard Seltzers

Upslope’s Craft Lager is a premium American lager brewed entirely of malted barley. This Colorado-style session beer stands side-by-side with their family of premium ales to bring you a clean, easy, light-bodied lager for the ages. 2019 Great American Beer Festival Silver Medal winner in the ‘International-Style Pilsener’ category | 4.8% abv

Prominently featuring Citra hops, Upslope’s Citra Pale Ale delivers pungent grapefruit and tropical fruit aromas on the nose with a semi-dry finish. Juicy notes imparted by the hops pair with the light caramel malt character to balance this drinkable, “go-to” American Pale Ale. | 5.8% abv

Perfectly puckering, Upslope’s Mango Lime Sour Ale - the summer installment of their Fruited Sour Series, delivers light and balanced tartness. Juicy mango sweetness is complemented by a hint of bright lime flavor in this refreshing summer sipper. | 4.5% abv

SKRATCH SERIES: PEACH LEMONADE

The Spiked Snowmelt Skratch Series delivers thirst-crushing flavors artfully crafted with Boulder-based Skratch Labs' mineral blend for taste and enhanced mouthfeel. Power your passion for adventure (& dancing) with a one-two punch of minerals (sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium)[1] and real fruit flavor so you can keep it flowing from day to night. | Gluten free. 105 calories. 5% abv

POMEGRANATE & ACAI

Crafted from pure snowmelt, all natural flavors, and a bubbly kick with no fake sugar, ingredients, or gluten to slow your roll. Pomegranate & Acai has notes of fruit and a slight sweetness to help you get this party started. | Gluten free. 100 calories. 5% abv

Cocktails

VODKA, GIN, OR WHISKY with your choice of Ginger Lime Shrub, Citrus Tonic, or Lemonade

Ciders

OFF DRY CIDER

Fresh pressed apples carefully fermented until just the right amount of sweetness remains. | 5.8% abv

HARD MANGO LEMONADE

Juicy puckering lemons meet a splash of tropical mango flavor for a perfectly balanced refresher. | 6.9% abv

Made from the finest hops in the Yakima and Willamette Valleys and paired with a restrained malt bill to allow the hops to shine. Navel orange, ruby grapefruit and pine flavors dance with bright tropical fruit character and notes of juicy melon. This IPA finishes dry with firm bitterness to draw you into that next, refreshing sip.| 6.5% abv

LIMITED RUN SPECIALTY COCKTAIL

At the bar until they run out! Cafe Colorado, a tempting mix of Spirit Hound’s co ee liqueur and vodka served with oat milk over ice.

Wines

MARV’LOUS

A friendly, fruity red blend with apricot and dark cherry notes and a smooth finish.

RIESLING

CHARDONNAY

This unoaked Chardonnay is lean and crisp. Some green apple and winter pear notes and a smooth finish.

A light and playful wine with hints of apricot and peach. This very fruity Colorado Riesling will make you think it is sweet when it’s not.

ROSÉ

Light with a touch sweet and hints of peach and apricot. A wine that loves a Colorado summer day.

CABERNET SAUVIGNON

A Colorado cab bursting with dark fruits and soft tannins on the finish. A fan favorite!

GREENSKY BLUEGRASS • YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND

MOLLY TUTTLE & GOLDEN HIGHWAY

RAILROAD EARTH • THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS • LEFTOVER SALMON

KITCHEN DWELLERS

BROKE MOUNTAIN BLUEGRASS BAND • JON STICKLEY TRIO

Since its formation in 1988, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, PBC (d/b/a “Planet Bluegrass”) has been rede ning the musical festival by creating exceptional experiences that strengthen community while striving to reduce its environmental impact.

As a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC)–a legal entity recognized by the state of Colorado as a framework for responsible business–we have formally committed to operate our business in a manner that allows us to make decisions not just based purely on profit, but also considers the societal and environmental impacts of our Festivals. We are excited to share some highlights from our 2023 Annual Impact Report that emphasizes our continued commitment to our stated public benefits in the areas of Music, Community and Environment.

We would like to thank you, our beloved Festivarian community for sharing in this journey with us–without you we could not be where we are today.

Love,

The Folks on Planet Bluegrass

Be entered to win a pair of 4-day passes with camping to the 2025 Telluride Bluegrass Festival when you calculate your festivarian footprint!

CHECK OUT OUR FULL 2023 IMPACT REPORT!

Musical Highlights

1. Celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Telluride Bluegrass Festival! Planet Bluegrass has been honored to have produced TBF for the last 36 years!

2. Hosted the 30th Annual Telluride Troubadour Contest after a 3-year Covid hiatus. The Troubadour contest had over 350 song submissions!

3. Presented the inaugural FallGrass on the Planet Bluegrass Ranch in Lyons, CO in September. This new 300 capacity Festival is another opportunity for the bluegrass picking and loving community to gather and share music together.

Community Highlights

1. Increased the total community donations to Telluride non-profit organizations from $76,498 2022 to $110,240 in 2023.

2. Donated a customized Telluride Bluegrass Martin Guitar to KOTO (Telluride’s nonprofit community radio station). KOTO ra ed the guitar during the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and raised $6,600 to support their programming.

3. Funded a new recurring $5,000 “Community in Harmony Scholarship” for a high school senior in Lyons, CO.

Environmental Highlights

Last year almost 10% of you completed our “Festivarian Footprint” survey to help us improve our carbon tracking assumptions associated with Festivation in Telluride.With the help of our partners at Aclymate, we calculated our total Festival Footprint and purchased carbon o sets for all three of the Planet Bluegrass Festivals. Did you fill out your survey this year?

Waste Diversion

CARDBOARD:

Festival Footprint

ROCKYGRASS & FOLKS FESTIVAL

2,600

A Greener Festival Certification

We believe that third-party assessments are extremely insightful–if you’re going to talk the talk, you’ve got to walk the walk! We are proud to announce that this year, Planet Bluegrass is seeking out A Greener Festival certification conducted by UK based sustainable events leader, A Greener Future (AGF). Since 2007, AGF has evaluated the environmental and societal impacts of hundreds of festivals worldwide.

The assessment will evaluate our approach to key elements of sustainability including energy, food & beverage, transport, waste, water, social responsibility, and policy and strategies for reducing CO2 emissions as well as our community involvement.

We are excited to join the AGF network to see how our current practices hold up and how we can continue to grow stronger. 52% Diversion Rate

Captain’s Log —– Star datE: 77939

An ongoing battle is taking place in the final ticketing frontier. Reports have been flooding in from various venues about the emergence of what can only be described as "scalping bots.” Unfortunately, last year they finally infiltrated the harmonious orbit of Planet Bluegrass.

Fluctuations within the ticket-sales continuum were first detected by the Folks on Planet Bluegrass with the on-sale event of the 50th Annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival. The disturbance caught the eye of Commander Geo Wickersham when ticket sales rocketed exponentially, leaving the Planet’s population of Festivarians in jeopardy of not being able to obtain tickets. Further investigation revealed that bots were creating alias email addresses and manipulating the ticketing process. Understanding the threat of inflated prices on secondary markets, our crew along with The See Tickets Federation worked retroactively to restore order by identifying bot-intercepted tickets and re-releasing them to the rightful population.

Our mission for 2024 was to disrupt the bot operations during the on-sale by creating a shield: a Festivarian preregistration process to gain clearance to buy tickets when they went on sale. A $10 pre-registration contribution to a carbon offset fund provided another layer of protection to

ensure that the tickets were going into the hands of Festivarians as well as contributing to the greater mission of stabilizing our Planet’s climate for future generations.

We are reporting today that our 2024 mission to #blockthebots was successfully completed. In addition, the carbon o set fund created by the collective contributions will be used to purchase carbon o sets at the end of 2024 once the final festival emissions are calculated.

For this year, we succeeded in dismantling the scalping bot operation. This encounter has left us with lingering questions about the ongoing challenges in regulating and ensuring fair access to event tickets.

As a side note, Planet Bluegrass wants to reassure Festivarians that, unlike other planets in our orbit, it will continue to uphold the Festivarian Bill of Rights, which decrees that the face value of the ticket is to be the final value of the ticket. No additional ticket & handling or credit card fees will be added.

The final ticketing frontier is vast but we will continue to stay our course, lightsabers held high, fighting the good fight, and pickin’ the good licks.

THE 14 TH ANNUAL “HIPPIE JERRY”

With nearly 4,000 Festivarian campers sharing the gorgeous mountain environment in Telluride, it is vitally important for each of us to be mindful of our camping footprint. In collaboration with Leave No Trace and Eco-Products, we will be rewarding campsites that excel in creative, sustainable camping!

How Do I Participate?

This contest is open to all campers in any of the Planet Bluegrass-managed campgrounds. To nominate your own campsite or one of your neighbors, complete the 1-page campsite entry form at the Leave No Trace booth in Harmony Greene.

How Do I Win?

Campgrounds will be judged on three simple criteria:

CLEANLINESS

Are you keeping a tidy campsite? Are items secure and not susceptible to wind gusts? Are you safely disposing of cigarette butts? Are you securing your food from wildlife? Will you pack out as much as possible when leaving?

CREATIVITY

Are you utilizing any unique & innovative camping techniques to reduce your impacts? Are you upcycling any items from home?

SUSTAINABILITY

Are you separating your recyclables, compostables, and then placing them in the correct bins at the campsite waste stations? Are you reusing products (cups, utensils, water bottles, bags) instead of trashing them? Are you using any alternative energy sources to power your campsite? Did you bike or carpool to the Festival? Did you calculate your Festival Carbon Footprint? Did you do anything to reduce your homes’ energy while attending the festival?

What Do I Win?

Random daily winners will be chosen throughout the weekend to win prize packages with goodies from our sponsors, including Leave No Trace, Chaco, Klean Kanteen, Zeal, Rumpl and more. So enter early and listen for your camp’s name announced from the Mainstage!

