Free Summer Concert Line Up at Snowmass

There's some terrific music acts taking the Fanny Hill stage this summer; here's the Snowmass Village free concert line up released by Snowmass Special Events this week

(From a press statement released by Snowmass)

Snowmass Village, CO ( April 23, 2008) – Snowmass Village is pleased to announce the 2008 Snowmass Summer of Free Music Series schedule which runs June 26 through August 21. 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 distinguished musicians such as Robben Ford, The Freddy Jones Band, The Drew Emmitt Band, Dan Hicks, and Ruthie Foster to Fanny Hill each Thursday for free sunset concerts at 6 p.m.

“There’s a reason this series is one of the most popular activities in the valley. The Snowmass Summer of Free Music Series embodies everything people love about mountain life—great music, great views, and primarily a chance to relax and catch up with good friends and family. Each year we all look forward to getting back out on Fanny Hill as a community,” says Susan Hamley, marketing director for the town.

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.

“The Snowmass Summer of Free Music Series features a diverse and eclectic group of artists, all of whom are performing on the Fanny Hill stage for the first time. Ranging from bluegrass to soul, and blues to New Orleans, the series should be one of the best in recent years,“ says Jim Horowitz, Executive Producer of Jazz Aspen Snowmass.

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. The Snowmass music season kicks off June 6-8 with the 5th Annual Chili Pepper & Brew Fest featuring Stephen Marley, Dr. John, the Neville Brothers, and Lyrics Born among other acts. Tickets start at $15 and are on sale now at www.snowmasschiliandbrew.com.

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. For more information, visit the official Snowmass Village website at www.snowmassvillage.com or call 1-800-SNOWMASS.

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. (http://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.com)

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)

August 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: Act TBA

You can get more info by contacting Allison Johnson at
(970) 309-5485, or aj@snowmasspress.com

You can post a comment or question here, too.

R.D.