Calendar of Events

Snowmass Summer of Free Music series Date(s): 06/26/08,   07/03/08,   07/10/08,   07/17/08,   07/24/08,   07/31/08,   08/07/08,   08/14/08,   08/21/08 Time: 6:00 p.m.  Details: Snowmass' Thursday night free concerts draw crowds by the thousands to Fanny Hill to hear some of the best rock, R&B, soul and Latin music in the mountains--for free! Bring along a blanket or low lawn chair and a picnic dinner for the ultimate al fresco experience (b.y.o. alcohol is prohibited, beer and wine are for sale on site). Dogs are welcome in a designated area. Celebrating its 17th season, the series is organized by the town of Snowmass Village and produced by the esteemed Jazz Aspen Snowmass organization. The series brings musicians to Fanny Hill each Thursday for free sunset concerts at 6 p.m. The program, lauded last year in the Los Angeles Times as one of the best free music series in North America, regularly draws crowds of about 3,000 to picnic and relax while listening to top-notch music. Snowmass Village will provide alcohol ranging from inexpensive to import beers and glasses of wine to bottles of fine varietals for purchase on-site, while a children's Family Fun Zone will include a house of bounce, face painting, clowns, juggling, and more. Last year, Snowmass Village spent nearly half a million dollars to bring in new sod seating and new staging that includes one of the most sophisticated outdoor sound systems in the mountains. Additional major free summer concerts are scheduled throughout the summer, including July 5, August 2, August 9, September 6, and September 13 with acts to be announced soon. Come for the concerts and stay for a long weekend. Snowmass Village offers something for everyone, with a different festival, athletic competition or special event nearly every weekend of the summer. Free activities, great lodging specials, convenient access, pleasant mountain temperatures and no crowds on Snowmass' 40 miles of trails make Snowmass the ideal weekend getaway. Snowmass Summer of Free Music Series Schedule: June 26: Drew Emmitt Band Drew Emmitt, the dynamic lead singer and mandolin player with the popular jamband Leftover Salmon, delivers his signature bluegrass/rock/jamband style on an array of instruments. One of the nation's top mandolin players, he excels in unique energy driven mandolin licks and his influences include a pantheon of musical heroes including Lowell George, Steve Morse, Duane Allman, John Cowan, Bill Monroe, Sam Bush, Hot Rize and New Grass Revival. (www.drewemmitt.com) July 3: Freddy Jones Band Roots-rock specialists in the tradition of groups like the Eagles, The Band and The Allman Brothers, the Freddy Jones Band blends influences from blues, rock and folk music. After five major label releases, sharing the stage with greats like Widespread Panic, Phish, Sheryl Crow, Dave Matthews Band, and Matchbox 20 and a five year hiatus, the band reunited in 2005 to continue to entertain crowds across the nation. (www.thefreddyjonesband.com) July 10: Gaelic Storm Since their inception nearly ten years ago, this five-piece Irish band creates compelling original music that combines fresh arrangements, traditional Irish melody, acoustic instrumentation and unique blends of world rhythms. Playing over 125 dates a year and topping the charts with all five of their albums, Gaelic Storm routinely breaks attendance records, pushing their popularity beyond the world music genre and into the mainstream music consciousness. (gaelicstorm.musiccitynetworks.com) July 17: Dan Hicks & The Hot Licks Singer-songwriter Dan Hicks is truly an American original. Since the early 1960s, Hicks has deftly blended elements of Swing, Jazz, Folk and Country music to create the appealing sound he sometimes calls "Folk Jazz." With lyrics ranging from seriously sublime to the ridiculous, his music has earned Hicks the attention and affection of a new generation of music lovers.(www.danhicks.net) July 24: Ruthie Foster This prodigiously gifted singer and songwriter from Texas mixes contemporary folk with old-school gospel and blues, showcasing a powerhouse voice that's drawn comparisons to Ella Fitzgerald and Aretha Franklin. Her latest album, The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster, reached number four on the Blues chart in Billboard magazine with music rich in honest spirituality and emotion. (www.ruthiefoster.com) July 31: Bonerama An untraditional brass band evoking funk, classic rock and free improvisation, this New Orleans original has been hailed by Rolling Stone magazine, acclaimed by Offbeat Magazine, recognized as the "Best Rock Band" by the Big Easy Awards 2007, and regularly sets the New Orleans club scene afire. (www.bonerama.net) Aug. 7: Great American Taxi Great American Taxi is the brain child of Leftover Salmon's Vince Herman, who brought together this prodigiously talented group of Boulder musicians in 2005. The band, which performs 21st century Americana and already has over 200 shows behind them, delivers a performance charged with rich vocal harmonies and textures, a unique rock-folk-reggae-funk-country sound and clever lyrics. (www.greatamericantaxi.net) Aug 14: Robben Ford Named one of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of the 20th Century" by Musician magazine, Robben Ford is particularly known for his blues playing as well as his ability to be comfortable in a variety of musical contexts. A four-time Grammy Award nominee, he has played with artists as diverse as Joni Mitchell, Jimmy Witherspoon, Miles Davis, George Harrison, Phil Lesh, Bonnie Raitt, Claus Ogerman, Michael McDonald, among others. (www.robbenford.com) Aug 21: Big Sandy & His Fly Rite Boys Since forming in 1988, Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys have emerged as one of the world's most respected practitioners of American roots music, western swing, rockabilly, and traditional country—playing it like they invented it. The band have been inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. (www.bigsandy.net)