One grand prize winner who demonstrates the highest levels of the Leave No Trace camping philosophy will win (2) FREE four-day Telluride Bluegrass Festival Passes (with camping) to next year’s Festival. The Grand Prize Winner will be announced Sunday evening.

Pick up your prizes at the Leave No Trace booth in Harmony Greene!

words

Raise your reusable cups high and let the beverages and generosity flow!

Did you know that all your tips to our amazing beverage volunteers directly support local community organizations? Last year, thanks to your thirst for delicious Colorado craft beer, locally-produced cocktails, cider, hard seltzer and wine, we were able to donate over $110,240 to local San Miguel County organizations.

This year Planet Bluegrass received more Telluride Bluegrass Beer Booth funding applications than ever and had to make the hard selection of which organizations to fund. This year the following organizations have been selected to receive funding: Eco Action Partners, One to One Mentoring, San Miguel Resource Center, Telluride Volunteer Fire Department, Sheep Mountain Alliance, The Telluride Humane Society, Communities That Care, Telluride Academy, and Telluride Elks.

The tips you leave for our beer booth volunteers support the following organizations:

by Charlotte Bell

“50 years at the same festival! Who does that?” asked Jerry Douglas in a recent interview. While we don’t have the figures from festivals all around the globe, we’re pretty sure Sam Bush’s 50th consecutive year at Telluride Bluegrass is in Guinness territory. World record or not, 50 years is a milestone worth celebrating, and it begs the question: How in the world did we get this far?

High in Telluride, Up on Bridal Veil

It’s arguable that Telluride Bluegrass would not exist in its present form were it not for Sam and his iconoclastic band, New Grass Revival— Sam, John Cowan, vocals and bass; Courtney Johnson, banjo; and Curtis Burch, guitar and Dobro. Festival founders, the Fall Creek band—Fred Shellman, Kooster McAllister, John “Picker” Herndon and J.B. Matteoti— were fresh off their first NGR experience at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas, when they decided to host their own festival in their hometown of Telluride. Inspired by NGR’s stellar musicianship, explosive energy and rock sensibilities, they dreamed of introducing Sam and friends to their tiny mountain community.

In 1974, Fall Creek pulled together eight Colorado bands for a small but mighty festival. Synchronicity—or maybe destiny—brought NGR to Telluride the following year. Kooster was working at Hole in the Wall Pizza when he struck up a conversation with Stone County booking agent, Steve Dahl, who happened to be visiting Telluride. Kooster told him how much Fall Creek would love to host NGR at their fledgling festival. A few days later, he got a call from NGR manager Keith Case: “I understand you want to book New Grass Revival for your festival.” The rest is history. NGR was hard to pin down. As a bunch of long-haired pickers playing rock music and long, intricate jams on acoustic instruments, they didn’t fit neatly into the bluegrass or rock scenes. But Telluride immediately felt like home. “We had the time of our lives,” recalls Sam. “The first year, as we stood on stage, there was a different feeling in the air than we’d ever felt. It was as if the wide-open

spaces led to wide-open minds. It was wide open to any kind of musical thought. We knew this was our place.” That open-mindedness, inspired by Sam, is the Festival’s continuing legacy.

In 1981, at the urging of his friend, Jerry Douglas, Béla Fleck joined NGR, along with guitarist Pat Flynn, when Courtney and Curtis retired. “That triggered another explosion,” says Jerry. “Béla was playing jazz. Having a guy in the band with that vocabulary stretched them out even further.”

New Grass Revival disbanded at the end of 1989. Since then, Sam has appeared in Telluride in all manner of musical configurations. Through much of the ‘90s, he and John Cowan appeared as Sam & John. Also active during that time was Strength in Numbers, yet another influential group of virtuoso instrumentalists—Sam, Jerry, Béla, Edgar Meyer and Mark O’Connor.

In the post-NGR years, in addition, Sam headed Emmylou Harris’s Nash Ramblers, performed a duet set with David “Dawg” Grisman, toured with the Flecktones, and joined Peter Rowan for a transcendent Crucial Country set, in addition to countless unscheduled guest appearances with countless other artists. By the early 2000s, the Sam Bush Band became Telluride’s Saturday night staple. Its current stellar configuration includes Sam; Stephen Mougin, guitar; Wes Corbett, banjo; Todd Parks, bass; and Chris Brown, drums. And of course, Sam helps propel the Telluride House Band: Sam, Jerry, Béla, Edgar, Stuart Duncan and Bryan Sutton.

Circles Around Sam: A Sphere of Inspiration

When asked how Sam influenced his music, Béla answers, “A better question might be how did playing with Sam and NGR not influence me? It was a brave new world. There was the intense rhythmic drive I was learning from Sam and the new musical influences that he, John and Pat shared with me. I knew nothing about rock and roll, gospel or blues, being a jazz-headed bluegrass dude. Everything they exposed me to made me a better musician.”

While Sam is hesitant to take credit for the genre-bending musical torrent he and NGR unleashed, his peers are not so shy. Planet Bluegrass President Craig Ferguson credits Sam with inventing a whole musical genre. “The genre of music

“From

we call ‘jamgrass’— String Cheese Incident, Leftover Salmon, Greensky Bluegrass, Yonder Mountain String Band—that’s evolved straight from Sam and New Grass,” he says.

“Sam has been a ball of energy since he was born,” says Jerry. “He’s been the catalyst for so many things. He’s been at the forefront of this thing called ‘newgrass.’ He stuck to his guns. He didn’t listen to all the people who told him not to push the limits. He started a new genre of music. As a result, he brought a completely di erent demographic into the mix.”

Chris Thile first saw Sam play when he was around eight years old. “The power of Sam’s playing was mesmerizing,” he says. Chris credits Sam with Nickel Creek’s and The Punch Brothers’ trailblazing aesthetics. “His

“WE

OPERATE WITHIN THE AMERICAN STRING BAND AESTHETIC, BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN WE’RE A THROWBACK. WE’RE NOT BLUEGRASS REENACTORS. SAM SHOWED US ANOTHER WAY.”

adventurousness really influences those projects. Sam has been, and continues to be, part of the most forward-thinking string band music in the world. He’s shown us all how to do it. We operate within the American string band aesthetic, but that doesn’t mean we’re a throwback. We’re not bluegrass reenactors. Sam showed us another way. That’s what a real musician does. They use what they’ve learned to come up with something new. Sam’s been pushing his whole life, and the results speak for themselves.”

Leftover Salmon’s Drew Emmitt started out as a rocker. As he began to explore bluegrass, he chose mandolin as his preferred axe. “The more I got into bluegrass mandolin, Sam became my biggest influence. His playing made so much sense to me because of the world I was coming from. He put bluegrass and rock together in a really great way. His power was, and still is, unequaled by anyone. There’s only one Sam Bush. He’s a force of nature.”

Bonnie Sims of Big Richard first saw Sam live on her 14th birthday. A mandolin player since age 12, she immediately took to

his playing. “Sam oozes the fun side of creativity. He can do things that are deep and emotional, but he’s always having such a good time,” she says. “I’m in the Sam Bush school of mandolin. He’s a great example of how to find the musicality in your solos. They’re more than just notes. And his chop—it’s just flawless.”

About that chop: “There’s nobody on the planet that plays rhythm like Sam,” says Jerry.“He’s been the timekeeper for a whole generation. The chop is in his hands and in that instrument. There’s a sound that comes out that you instantly know is him.”

“Any time I get to play with Sam I know it’s going to groove, and it’s going to be a lot of fun,”says Béla.“Both [Strength in Numbers and the Telluride House Band] fit that description. Sam brought a rootedness and groove to the Strength project that grounded it perfectly.If you are going out on a limb, you want a very strong tree. He is certainly that.”

“Life is rhythm,” says Chris. “Sam is a person who personifies that relationship with music. He resonates with the pulse of life. The way Sam plays, you can’t teach somebody that.”

Thank You for All the Good Friends…

“We made friends that first year that we still have—Tim O’Brien, Pastor Mustard, Chris Daniels,” says Sam. “We were making pals left and right and they’ve been pals for life.” Sam’s musical peers claim that his musical influence is matched only by his kindness and generosity as a musician and friend. “Every person that Sam is friends with, you feel like you’re receiving the light from him. It’s magic,” says Festival emcee Chris Daniels, who met Sam while playing with Magic Music at the 1975 festival.

“Samisjustsuchagoodfriendandmentortotheartistsindividually,” says Craig. “You can’t overstate Sam’s relationship to younger artists. His mentorship is special. How he motivates and encourages them is special. He does everything he can to support other musicians.”

Chris Daniels adds, “He’s always been aware of what other musicians go through, because of all the things he’s gone through. There’s a huge amount of empathy. He’s a genuinely good individual

who will go out of his way to support other musicians in whatever way he can.”

Bonnie recalls her band’s first Telluride appearance in 2022. “We were really nervous,” she says. “Sam came on stage while we were getting ready, and he hugged each of us and said, ‘Kick ’em right in the ass, ladies!’ He’s so humble, so classy. He puts time into the people who are there for him.”

Jerry and Sam have been close friends and peers for 48 years. Despite Sam’s many awards and accolades, he remains grounded in what’s most important. “He’s a very humble person. He’s not about being a star. He’s about playing music. Everything he’s putting out is real. He’s like the Energizer Bunny, and Telluride’s his vessel.”

Take a little time for howlin’ at the moon this weekend, as we celebrate 50 consecutive years with our friend and inspiration, Sam Bush, the King of Telluride.

Charlotte Bell is an author, yoga and mindfulness teacher, oboist and Festivarian of 41 years.

Audible Words + Music celebrates Telluride

They played the main stage at Telluride. Now take a deeper dive.

Scan to listen

Every June songwriters and bands from around the world trek to Telluride for the prestigious Troubadour and Band contests. O ering beautiful instruments, cash prizes, and international recognition, these contests showcase the next generation of Telluride Bluegrass artists. Join us in welcoming these talented performers on Thursday and Friday at Elks Park, then celebrate with the finalists Saturday on the Main Stage.

