GROOVIEW

Meanwhile, Mountain Mystics, Fall Baby and Bruce Hayes Will Rock Ridgway

Did you survive Bluegrass? Let’s hope so, because hot on the heels of The Telluride Bluegrass Festival, the Tenth Annual Sunset Concert Series fired up this week with The Drew Emmitt Band, and summer music events are piling up as we head into the Fourth of July holiday.

The free Sunset Concert series in Mountain Village feature a stellar lineup this year, including next week’s show with Carbon Leaf.

The band blasted onto the scene a couple of years ago with their debut, Indian Summer, and Carbon Leaf found themselves touring with Dave Matthews, John Mayer and Counting Crows among others.

The “Leaf” is out on the road in support of their smoking new release, Nothing Rhymes With Woman, and the five-piece powerhouse packs a punch, with Barry Privett’s terrific songwriting and vocal work. The band also has not one but two guitarists, with Terry Clark and Carter Gravatt, who also plays a mean mandolin. Jon Markel nails it down on bass, and Jason Neal keeps it in the pocket with sick drum and percussion work. Look for Carbon Leaf to tear it up in Mountain Village next Wednesday evening.

The Sunset Concert Series runs on Wednesday afternoons at the Sunset Plaza starting at 6 p.m. with a roster that includes John Lee Hooker, Jr., James McMurtry, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and master guitarist Coco Montoya.

TMVOA has also announced that Grace Potter and the Nocturnals will grace the stage for the Red White and Blues Concert on July 3. Potter wowed the crowd at Blues and Brews a couple of years ago, and is a gem. More next week.

In the meantime, it’s Wine Festival this weekend, and although the scene will be mellow, the Town Park Stage will again be lit on Saturday night, with a performance on tap by Citizen Cope.

Citizen Cope, AKA Clarence Greenwood, lays down thick drum ‘n’ bass grooves, and has his own funky fusion of blues, hip-hop and folk.

Rolling Stone Magazine dubbed him “a modern day bluesman who paints a plaintive portrait of the human condition,” and The Washington Post called him the most “raptastic artist since Marvin Gaye.” Citizen Cope has a huge underground following, and his 2004 release, The Clarence Greenwood Recordings became a subterranean classic.

Greenwood has been back in the studio, with a new release The Rainwater slated for early next year. You can get a taste with a free download of the tune, Keep Askin’ at www.citizencope.com.

Look for Town Park to be hopping with Citizen Cope, Saturday night.

The Fly Me to the Moon Saloon has almost recovered from the Bluegrass Festival, and Thursday night it’s time to get down and dirty with the fat beats of DJ Stephan K the Krittah. Friday night, there’s a benefit for local Josh Williams at the Moon, and Saturday, cruise by after Citizen Cope for late night hip-hop with DJ Essential. Look for the Moon to fire up the live music scene for the Fourth of July weekend with the return of Entropy Funk next week.

Be sure to bop by the Bubble Lounge for the Open Mic on Thursday night, and next week, check out Sean Deland on Wednesday, and don’t miss Todd Anders Johnson and Salem at the O2 bar during the Fourth of July weekend.

At Tommy’s, The Voles are back, and look for Lane Rider and the rest of the gang to kick it down hard on Thursday night with special guests Dogs of Liberty. Don’t forget, you can be a star at Tommy’s, with Karaoke Night on Sundays and Open Mic Night, hosted by Matt Eisenberg on Wednesday evenings.


RIDGWAY RIVER FESTIVAL

In Ridgway this weekend, it’s the Ridgway River Festival on Saturday, which should be raging! The event at Rollins Park runs from 11 A.M. until 9 P.M., with live music from Bruce Hayes at noon. Ridgway’s Fall Baby takes the stage at 3 p.m., with Mountain Mystic Reggae Band at 6 o’clock.

The members of Fall Baby are river enthusiasts, and Helene “H” Cassarini says, the festival expanded this year. “This is our second year, but it’s the first year that we’re really putting a focus on the music and are trying to have it be more of a music event. We’ve got Bruce, who is just great, and also Mountain Mystic – that’s Walter St. Claire and Mikey G., who was the singer and drummer for Bredren,” she explains. “Also Stacey who was the keyboardist with 8750 Reggae Band is gonna play with them, and they’re going to have a horn section from Dolores, so that’s gonna be sweet.”

Fall Baby donned their moniker after realizing that all of the members – Cassarini plus Melanie Kent, Doug Allee and Robert Ford – have autumnal birthdays, and Cassarini adds that they also share a love of the river. “We’re kind of seasonal,” she laughs. “Doug, Robert and I are all kayakers, and we recently opened the Paddle Fest in Buena Vista, which was awesome. Music and kayaking – what better way to spend the summer?”

Cassarini notes that the event on Saturday is free to the public. “It’s a celebration of the river. There will be an amateur kayak rodeo and downriver races, plus there will be vendors and two breweries there. It’s all happening in Rollins Park, by the bridge. We want everyone to have a happy and safe time. Oh, and it’s a zero waste event, with biodegradable corn mash cups and so on.”

The popular Fall Baby dishes up funky grooves on Cassarini’s originals plus some interesting covers, and the sensational singer-songwriter says the band is taking it up a couple of clicks. “We’ve got a few new songs,” she adds. “We did a three-song demo last fall with Tony Rosario. We actually have a new website, fallbaby.ccom, and we’re getting ready to load it up so everyone can hear a few bites.”

Wade in the water and dig on the live music this weekend at the Ridgway River Festival!

Up the road, it’s Country Jam in Grand Junction this weekend and it’ll be crazy, with the likes of Sawyer Brown, Cross Canadian Ragweed and Clay Walker on the line-up. Also, look for former Ridgway resident and our good buddy Judson Spence, who is out on the road with Big and Rich.

Ah, yes, summer is finally here, and the Fourth of July is right around the corner.

Savor the season, and happy Wine Fest!