Troubadour Contest

This year marks the 31st year of the Telluride Troubadour contest which showcases ten aspiring songwriters to the Festivarian Nation in Telluride. Singer-songwriters, not currently signed to a major recording or publishing deal, began submitting their songs last December. In March, our panel of industry professionals selected this year's top 10 finalists from hundreds of submissions. During two rounds of Elks Park performances, Troubadours will be judged on the quality of their songs’ composition, vocal delivery, and overall performance.

On Saturday evening the winning Troubadour will take the Mainstage to share their winning songs and receive their prize–a new Martin Guitar! Cheer on your favorite Troubadours throughout the festival as they perform songwriter-in-theround sets at Elks Park and live in-studio on the KOTO radio waves.

Congratulations to our 2023 Telluride Troubadour winner Jackson Emmer who has dubbed his genre-defying mashup song writing style as “Honky Tronica.” We can’t wait to see who will join other past Troubadour winners like Catie Curtis, Deb Talan, Gregory Alan Isakov, Caitlin Canty, and Emily Scott Robinson.

TROUBADOUR SCHEDULE

Troubadours perform in a randomly selected order.

Preliminary Round

Thursday, June 20, 11:45am

Elks Park Stage

Final Round

Friday,June21,2:30pm

Elks Park Stage

Results

Friday, June 21, 4:45pm

Elks Park Stage

The winning Troubadour performs a Main Stage set on Saturday, June 22 at 6:45pm

Band

Contest

TROUBADOUR FINALISTS

One of the foremost nationally recognized contests for acoustic stringbands, the Telluride Band Contest has helped launch the careers of Dixie Chicks, Greensky Bluegrass, The Lil Smokies, and dozens of other past winners. The bands compete around a single microphone for a spot on the 2025 main stage lineup, an EP recording package from eTown Hall Studio and Airshow Boulder, and a complementary van rental from Titus Adventure Vans.

BAND CONTESTANTS

Colorado College

Bluegrass Band

Colorado Springs, CO

Gold Top County Ramblers

Sperryville, VA

SCORING GUIDELINES

Bands will perform in a randomly selected order.

Magoo Denver, CO

Mamma’s Marmalade Boston, MA

Still House String Band Palisade, CO

Stockyard Drawl

Chicago, IL

The Bottom of the Barrel

Oklahoma City, OK Wirewood Station Colorado Springs, CO

BAND SCHEDULE

Preliminary Round Friday, June 21 10:00am Elks Park Stage

Final Round Saturday, June 22 9:30am Main Stage

The Family Area provides whimsical, musical, and educational activities for children and their parents from noon-5pm on Thursday and 10am5pm Friday thru Sunday. We ask that parents please accompany their kids at all times.

Living Folklore

Living Folklore is all about making stories come to life with interactive theater and performances that tickle the imagination while inviting everyone to discover their own fantastical character.

With giant puppets, animal costumes for kids, silk flags, and stilt walkers, Living Folklore is a fantasy parade in a suitcase! With daily programs, a talent show, workshops, music, puppet-theater, clown yoga and entertainment for the whole family, the kids tent is a portal into a magical realm of dreams.

Kids Talent Show

Theever-populartalentshowreturnsSaturdayafternoonforthe26thyear.

Dyenosaur Tie Dye

Ready to let your colors swirl and shine? Us too! Come create your own tie dyed shirts, dresses, or bandanas with our in-house tie dye experts at Dyenosaur Tie Dye! Learn folding techniques as well as the science of color, and chemistry of tie dye.

Henna Body Art

All natural temporary henna tattoos, freehand drawn from a large selection of designs, or you can request custom artwork!

26th Annual Kids Parade

Living Folklore creates, “A PARADE IN A SUITCASE”! Join us on Sunday afternoon to carry a flag or umbrella, dress in a silly costume, or climb into a giant puppet to parade through the festival grounds! This year will include giant flowers, stilt walkers, a Rain Goddess, and Alice from Wonderland to remind us to dream big.

Shady Grove (my little love)

Need a break from the sun? Kelty has created a shady oasis with their tents and comfy chairs in the Family Area.Come relax and rejuvenate!

Gemini

MAY 21-JUN 21

It’s your time to shine, Gemini! The Telluride Bluegrass Festival comes around once every year, and it seems to almost always fall in your season. It’s not favoritism, surely?? Who knows, it might be…. Regardless, the occasion calls for celebration. There’s a strawberry moon in the sky, and you’re about to be on a productivity streak.Your sensitivity is your strength. Focus on harmonizing the discordant notes of life with your own empathy and love. Take that energy and pay it forward!

Cancer

JUN 22-JUL 22

Come Saturday, this Fest is yours. The stars have aligned to present you with a special opportunity to show off your adventurous spirit. You’ve been journeying through life with a song in your heart, and now the bluegraviationalpullisdrawingyoutothedancefloor. It’s time to take control! This weekend, seek out new musical experiences and embrace the joy of spontaneous collaboration. Like one of Béla’s spirited banjo breakdowns, your enthusiasm is contagious. Show it o !

Leo

JUL 23-AUG 22

We get it, last year’s weather wasn’t great for the fire fits you spent months planning for each Festival day. Well, another year has come around, and we certainly believe that if no one saw it last year, let’s break it out and try again! Don’t shirk your responsibilities, go out and show everyone what you’re made of. Your bold and charismatic presence shines brightly. Like a fiery fiddle solo, your passion ignites the hearts of all who listen. Stay looking good and you’ll stay feeling good, you little Festivarian star.

Virgo AUG 23-SEP 22

Virgos,weknowyouliketobeincontrol(don’t shoot the messenger, okay?!). While this is a lovely idea, there is, unfortunately, no way to control many things this weekend. However, not being in control can be a beautiful thing. No one controls Sammy B when he’s up on the Main Stage. He’s bouncing, he’s jumping, he’s… wearing drag? Oh my! Just for this weekend, try to take a leaflet out of Sam’s book—throw caution to the wind, eat a Brown Dog pizza with some pineapple on it. Make a tie dye shirt and let the colors mix and mingle together!

Libra

SEP 23-OCT 23

Today, dear Libra, the universe has aligned to deliver you a weekend filled with unexpected giggles and a mild amount of chaos. It’s the fun kind of chaos that’s reserved solely for patrons of Bluegrass Festivals in mountainous regions, so there’s no reason to worry.Be fully prepared to find yourself in a clusterpluck of some kind. While you’re sorting through it (which you will do with grace), someone will offer you unsolicited advice. It will be completely useless and semi-o ensive, but listen closely and give it a gander anyways— it’ll make for a great story later on.

Scorpio

OCT 24-NOV 21

The moon is hovering in seductive scorpio, and we know what that means: you have relationships on the brain! You’re used to running the show, but this weekend it’s time to focus on collaboration. One instrument is beautiful on its own, but it’s even more spectacular paired with others. Focus on setting clear goals for your romantic endeavors and trust in your ability to achieve them. Like a steady bassline, your determination provides a strong foundation for success.

Sagittarius

NOV22-DEC21

Things have been tough going recently, but good news because Mercury is finally out of Retrograde, and it’s about to come up roses for you and your loved ones. You are being rewarded for your patience with a rare celestial occurrence: Charley Crockett in Cowboy Hat. Boy, does Charley Crockett look good in Cowboy Hat! It’s a cosmic phenomenon bigger than all the others because, you know, Texas. Allow your emotions to flow like Charley’s smooth croon, guiding you towards deeper connections with those around you.

Capricorn

DEC 22-JAN 19

The moon has turned to cheese, and it’s causing all kinds of issues. But not the issues you’dthink,likepertainingtotheocean’stide and stu … No, instead, you’re lackadaisical when your work ethic is typically enviable. You’ve always leaned towards risk-averse, but recently you’re finding yourself itching to pick up a dangerous hobby. You may feel singled out by this occurrence, but take it as a lesson: big change is always looming, and you must stay on your toes and orient yourself to stay ahead.

Aquarius

JAN 20-FEB 18

When the moon is in the Seventh House, and Jupiter aligns with Mars, peace will guide the planet, and love will steer the stars. It’s the dawning of the Age of Aquarius! Not really, those are lyrics from the 1979 musical, Hair. We love that musical, but we’re not here to talk about musicals. We’re here to talk about why you’ve been feeling drab lately, like you’ve lost yourmojo.Turnsoutit’sallinyourhead,yousilly loon! Step out of your own way and don’t hold yourself back—embrace your uniqueness and push some boundaries. Like Chris Thile’s bold improvisation, your creativity knows no limits.

Pisces

FEB 19-MAR 20

Well Pisces, it might be nice if you and your people were moving at the same pace, but that never seems to happen. And now you’re at Telluride Bluegrass, trying to wrangle friends from every part of life. Is it even possible to all convene on the same tarp?! While this idiosyncrasy might seem like the end of the world, these conflicts in your schedules will inspire you to try harder to find ways to spend time together and make you appreciate one another all the more! Your charm and diplomacy are the music that brings people together in perfect harmony.

Aries

MAR 21-APR 19

People are always trying to tell us that Aries are angry, but we know it’s not true. You’re a bunch of big old softies, tough on the outside, but full of marshmallow flu on the inside.This weekend, you are encouraged to break out of your shell and lean into your softer side—talk toastrangerinthetarpline,bumpelbowswith a fellow Festivarian on the dance floor while swaying to Ocie Elliott—lean into it when and where you can. You may feel self conscious, but you’re as alluring as Jerry Douglas’ mullet in 1991. That’s seriously alluring, for those not familiar with said mullet.

Taurus

APR 20-MAY 20

When you arrive in Telluride, there is no question that your earthy and sensual nature will find pure joy in the mountains surrounding you. However, your practical side may flip out as you slosh your way through the chaotic sea of tarps. But do not be a Fretivarian, for it’s time to step out of your comfort zone and pop yourself out of the predictable and grounded box you’ve been stuck in (momentarily set aside the fact that you are currently in a box canyon). Embrace the tempo of life’s crescendos and diminuendos; the rhythm is yours to command. Get creative, and don’t be afraid to try something new.

2024 SCHEDULE OF PERFORMANCES

Thursday

JUNE 20 TH

9:00am Gates Open

Noon - 1:15pm Chris & Billy

1:45 - 2:45pm

Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass

3:15 - 4:30pm Sierra Hull

5:00 - 6:15pm Big Richard

6:45 - 8:15pm Telluride House Band featuring Sam, Béla, Jerry, Edgar, Bryan & Stuart

8:45 - 10:00pm Madison Cunningham

10:30 - Midnight Charley Crockett

Friday

JUNE 21 ST

10:00am Gates Open

10:45 - 11:45am Larry & Joe

Noon - 1:00pm The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys

1:15 - 2:30pm Chatham County Line

3:00 - 4:15pm AJ Lee & Blue Summit

4:45 - 6:15pm As We Speak Béla, Zakir, Edgar, featuring Rakesh

6:45 - 8:00pm Leftover Salmon

8:30 - 10:00pm Elephant Revival

10:30 - Midnight The Infamous Stringdusters

JUNE 22 ND

9:00am Gates Open

9:30 - 10:30am Band Contest Finals

10:45 - 11:45am The Fretliners

Noon - 1:00pm SistaStrings

1:15 - 2:15pm The Langan Band

2:30 - 3:30pm The Lil Smokies

3:45 - 4:45pm Ocie Elliott

5:15 - 6:30pm Punch Brothers

6:45 - 7:00pm

Telluride Troubadour

7:15 - 8:30pm Sierra Ferrell

9:00 - 11:00pm Sam Bush Band

50th Anniversary Set

Saturday 10:00am Gates Open

Sunday

JUNE 23 RD

11:00 - Noon The Sensational Barnes Brothers

12:30 - 1:30pm Peter Rowan

1:45 - 3:00pm Mighty Poplar

3:30 - 4:45pm Ripe

5:15 - 6:30pm Jerry Douglas & Tommy Emmanuel

7:00 - 8:30pm Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

9:00 - 11:00pm Lyle Lovett and His Large Band

These intimate performances are open to the public. The schedule is subject to change. Please check the posted schedule in the park for updated information.

JUNE 20 TH Thursday

11:00am Kenneth Penman

11:45am Troubadour Contest: Preliminary Round

1:30pm Larry & Joe

3:00pm AJ Lee & Blue Summit

4:20pm Troubadour Contest: Top 5 Finalists Announced

4:30pm The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys

JUNE 21 ST Friday

10:00am Band Contest: Preliminary Round

1:15pm The Langan Band

2:30pm Troubadour Contest: Final Round

3:45pm Troubadours In The Round: Jeff Crammer

Eliza Thorp Eva Rose King

4:45pm Troubadour Contest: Winner Announced

5:00pm Big Richard

Morning Yoga

Free at Elks Park

8:30-9:30AM THURSDAY THRU SUNDAY (MATS AVAILABLE)

JUNE 20 TH Thursday

Noon - 5:00pm

Juggler’s Grove, Tie-Dyeing, Arts and Crafts

1:00pm Leave No Trace

3:00pm Tye Dye Workshop

JUNE 21 ST Friday

10:00am - 5:00pm

Tie-Dyeing, Arts and Crafts

Noon

Clown Yoga with Gumbo Wobbly & Friends

12:30pm Make Your Own Quacker and Kazoo with Gumbo Wobbly

1:00pm

Zany Puppet Mayhem with Dennis the Red

1:30pm

A Visit to Faerie-land, Storytelling and Games

2:00pm Music by The Rounder Circle

3:00pm

Kids music with Sammy Rose Blackmore and Friends

JUNE 22 ND Saturday

11:00am Jackson Emmer Noon Chatham County Line

1:30pm Troubadours In The Round: Madison Hughes Racyne Parker Andy Sydow

3:00pm The Sensational Barnes Brothers 4:30pm Ripe

JUNE 23 RD Sunday

11:00pm Andy Thorn and Friends

12:15pm Troubadours In The Round: Martin Gilmore Eugenia Riot Mike Stocksdale Eliza Edens

2:00pm Ocie Elliott

3:30pm The Lil Smokies

JUNE 22 ND Saturday

10:00am - 5:00pm Juggler’s Grove, Tie-Dyeing, Arts and Crafts

Noon

Zany Puppet Dance Party

12:30pm Party-Animal Mini Parade

1:00pm Music by The Guests

2:00pm Drama Class & Talent Show Sign-ups

2:30 - 4:00pm The 26th Annual Telluride Kids Tent Talent Show!

4:00pm Juggling Workshop with John Bruner

JUNE 23 RD Sunday

10:00am - 5:00pm Juggler’s Grove, Tie-Dyeing, Magic, Arts and Crafts

Noon A Visit to Faerie-land, Storytelling and Games 12:30pm Puppet Show with Dennis the Red

1:00pm Kids Music with Sammy Rose Blackmore and Friends

2:30pm Parade Preparations Until parade begins 3:00pm 26th Annual Kids Parade

Most Activities are Free

We ask that parents please accompany their kids at all times.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Fly Denver Air from Phoenix and Denver to Telluride (TEX)

Enjoy easy access to the mountains when you fly from PHX and DEN right into the Telluride Airport (TEX), just 10 minutes away from Telluride and Mountain Village. Denver Air’s 30-passenger jet and renowned service and snacks will make your day!

National travelers can connect through United, American, and Delta global networks by booking online at United.com, American.com, Delta.com, or see all the options at Expedia.com. For local flights from DEN and PHX to TEX, please book at DenverAirConnection.com.

THURSDAY

Chris & Billy

Noon - 1:15pm

“We did this together!” Chris Thile ahoyed last year on our 50th anniversary. “I am so honored to be here with you in this gorgeous meadow!” Ah, those Thile feelies. Nobody expresses unbridled TBF enthusiasm like Chris, and paired with his mandopamine-spilling musical mastery, Chris is one of our most treasured legends.

So for Chris’s 10th consecutive year in the leado spot, we figured we would—you know, no big deal—throw Billy Strings on stage with him. Yeah. That Billy Strings. The flatpicking superstar, the generational talent, the history-of-bluegrass-altering virtuoso, the IBMA Entertainer of the Year the last three years running. That one. He’s here. The Day 1 tarp run just got way more intense.

Chris and Billy are about to refine 51 years of TBF history into a thrill-asecond set between master duelists at the peak of their powers. “How did we end up here? By the grace of something!” Chris said. We are here, in large part, by the grace and the enduring gift of the incomparable Chris Thile. And now he squares o with the incredible Billy Strings.

We hope you’re ready, Festivarians. It’s going to take courage. We know it isn’t normal to add an arena-filling festival-headlining megastar to our lineup a few weeks before the Fest. But this isn’t normal.This is Telluride. And Chris and Billy are here to make it one for the ages.

Danny Paisley & TheSouthernGrass

1:45 - 2:45pm

Hey, raise your wristband if you like bluegrass! Telluride traditions dance all over the musical universe, but we don’t forget to also get back to where it all started. And on Thursday, we kickstart the Fester in that good old-fashioned way.

A rich family affair, Southern Grass trace their roots back to ‘60s bluegrass standard-bearers the Southern Mountain Boys, featuring legendary singer/guitarist Bob Paisley and banjoist Ted Lundy. Bob later continued on with the Southern Grass, featuringhisson,Danny,andLundy’s sons T.J. (fiddle) and Bobby (bass).

Now, Danny heads the musical heritage, adding his son Ryan on mandolin and young ace Dean Phillips on banjo. These fellers specialize in the traditions of the Blue Ridge Mountains, southern sounds that are Cheerwine sweet and moonshine sharp, magnolia strong and dogwood pretty. But make no mistake: When these boys get going, they present a pickin’ party potent enough to knock the kudzu o your porch.

As a result, the band is among the genre’s most decorated outfits with over 20 IBMA nominations, including an Album of the Year nod for 2021’s Bluegrass Troubadour, and Danny is among the elites as a three-time winner of Male Vocalist of the Year. So on opening day, get good and tarped with your Festie bestie, and get ready for Southern Grass with the best in the biz.

Sierra Hull 3:15 - 4:30pm

In 2016, Sierra Hull broke the grass ceiling by becoming the first woman to be named the IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year. She went on to win the award another six of the last eight years and is the reigning champ. Also in 2016, Sierra played herfirstsoloTBFset,showcasingthe astounding mandolin skills, redolent vocals, and exquisite songcraft that have established her as one of the preeminent Plectrumvarians of her generation.

Sierra has been a force of constant forward propulsion in the studio: 2008’s Secrets announced the arrival of a miraculous mandolinist still in her teens; 2011’s Daybreak is filled with folk-pop treasures and virtuosic instrumentals; the Béla Fleck-produced A Weighted Mind is agenre-redefiningrecordofpoignant compositions; 2020’s 25 Trips is an elegantly complex reflection on time and self-knowledge backed by eclectic, expansive arrangements.

Today, Sierra is one of the most in-demand bluegrass stars on the planet, and in Telluride, she has been a dazzling team player—in the First Ladies of Bluegrass supergroup, in her a dobromantic duet with hubby Justin Moses, in Béla’s super-elite My Bluegrass Heart ensemble. What surprisesareinstoreThursdayduring her fourth solo TBF set, now backed by full drums and electric bass? One thing is for sure: It will be one Hull of a good time.

Big Richard

5:00 - 6:15pm

Back in 2022, when we last wrote Big Richard’s bio, we filled it with a bunch of phallic jokes. This year, our writer decided not to be such a Festdickverian. Because Big Richard are no joke. In fact, when it comes to contemporary bluegrass, Big Richard are the cocks of the walk, the whole package with the hardest members, musically speaking.

Let’s start over. Crazy story: Worldclass musicians mandolinist Bonnie Sims, cellist Joy Adams, and fiddler Eve Panning assembled for a one-o 2021 festival set. Or so they thought. The group proved to be such kindred musical and sororal spirits that they stuck together long enough to step in for a late cancellation at TBF ‘22. They killed it. Locked in with a chemistry that takes other bands years to develop, the gals were an instant Fest fave, covering everyone from Bill Monroe to Radiohead to John Hartford to Britney Spears with equal authenticity and inventiveness. With interlocking string firestorms, chambergrass trigonometry, ingenious arrangements, gorgeous four-part harmony, and irreverent humor, Big Richard gasted every inch of our flabber.

The set was such a classic that it became the band’s first official full-length release, Live in Telluride Now they’re back, featuring newest member Hazel Royer on bass and guitar. What will Big Richard bring to the stage this year? Don’t miss your chance to find out.

THURSDAY

Telluride House Band

featuring Sam, Béla, Jerry, Edgar, Bryan & Stuart

6:45 - 8:15pm

In this election year, we turn to our Festivarian Bill of Rights, which a rms certain inalienable rights, including music, mountains, and the pursuit of happiness. And as with Independence Day, we pay tribute each summer to the TBF Founders who, two score and ten years ago, brought forth the new Festivarian Nation.

That spirit is embodied in the congressional concert of the Telluride House Band, made up of the PresidentsofourUnitedStateofAmericana,whose visageswaittosomedaybecarvedRushmore-style into the mountain behind the stage.

Sam is like Washington, the first one here, the Father of His Country Music, chopping on the mandolin like so many cherry trees. Béla is the Jefferson of Jazzgrass, the Apostle of Banjocracy, Father of the Declaration of Musical Independence. Jerry is the Adams, the fiery renegade of instrumental enlightenment and continual industry. Edgar is Patrick Henry, with his revolutionary musicianship and rousing solo classical turns: Give him librettos or give him death. Stuart is the Madison of Melody, His Little Majesty, the prolific Virginia-born influencer. Bryan is the Hamilton of Hoedowns, economical, quick to duel, never throwing away his shot. (Where’s Franklin, you ask? That’s Peter Rowan, obviously. Just look at him. He plays on Sunday.)

There shall be no debate! In these divisive times, there’s one thing we can all agree on. Or six of them: This sextet is the premium primary of picking, the raucous caucus of compositions. Vote with your hearts, voices, and dance moves. And let strings and freedom ring.

Madison Cunningham

8:45 - 10:00pm

We’ve been down bad for Madison Cunningham since she first emerged as a stunningly talented folk-rock wonder on her debut EP, 2017’s Love, Lose,Remember.Themusicworldwasimmediately smittenbyMadison’sfullyformedartisticprowess, complex compositions, supple vocals, dextrous guitar skills, and intricate arrangements. A star was born.

The Los Angeles-based five-time Grammy nominee’s richly intelligent songcraft—often taking cues from non-Western styles—combines folk, jazz, and rock into wholly unique pop-arias about love, loss, and regeneration with litererate lyricism and melodic delights that will have your hypothalamus doing burpees.

Madison’s awe-striking full-length, 2019’s Who Are You Now, earned her first Grammy nomination, widening her audience with music both familiar and filled with surprises, packed with compositions like intricate puzzles and with vocals as smooth as icing, as flower petals, as Paul Simon.Everyone wanted Madison—Chris Thile, Andrew Bird, and Molly Tuttle called for collaborations.

Then,2020’s Wednesday sawMadisoncovering the Beatles, Tom Waits, Radiohead, John Mayer, and others, landing another Grammy nod. Her wildlyacclaimedLP Revealer (2022),featuringthe ravishing “Life According To Rachel,” a Grammy nominee for Best American Roots Performance, picked up the trophy for Best Folk Album.

After wowing crowds at Newport Folk and opening for Harry Styles, her next stop is Telluride. While a vast nursery of stars is born overhead, the stellarMadisonCunninghamshinesoverthevalley on opening night.

Charley Crockett

10:30 - Midnight

Here in the Wild West, we’re used to drifters, highwaymen, gamblers, whiskey drinkers, guitar pickers, snake-oil salesmen, and dancehall girls— and that’s just in Camp Run a Muck over in Town Park Campground. But this year, TBF welcomes a cowboy who embodies the rugged individualist, the rambler, the handsome songster of the classic western: the unforgettably cool Charley Crockett.

A descendent of legendary frontiersman Davy Crockett, the Texas-born Charley is a born storyteller with a barrel-aged voice and a masterful delivery of a thousand songs. He’s the American archetype of the man constantly on the move, starting his career as a busker in Dallas, New Orleans, and New York City, traveling by hitchhiking and jumping freight trains.

Then, channeling the country stars and singing cowboys of yesteryear, Charley worked at a mustang’s pace, releasing a whopping 13 studio albums in the last nine years, four as his alter ego Lil G.L., who covers Crockett’s favorite classic songs. And sometimes good-time Charley gets the blues: 2018’s Lil G.L.'s Blue Bonanza was a Top 10 blues album.

But his original material slaps even harder. Albums like 2018’s Lonesome as a Shadow and 2021’s Music City USA found a delicious groove amid country, blues, folk, and southern soul, and with hundreds of shows each year under his belt buckle, Charley is today’s preeminent twangful troubadour.

Flashing a ‘50s Stetson, ‘60 boots, and a ‘30s guitar, Charley slayed at Folks Fest last year.Now he rides into Telluride. Bring your best party into the night. And let Crockett rock it.

Telluride was the first town in the world to have alternating current (AC) power, thanks to the Ames Power Plant located just down the road. Once called the “City of Lights,”

Telluride was the first city ever to have electric street lights.

...I’d never heard that many notes in 75 minutes. - Jerry Douglas

Larry & Joe

10:45 - 11:45am

Good morning, Fridayvarians! Ah, Day 2 is smack-dab in the heart of the Fester. Speaking of heart, it’s the perfect time and place to celebrate togetherness. There are so many ways: Knocking back a Crunchy Frog shot with a fellow camper, jumping into a picking circle in the Mash Tent, being one with the geoglyphs on Ballard Mountain Trail, etc. And speaking of togetherness: Larry & Joe, the delightful duo that has forged a fortuitous musical connection.

Hell of a story. Larry Bellorín is a legend of Llanera music in his native Venezuela where conditions recently forced him into exile and seeking asylum in North Carolina. Multi-instrumentalist Joe Troop is the founder of the Grammynominated cross-cultural stringband Che Apalache. When Covid paused live music, Troop shifted his focus to working with asylum-seeking migrants. Larry met Joe. Musical sparks flew.

Together, the duo marries Venezuelan and Appalachian music into a bubbling Latingrass hybrid featuring instruments from both worlds: banjo, cuatro, fiddle, harp, guitar, maracas, and more. As heard on 2023’s Nuevo South Train, Larry & Joe fuse joropo and bluegrass into a bilingual experience of original music and reinvented standards, singalongs and dancealongs, proving that music truly has no borders. Fiestavarians unite! Join this singular coalition of traditions and tunes.

FRIDAY

The Po' Ramblin' Boys

Noon - 1:00pm

So how hard did you hit it last night? Did you spark a fatty during Maddy? Get crocked during Crockett? Are you a Fest-ill-varian this morning? Oh, you po’ thing. Our advice: Ramble on over to the beer tent and have them po’ you another’n. Re-up on an Upslope! After all, we have the perfect soundtrack for working up a good lather: the mirth-making Po’ Ramblin’ Boys!

How bluegrass is Po’ Boys founder and mandolinist C.J. Lewandowski? He bought (and still drives) Jimmy Martin’s old pickup truck. Indeed, it gets no grassier than the PRBs, who started as the house band at the Ole Smoky Moonshine distillery in Gatlinburg, TN, perfecting their picking and singing for fans of Eisenhower-era bluegrass, before pumping out 2019’s Grammynominated Toil, Tears & Trouble and 2022’s Never Slow Down, tickling crowds everywhere with their hidetight harmonies and instrumentalism.

Specializing in a mix of whiz-bang covers and rousing originals, the hard-touringquintet—Lewandowski, Jereme Brown (banjo), Josh Rinkel (guitar), Jasper Lorentzen (bass), Laura Orshaw (fiddle)—are now fourtime IBMA Entertainer of the Year nominees. Their latest is The Long and Lonesome Letting Go, 2023’s humdinger of a duet LP with Jim Lauderdale. Yes, it’s a po’ heart that neverrejoices.OnFriday,theRamblin’ Boys will give you plenty of reasons to do just that.

Chatham County Line

1:15 - 2:30pm

Chatham County Line are celebrating 25 years together this year—a quarter-century of the Carolinians’ uniquely warm brand of bluegrass, sweetened by graceful arrangements, mountain-ridge stomp, soothing melodies, and lead singer Dave Wilson’s rich, literate songwriting.

Chatham took cues—bluegrass instruments, brown suits, a single-mic formation—from classic Nashville but repurposed string-band idioms into an ambrosial country-folk, taking five consecutive albums to#1 on Billboard’s bluegrass chart. Ten years ago, CCL played a legendary set in Telluride, fresh o their critically acclaimed 2014 album Tightrope

But up here at 8,750 feet, we know that conditions are changeable, and in 2019, the Line shifted when longtime banjoist Chandler Holt put down his picks. Instead of replacing him, Wilson and mandolinist/ fiddler John Teer plugged in electric instruments, bassist Greg Reading moved to pedal steel, the band added a drum kit, and the Line started a whole new chapter, starting with the heartland Americana of 2020’s Strange Fascination

After serving as the backing band for George & Tammy,the2022Showtime series about George Jones and Tammy Wynette, Chatham returned with this year’s Hiyo, continuing to explore new textures that expand the boundaries of ancient tones. That’s as Telluridian as it gets. Line up on Friday.

AJ Lee & Blue Summit

3:00 - 4:15pm

We know what you’re thinking: AJ Lee and Blue Summit are the Thin Lizzy of bluegrass. They get that all the time. That’s because the Summit boast not one but two lead guitarists—Scott Gates and Sullivan Tuttle—delivering bluegrass’s fiercest double-guitar attack with the two shredders burning every which way across the fretboards. Those axes circle the blue-diamond voice of AJ Lee, she of the pristine mandolin picking and razor-sharp songwriting. Add fiddling sensation Jan Purat, and you have in many ways a perfect Telluride Bluegrass band: Songful, elegant, genre-espansive, jam-nimble, cool, Tuttle-y.

The band dates back 19 years ago to the California group the Tuttles, the family band featuring patriarch Jack Tuttle and his kids Sullivan, Michael, and Molly. (Sibling reunion alert: Molly arrives on Saturday.) At just 7 years old, AJ joined the band on mando. AJ and Sully kept playing together, morphing into Blue Summit in 2015.

The band makes good on the title of 2021’s scintillating I’ll Be Back with their harmony-drenched third studio album, City of Glass, out July 19th. And as for being back, AJ Lee and Blue Summit made their TBF debut two years ago. Well, in Thin Lizzian terms: The boys are back in town. And the girl, too. And so are you, Festivarian, basking with AJ and the boys amid Telluride’s blue summit.

As We Speak

Béla, Zakir, Edgar, featuring Rakesh 4:45 - 6:15pm

No one in TBF’s first 50 years did more to broaden and blow our minds than the heroic Béla Fleck. From his revolutionary stint with New Grass Revival to his fusion odyssey with the Flecktones to his ensembles with the planet’s greatest jazz and world masters, Béla is not only history’s best banjoist and a Grammy legend (38 nods, 17 wins), but also Telluride’s boldest genre explorer.

In that spirit, Béla has joined with tabla master Zakir Hussain and double-bass virtuoso Edgar Meyer, a collective first formed to write a triple concerto for the opening of Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center. By combining each maestro’s musical spheres—Béla’s bluegrass, Edgar’s Western classical music, and Hussain’s Indian classical music—the trio released 2009’s astonishing The Melody of Rhythm, recorded with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

Next, the group added Rakesh Chaurasia, genius of the bansuri (an Indian bamboo flute) for last year’s As We Speak, which won a pair of Grammys. The album’s title points to the group’s extraordinary ability to span musical boundaries, to improvise and compose, and to inspire the musicians’ individual and collective visions to create masterworks on the spot. That alchemy will result in blisteringly beautiful magic on Friday in a history-making meeting of musical masters and one of this year’s most unmissable sets.

FRIDAY

Leftover Salmon

6:45 - 8:00pm

We have quite a fish tale for you. 35 years ago, members of both the Left Hand String Band and the Salmonheads jammed together in Town Park Campground. Leftover Salmon were hatched that night, and Telluride Bluegrass would never be the same. We caught the biggest, coolest band in the jamgrass ocean.

Leftover Salmon chummed in Fishivarians by swimming against the newgrass stream, reeling out all-night beard-banging slamgrass mayhem, casting out mind-expanding zydecodelic action, cranking out island-fiesta hedonism, and spooling out the wildest, shaggiest, hardestpartying, fastest-picking party on the planet. Telluride audiences fell for Salmon hook, line, and sinker.

Led by Vince Herman and Drew Emmitt, Salmon went from fishout-of-water renegades to the new TBF beacons of wake-and-bake string shredding and howl-at-themoon singalongs, influencing every jamgrasser who came after them. Still, as seminal as Salmon are, their latest album, 2023’s Grass Roots, honors their own influences with grassy takes on Bob Dylan, the Seldom Scene, the Grateful Dead, and more.

We ain’t gonna work tomorrow. We ain’t gonna work the next day. That’s because we’ve gone fishin’! We get the Leftover legends this year on Friday at the peak of the party. Calling all bobbers, jiggers, and spinners: Don’t let this one get away.

Elephant Revival

8:30 - 10:00pm

Everyone knows the parable of the five blind men who stumbled across a large beast. The first blind man grabbed a fiddle bow and declared it a tail. The second pulled on a trombone and mistook it for a trunk. The third ran his hand across a washboard and thought it was a ribcage. A fourth got hold of a banjo neck and uttered the word “tusk.” The last man patted a round djembe drumhead and confused it for a large ear. Together they announced, “It is an elephant!” Silly men: They were actually groping Elephant Revival. Turns out, the band in this story is heading to Telluride Bluegrass. And we thought they had gone extinct! The last we saw of these indiefolkgrass greats was their rapturous, soul-lifting TBF set in 2017. A few months later, Elephant Revival went on an indefinite hiatus after playing a sold-out farewell show at Red Rocks at the height of their popularity as one of the decade’s biggest roots acts. Well, pack a bowl, pachyderms! It’s an Elephant Revival revival! The Nederland sextet are back playing select shows and will bring out the banjos, trumpets, fiddles, tom-toms, cellos, stompboxes, musical saws, and much more in Telluride to create their gorgeous genre-fluid musical tapestry, brushed with elegant textures at once fantastical and organic, refined and spontaneous. So let’s address the Elephant in the room: This will be monumental.

The Infamous Stringdusters

10:30 - Midnight

Is it getting cold out there? Well, bundle up, Festbrrrvarians. But we’ll also help out by turning up the heat on stage. You know the Infamous Stringdusters’ thrilling album Let It Go?Itturns10yearsoldthisyearand was named before a certain Frozen tune blew up, but make no mistake: The meticulous instrumentalism, vocal artistry, and blazing energy flying every which way from the Stringdusters could reduce the entire kingdom of Arendelle to ashes.

Last year at TBF, the Dusters played the gospel set on Sunday morning. Was it awesome? Jesus Christ, yes. But this year, we’re putting them back in their natural habitat as the lords of night, ready to do the devil’s business with wicked picking, flamethrowing duels, and soaring singing that will drive the cosmic newgrass up into the starry sky and rain back down on us. It’ll get you late-night Ingestivarians higher than Golden Horn. Psilocy-bin there, done that!

As jambitious as the Stringdusting is, the Festivatin’ Five are also serious purveyors of traditional tones, as on 2021’s Tribute to Bill Monroe and 2023’s A Tribute to Flatt & Scruggs, and their latest single pairs them with New Orleans singer Anders Osborne on a cover of ‘50s standard “Those Lonely, Lonely Nights.” Lonely nights? It’s night, all right. But this one won’t be lonely.For the nighttime is the right time to get Dusted.

See Tickets is proud to be Planet Bluegrass’ Fair Ticketing Partner

The Fretliners

10:45 - 11:45am

Ah, we get it. Fretliners. Like Freightliners, the 18-wheeler semi trucks. Like the iconic White Freightliner model of the ‘70s. Well, breaker 1-9: The Fretliners are going out on the highway where those big trucks whine and are barreling toward Telluride to steal away your mind.

You got your ears on, good buddy?

These Colorado boys (guitarist Tom Knowlton, mandolinist Sam Parks, fiddler Dan Andree, and bassist Taylor Shuck) formed in Lyons in 2022, chose their Fretliners handle, and put the hammer down right away by winning both the Telluride Bluegrass and the Rockygrass Band Contests—a feat that had been accomplished just twice before.

In fact, Knowlton and Shuck hold the distinction of being in two bands that have won the TBF Band Contest. They were both in Wood Belly, the 2018 winners, before shifting gears and hitting the road with the ‘Liners. The band’s 2023 self-titled album is a rustic beauty filled with traditional grass, but one with a tractor-trailer full of Colorado-style instrumental muscle, come on.

So how ‘bout ya, Telluride? The Fretliners are trucking eastbound and down toward Town Park. Make sure your 20 is inside the Fest early on Saturday. But you’ll have to put the pedal to metal during the tarp run to get ahead of the convoy in hot pursuit. But will the Fretliners be worth the trip? That’s a big 10-4.

SistaStrings

Noon - 1:00pm

It’s Day 3! And, hey, we’ve noticed that some of you haven’t bothered to shower yet. Well, we have just the thing for you Filthivarians: A sound bath courtesy of the enchanting SistaStrings, ideal for cleaning up your spiritual innards. (Although, seriously, it wouldn’t kill you to deodorize your tent. It smells like Vince Herman went in there and anahuacked up his flank steak.)

SistaStrings is the dynamic duo of Milwaukee sisters Chauntee and Monique Ross, the String Queens of Cream City, who have taken the music world by storm with their radiant fusion of classical, gospel, soul, and Americana sounds. With Monique on cello and Chauntee on violin, the siblings started playing as kids traveling in a praise band with their minister parents before going it alone as SistaStrings and quickly earning a place among the most sought-after collaborators on the contemporary scene.

Ifyou’vecaughttheRossesontour backing Brandi Carlile (at Newport Folk or Madison Square Garden or on Saturday Night Live) or as members of Alison Russell’s touring band, you know the singular talent and charisma and exuberance that SistaStrings bring to the stage. Now, the 2023 Americana Music Association winners for Best Instrumentalists are breaking out on their own and coming to Telluride. Don’t miss one of this year’s most magical, soulcleansing gifts.

The Langan Band

1:15 - 2:15pm

You hear those bagpipes this morning? You likely associate those Scottish skronks with your frantic, gasket-blowing, tarp-trailing sprint to claim that sweet spot on the lawn. But if the run tuckered you out, this is no time to be a Restivarian. The party is just getting started. (Speaking of partying: He’s naked under that kilt.)

Those pipes were a preview to the Highland fling coming at you today, the Northerners with attitudes, straight outta Glasgow. This trio is more Scottish than haggis, which, of course, is the traditional Scottish dish consisting of a sheep’s entrails boiled in a bag made from the animal's stomach. (Alert: If you got the munchies from that description, you need to halve your next gummy.)

In the great TBF tradition of world-hopping, the bangin’ Langan Band—John Langan (guitar, vocals), Dave Tunstall (bass), and Alastair Caplin (fiddle)—is no ordinary Celtic folk group. The Langan Band combine Scottish, Irish, English, and Middle Eastern folk with bluegrass, flamenco, swing, Roma, and punk elements, all with polyrhythmic foot percussion, signature changes, and dynamic vocal harmonies for a pheremonic feast for the senses.

Haggis reminds us: The trio’s latest LP is last year’s beautifully inventive Plight O´Sheep. But trust us about those sheep: When the Langan Band take the stage, you won’t be counting any.

The Lil Smokies

2:30 - 3:30pm

The Lil Smokies are back in the big Rockies. Look, we’re not one to belittle the Great Smoky Mountains, but their highest point, Clingmans Dome, is an adorable 6,643 feet. By contrast, Mount Elbert here in the American Rockies, at 14,439 feet, is well over twice as tall. So the Lil Smokies may have a name that evokes the subrange of the Appalachians, but their music rises figuratively and spiritually to match the topographic elevation of Telluride. Since winning the 2015 Telluride Bluegrass Band Contest, the Smokies have been one of the tip-top bands in the jambunctious newgrass scene. The Missoula-founded group specializes in sublime canyonrocking folkgrass that has reached a broad audience of grassers and jammers, as their three studio albums, including 2020’s acclaimed Tornillo, have established the Smokies as songful craftsmen who can also let it rip with highwire picking prowess. Now set for their third TBF, the band demonstrates that while the Festival is steeped in cherished traditions, it also embraces change and evolution. This year the Smokies arrive with a new-look lineup, as banjo ace Sam Armstrong-Zickefoose and bass badass Jean-Luc Davis join core Smokies Andy Dunnigan (dobro), Jake Simpson (fiddle), and Matt Rieger (guitar). With new original music on the way, the Smokies look to move even bigger mountains and reach yet higher peaks this year. Get here and get high with this pinnacle of picking, this summit of strings.

Ra e tickets available in the Martin Tent in Harmony Greene. All proceeds to support KOTO.

Drawing held 4:45 Sunday on the main stage. You need not be present to win.

The dreadnought sized guitar, with custom TBF Inlay, is crafted with East Indian rosewood, which is very resonant and o ers deep bass and rich overtones.

... “Once I heard Duane Allman, I knew what I needed to do.”

SATURDAY

Ocie Elliott

3:45 - 4:45pm

Love is always in the air here in Telluride. Every year at TBF, romances are realized, babies are conceived, knots are tied. One year, New Grass Revival singer John Cowan and his fiancée hiked up the trail behind the stage and came back down married. Yes, TBF has always been a fertile ground for Festa airians. And in that spirit, the lovely couple that is Ocie Elliott is an ideal fit.

Canadians Sierra Lundy and Jon Middleton came together in their native Victoria in 2017 and gained an online following with a series of music videos shot in natural settings and inside their compact SUV. Ocie Elliot—the first name derived from a 1920s name generator; the last from the couple’s mutual love of singer/ songwriter Elliott Smith—make gentle acoustic roots music based on their gorgeously braided voices and handsome melodies, as the two explore themes of love, loss, and gratitude.

We are grateful that Lundy and Middleton have been so prolific, releasing five EPs of new original songs since the pandemic, including last year’s beauty, Know the Night. Influenced by legends like Bob Dylan, Gillian Welch, and Simon & Garfunkel, the music of Ocie Elliott is a perfect complement to Telluride’s swaying aspen forests, wide-open skies, and sparkling waterfalls.

So do you love loving? And do you love to be sung to in this beautiful canyon? Oh see Ocie.

Punch Brothers

5:15 - 6:30pm

What is the “punch” in Punch Brothers? We have previously posited that the band’s name refers to everything from pugilism to booze. However, given the productivity, professionalism, and dedication to work that the band embodies, perhaps their moniker evokes punching a clock.

With the beauty of the band’s compositional design and the intricate precision of their performances, the Punch Bros are indeed like an elegantly crafted timepiece. But this ain’t your grandfather’s clock: The PeeBees have revolutionized bluegrass by repurposing string-band instruments into gorgeous, sophisticated, genreleaping music. There has never been anything quite like them.

Like complex clockwork, the Punchers are composed of interworking parts. Chris Thile is the indicator—the face and the hands, the one who makes the band tick. Chris Eldridge is the power source—the mainspring that drives the machine.Noam Pikelny is the gear train—theinterlockingcogsthatmove the other parts. Paul Kowert is the escapement—controlling the speed and accurate timing. Newest member Brittany Haas is the oscillator—the component that swings, and we are thrilled to present the fiddle virtuoso in her TBF debut as an o cial member of Punch Brothers.

You know what time it is. These masters have been working overtime to prepare for this year’s Fest. Will Punch Brothers turn in another classic? Big time. Don’t be late.

Sierra Ferrell

7:15 - 8:30pm

It is the rare artist whose music transcends all boundaries of time. It is also the rare artist who makes her TBF debut and we just have to bring her back the following year.Such is the case with the enchanting Sierra Ferrell, who mesmerized us in 2023 with an exhilarating set of honky tonk, western swing, latin jazz, calypso folk, and mariachi bluegrass, all delivered with Sierra’s half-sugar, half-spice vocals.

The West Virginia native is a musical throwback and stylistic chameleon who spent her early years as a woman of means by no means— the queen of the road—hitchhiking, freighthopping, rubber-tramping, and busking from Seattle to New Orleans. After her performance videos went viral, Sierra ended up as Nashville’s freshest voice, releasing the acclaimed Long Time Coming in 2021 with hit singles “The Sea” and “Bells of Every Chapel” featuring Billy Strings. Suddenly, everyone wanted that Sierra Ferrell magic, as she made cameos with the Black Keys and Ray Lamontagne and dueted on Zach Bryan’s “Holy Roller,” a Top 40 hit.

This year’s Trail of Flowers hit even bigger with timeless cowgirl songs and free-spirited ballads, as she sold out venues coast to coast with her exuberant showcases of classic country, fiddle reels, costumed theatricality, bird calls, dancing, and yodels, all while turning herself, her stage, and her mic stand into works of visual art. Trust us, Ferrellvarians. You can’t sleep on Sierra’s joy-inducing Saturday-night special.

Sam Bush Band 50th Anniversary Set

9:00 - 11:00pm

Last year, we celebrated the Festival’s 50th anniversary. But this year feels even more monumental as we mark the 50th consecutive TBF of the King of Telluride, Slammin’ Sammy Bush. Festivarians spend a lot of time Samsplaining the magic of Telluride to folks who’ve never attended. But those Never-Festers can’t fully understand TBF until they’ve experienced the Fest’s marquee annual event: Sam’s Saturday Slam. Sam first rode into Telluride in 1975, and he has shaped the spiritual character and musical ecosystem of the Festival ever since. All along, Sam inspired a million musicians and paved the way for every Salmon, Stringduster, and Punch to follow. And 50 years on, Sam remains one of the greatest live performers on earth thanks to whatever fountain of youth he drank from back in ‘75. Sumbitch has had the same waistline and hairfollicle count the whole time.

Among the original TBF stars, Sam is theonlyonewhohasn’tmissedasingle year since his first one. Nothing could stop him.Firstivarians are now bringing their grandkids here to see him.

50 years of hippie-tickling jamgrass. 50 years of polyrhythmic mandolin chops. 50 years of brilliant and beloved songs. 50 years of angrysnake staccato solos. 50 years of grin-’n’-spin dance parties. 50 years of breathtaking guest appearances. Thank you, Sam, for 50 incredible Fests.You’vedoneitall.You’vechanged our lives. Now let’s howl at the moon.

The Sensational Barnes Brothers

11:00 - Noon

Sunday morning at Telluride is a time of reflection after three days and nights of festivating in a transcendently gorgeous setting like no other place on the planet. But if you close your eyes this Sunday, you might swear that you’ve been transported to another time and location: 1970’s Memphis, Tennessee.

For this year’s gospel set, we proudly present the Sensational Barnes Brothers, from the Home of the Blues and the Birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll. And like their Memphis soul forebears like Al Green, Sam & Dave, and Booker T. & the M.G.’s, the Barnes Brothers combine R&B, blues, gospel, Motown, jazz, and doo-wop into a sizzling stew of swinging rhythms, soaring melodies, and Stax punch.

Chris and Courtney Barnes are, true to the band’s name, stunningly talented singers who have been at it since birth, growing up singing in the church and with their father in the Barnes family band before branching o as members of the soul-funk group Black Cream. The Brothers’ debut album as a duo, 2019’s Nobody’s Fault But My Own, is a modern sacredsoul classic filled with ‘70s gospel nuggets mined and reinterpreted by the Brothers.

With funky drums, swampy organ, slinkyguitars,andaorta-burstingvocals, the Sensational Barnes Brothers are coming to stir your soul, move your caboose, and fill you with gratitude on closing day. Lord have mercy.

SUNDAY

Peter Rowan

12:30 - 1:30pm

Oh, man. That picking party in the campground last night went until 5 a.m. We woke up with our yingolin caught in our yanjo. Thankfully, there’s no better way to untangle our chakras than to share space with the great Peter Rowan, monumental legend of the Shellman Stage.

He kind of started this thing.When Rowan rode into town in 1977 for the 4th annual TBF, he gave the Fest a boost of credibility. After all, he’d been a Blue Grass Boy. Shared a mic with Bill Monroe, by god. Plus, the hippies dug him because of his rootsfusion bands Seatrain and Earth Opera. We still remember Rowan in the late ‘70s walking around yodeling in Dunton, so stoned that his perm was dissociating.

Of course, Panama Pete also merged with Jerry Garcia in the ‘70s for Old and in the Way, which included Rowan standards “Midnight Moonlight” and “Land of the Navajo.” And with his solo records, he mapped the entire musicallandscape—rock,reggae,folk, Tex-Mex, Hawaiian—as a relentless seeker of styles and stories, truth and justice, grace and peace.

Now the icon is 81 (the same age Bill Monroe was when the Father of Bluegrass met a 12-year-old Chris Thile backstage at Telluride) and making his 44th TBF appearance. Come get square with living history and the yearly performance that has provided the deep foundation that has grounded us all.

Mighty Poplar

1:45 - 3:00pm

Telluride is the perfect place to shake off your quarantine nostalgia by remembering that in 2020 we couldn’t Festivate at all, and no amount of mimosas during work Zooms could make up for that. But one good thing did come out of the pandemic: Mighty Poplar.

Supergroup! We’ve had our share at TBF: Strength in Numbers, the Telluride House Band, I’m With Her, the First Ladies of Bluegrass. And now Mighty Poplar, inspired by another supergroup, the Bluegrass Album BandledbyTonyRiceandJ.D.Crowe back in the ‘80s.

MightyPoplararecomprisedofsome mighty popular pickers: guitarist Chris Eldridge and banjoist Noam Pikelny from Punch Brothers, mandolinist Andrew Marlin from Watchhouse, fiddler Alex Hargreaves from Billy Strings, and bassist Greg Garrison from Leftover Salmon. The five aces, who first bonded when crossing paths at Telluride, joined forces during the pandemic to play traditional bluegrass. (Note: Subbing for Alex on Sunday will be fiddle maven John Mailander from Bruce Hornsby’s Noisemakers.)

Last year’s self-titled LP tackles bluegrass standards along with songs by Bob Dylan, the Carter Family, and Leonard Cohen, arranged around traditional idioms but played with a modern flair that only players of this stature can summon. That skill will be on display on Supergroup Sunday in what is sure to be one the Fest’s primo picks.

Ripe

3:30 - 4:45pm

So have you heard that there’s an election coming up in four months? Yeah, we don’t want to talk about it either. But we do think that the best way to prepare for however things turn out in November is to dance our tails off at the Festival on Sunday. That’s where Ripe come in.

Ripe bring the funk jump and the soul shimmy courtesy of a six-piece band that formed at the Berklee College of Music in 2011. Anchored by drummer Sampson Hellerman, a sultan of dynamic limb independence, Ripe have earned a reputation for high-energy concerts that take audiences to ecstatic physical and emotional heights.

Singer Robbie Wulfsohn leads the wild rumpus (and looks the part) and is a roiling warlock of tricky intonation and melodic pizzazz. Guitarist Jon Becker is a fret-lacerating rhythmic dynamo, switching to burple on the keys without notice. Calvin Barthel is a mavenofmultiphonicsonthetrombone who plays so hard he typically has to replace his spit valve midshow.

Check out Ripe’s debut studio album, 2018’s neo-soul beauty Joy in the Wild Unknown, produced by guitar hotshot Cory Wong, and their latest, 2023’s Bright Blues, a delirious journey through indie-pop, funk, and rock.

OnSunday,Ripeareflankedallday bybluegrasspickingparties,butRipe prove that when it comes to parties, Ripe are also ripe for the picking.

If Bill Monroe was the Father of Bluegrass

Sustainable Paper & Printing

This year’s program & pocket schedule are printed on FSC-certified Neenah Conservation paper at Cottrell Printing, an FSC-certified printer in Denver.

By using this 100% post-consumer recycled fiber made with 100% renewable energy, we saved: 8.45 tons of fresh (green) wood (that’s 50.68 trees!); 4,130 gallons of water (which is enough water for 2.93 clothes washers operated/year!); 21,870 pounds of carbon emissions (equivalent to the annual emissions from 1.991 cars); and 172 pounds of solid waste.

Help extend the life of this program by sharing it with your tarpmates, protecting it as a lasting souvenir, or recycling it at the Festival.

SUNDAY

Jerry Douglas & Tommy Emmanuel

5:15 - 6:30pm

Telluride is a fabulous place to hang with a buddy: dancing to the music, picking in camp, dining in town, riding the gondola, smoking a doob, taking a hike. (Hey, watch out for Festibearians on the trail. Reminder: If you do encounter a bear, you don’t have to outrun the bear. You just have to outrun your buddy.)

Which brings us to our buddy story of the year: JerryDouglasandTommyEmmanuel,makingtheir TBFdebutasaduo.Jerryis,ofcourse,oneofTBF’s towering legends, the dobro’s greatest virtuoso, and a 15-time Grammy winner.The God of the Glide, Jerry revolutionized the style and repertoire of the dobro, infusing bluegrass with complex, gorgeous sonic streams that have become the definitive sound of the Festival.

Tommy Emmanuel is the Australian guitar master who became one of the most in-demand session players and sidemen in roots music and made a series of award-winning albums covering an incredible range of country, bluegrass, jazz, blues, classical, and flamenco. As a protégé of Chet Atkins, Tommy is widely considered one of the world’s finest fingerpicking guitarists.

The chemistry between the two masters is unmistakable, as Jerry calls Tommy, “the greatest guitar player I’ve ever played with in my life,” an amazing claim considering that Jerry has played on over 2000 di erent albums. Whether covering Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire” or burning through “Choctaw Hayride,” Jerry and Tommy turn every song they touch into a masterpiece of symbiotic picking and harmonic weaving. A dinnertime set from these two all-time greats? Yeah, buddy.

Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

7:00 - 8:30pm

Good golly, Miss Molly. She is set for her third Telluride Bluegrass Festival this year (after 2019 and 2022), and each appearance has found her ascending to higher and higher peaks as a major artist and bluegrass pioneer. In 2017, she made history as the first woman to win the International BluegrassMusicAssociation'sGuitarPlayerofthe Year award, which she picked up again in 2018.

So, yes, she is a fleet-fingered crosspicking phenom with proximal phalanges nonpareil, birdflight touch, incredible velocity, and impeccable taste and tone up and down the fretboard. Such expertise bagged her the Americana Music Association's Instrumentalist of the Year award in 2018.

But she’s an equally excellent singer/songwriter. She was named the IBMA’s Female Vocalist of the Year in both 2022 and 2023, and her original compositions on 2022’s Crooked Tree earned her a Grammy win for Best Bluegrass Album and another nomination for Best New Artist. Molly’s next rodeo, last year’s resplendent City of Gold, kept up the momentum as an industry standard, featuring a Ketch Secor (cute couple, don’t you think?) co-write on the hit “El Dorado.”

What’s more, Molly leads Golden Highway, which shecallsher“dreamteam”ofmusicians:Bronwyn Keith-Hynes (fiddle), Kyle Tuttle (banjo), Shelby Means (bass), and Dominick Leslie (mandolin). Molly and Golden Highway will run a writer out of superlativesinahurry,soyou’llhavetoexperience Molly’s San Francisco blues and Nashville messaround for yourselves. Thankfully, the Golden Highway leads to Telluride on Sunday.

Lyle Lovett and His Large Band

9:00 - 11:00pm

It’s closing time. We know. It’s hard. But, there’s no need to be a Depressedivarian. The legendary Lyle Lovett and His Large Band are here to close out the 51st annual Telluride Bluegrass in style with a 15-piece ensemble that includes legendary bassist Leland Sklar.

Lyle made his TBF debut in 1987, fresh o his landmark self-titled album with its four hit singles, including“Cowboy Man,”a Top 10 smash.He was back in 1991, having released his masterpiece Pontiac and more hits (“Give Back My Heart,” “She’s No Lady”), along with 1989’s Grammywinning Lyle Lovett and His Large Band, which blended jazz into Lyle’s exquisite songwriting.

Lyle was back in 1997, cruising through town on his motorcycle, with more classics to draw from: 1994’s epic I Love Everybody, 1996’s The Road to Ensenada (which won the Grammy for Best Country Album), and “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” his duet with Randy Newman from Toy Story

In 2004, Lyle joined John Hiatt, Guy Clark, and Joe Ely at TBF for a special songwriter’s session, and Lyle Lovers were thrilled when he returned in 2010, touring behind Natural Forces, a celebration of Lyle’s fellow Texas songwriters. That’s right: Lyle is not from Colorado, but Colorado wants him anyway.

With his elegantly crafted blend of musical styles, impeccably played and sung with intelligent lyrics and cunning humor, Lyle is one of the all-time greats. So, yes, it’s closing time. But not until Lyle Lovett sings us good night. After all, Lyle loves everybody—especially us. And we love you, too, Festivarians. Thanks for an amazing year.

Steve Leftridge has written every artist bio for the Telluride Bluegrass Festival programs for the last 11 Festivals. He lives in St. Louis, where he is the music critic for the Riverfront Times

Common Nightly Knowledge About Telluride Bluegrass:

When the sun sets, the temperature drops (duh).

Festivarians dance their way up against the fence. Headliners rage under the lights until the Main Stage goes dark.

Festivarians leave the grounds in a joyful march, picking up trash along the way. The anticipation of late night mando licks and buzzy banjo rolls fill the air. The music does NOT stop, for the bluegra-vatational force is too strong. NightGrass comes alive to further feed the soul….

Not Common Knowledge:

The staff here at Planet Bluegrass HQ loves writing poetry, and thus have created the following piece to tell you more about NightGrass. Please enjoy…

When the Main Stage closes and the sky turns starry Hold off sleep while you can, you won’t be sorry NightGrass boasts an experience you cannot surpass, With lineups that are certified first-class Sheridan Opera House and Palm Theatre host We love the intimacy of the shows the most. Not for the faint of heart, Staying awake is a work of art Engage your nocturnal powers, And join us after hours!

We can hold hands forever On streets of gold someday

—Tyler Childers

Every year, our Festival Beautification team works tirelessly to create an artful, imaginative, and whimsical atmosphere in Town Park. Of course it’s a challenge to compete with the existing beauty we are surrounded with here, so Lyons based artists Ann Hall and Jacob Leeuwenburgh aim only to enhance our already stunning backdrop. If it’s colorful and brings a smile to your face, they were behind it! Stop by Harmony Greene and snap a pic with their larger than life cowboy boots. It’s our new favorite accessory fit for Fashionivarians of all ages!

TELLURIDE BLUEGRASS

June 19-22, 2025

Our upcoming events in Lyons, CO

ROCKYGRASS ACADEMY

July 21-25, 2024

ROCKYGRASS

July 26-28, 2024

August

August

WILDFLOWER FALLGRASS

September 20 & 21, 2024

PLANET BLUEGRASS X THE BOULDER PHILHARMONIC: A 3 PART SERIES

September 25th, October 16th & 23rd

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2025 Tickets

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