The beginning of that Peter Rowan set makes me long for a full Solo set, I dig Twang & Groove (not quite as much as Big Twang from a couple years ago), but his solo songs this year were transcendent.
Is there anyone better than Bela? Is anyone more of a gentleman than Del?
All four band competition finalists were great this year, hopefully The Green Boys will be back at some point in the future.
I loved the increased organization of the tarp line. The per-customs check was a HUGE help. It was also nice to see more security and staff walking around.
Greensky keeps getting better, maybe they could alternate years with the Stringdusters.
Biggest surprise of the weekend: Frank Sullivan. I was left a little cold by his studio albums but hot dam those guys can play.
Last, I don’t get John Cowan. His sets the last two years kind of left me yawning. Is there a place to start to try to appreciate this guy more? (Other than New Grass)
Frank Solivan and band, fantastic. Great mandolin player, and banjo player and guitarist are top notch. They battled the cold at Firstgrass, but the main set and Nightgrass shows were great. And Sammy got him in there for the mandolin symphony. Russian Rag, anyone?
I don’t see why we can’t have both each year? They are the two most exciting bands working today. They keep getting better and better. Neither one has hit their peak yet, and that makes them all the more impressive. I don’t think there is a better collection of pickers touring year round than the Dusters and few songwriters can match Paul Hoffman. They are both bands that are clearly made for and by Telluride and define the sound that makes Telluride so special. I wish the Dusters had been there this year and I hope they’ll be there next year, but I don’t want to miss out on Greensky, either. I say book them both every year.
He wasn’t there last year. His last TBF performance was 2012 and before that was 2009. Everything this man has done has impressed me. You have the obvious (New Grass Revival, Doobie Brothers), the band leader (Jown Cowan Band) and the collaborations (Cowan, Scott, and Flynn; Darrell Scott and the John Cowan Band, John Cowan and Drew Emmitt). Every time I see him, I fall in love all over again. That voice. The musicians he find to play with him. The love he has for the festival and us, the festivarians. John Cowan is a name that immediately pops into my head when I think of Telluride. I’d get his albums 8,745 ft (live from Telluride) and New Tattoo. Both are constantly in heavy rotation in my collection.
I’m the same way, Sean. Taste is taste - I’ve come to realize that, no matter how many people love an artist, or how talented I recognize them as being, I’m not required to enjoy a set of their music. I feel that way about a number of TBF regulars, actually, though - like you - I’m always looking to have my mind changed. It happened with Yonder (who I didn’t “get” for a while because I think I was trying to put them in the wrong box and didn’t appreciate their fun enough).
I saw a band at Floradora Restaurant on Friday . I think there name was Quantum or something like that . My friend Michael was playing drums . They kinda sounded like Cornmeal . GREAT !!GREAT !! TIME !! They played for a couple of hours but I wish they played all night . I wasn’t ready to go back to camp .
I don’t see why we can’t have both each year? They are the two most exciting bands working today. They keep getting better and better. Neither one has hit their peak yet, and that makes them all the more impressive. I don’t think there is a better collection of pickers touring year round than the Dusters and few songwriters can match Paul Hoffman. They are both bands that are clearly made for and by Telluride and define the sound that makes Telluride so special. I wish the Dusters had been there this year and I hope they’ll be there next year, but I don’t want to miss out on Greensky, either. I say book them both every year.
Hey, don’t get me wrong, I would love to see both bands every year, but I also like room for new bands. Cornmeal, Dirty Kitchen, Devil Makes Three, Chatham, etc are all great additions to the tradition. Both bands are powerhouses that get better and better, but something can be said for variety, right?
I hear you. I love the new bands. Frank Solivan blew me away this year. So did Nicki Bluhm and Jason Isbell. I want there to be room for these guys, but not at the expense of The Dusters or Greensky. Instead of dropping one of them from the lineup, how about we drop a Chris Thile set? He played three this fest. Or a Bela set? Most years, we see these guys and Tim O’Brien playing multiple sets. I think dropping one of those sets is a better solution.
Besides, I want to see the collaboration that the Dusters and Greenksy can come up with. Travis Book and Anders Beck used to play together in a great band called Broke Mountain Bluegrass. All of those guys are friends. The potential guest spots and workshops that can happen are more than enough of a reason to bring both.
Great points. Andy Hall and Chris Pandolfi both have solo works worthy of main stage spots. I guess I’m so in awe of Thile that I didn’t consider ceding his time to others.
Speaking of Isbell, he was on a recent episode of the WTF podcast, it was a candid and fascinating discussion with a solo performance at the end. Check it out.
If you’re going to do all that, you need to be sure to have Benny Galloway in town to do an Elks Park set on songwriting, and then he can pop up all over the place
That’s a great idea Hot Sugar. We saw quite a bit of Bela and Chris, and it might just be me, but the Thile set to open the festival is a little slow for me. With all of the excitement that builds up for the festival, it’s a little bit of a let down to open it up with Chris’ solo mando show. I’d prefer to see a band that is ready to get the fest up and moving. I know I’ll get some grief for this but it’s just how I feel…
the fest appears to be setting Thile up to be the “new sam” (there is no other sam but hear me out). with being all over the fest, having the opening slot each year, writing the outro of the book etc. i like his little solo set to open. between that, nickel creek, and punch we had three sets of chris this year and you’d have to bicker about which one to cut, but i agree that we’d be better off with one of those sets being the dusters instead.
nickel creek killed it though. haven’t seen them since before their long hiatus, and it’s the best show by them i’ve seen. perhaps all that solo experience for them worked out for the best for the group. i can imagine after this time apart they dont feel as stuffy to be playing together at this point.
And that Gospel set was Awesome with a Capital “A”. I agree with Sugar, Johnny C is Telluride along with Bela, Time O’Brien, and of course Sammy. No speaking of Gospel, and many of you weren’t up at this time, but Daley and Vincent were unbelievable. That Bass singe listened a couple of my fillings. I too loved Frank Solivan, and thanks to Lisa from Camp Run A Muck, I really enjoyed The Lone Belo, and I thought they were going to be shower time material. Really enjoyed their set. David Rawlings Machine just killed it, the harmonies of those two are so special.
Peter Rowan is probably my favorite “regular” … part of what I like about him is the way he reinvents himself over time. He’s also one of the few performers who I think “carries” the whole solo guitar/vocals thing exceptionally well … so I was also into his opening bit. However, I happen to think this latest ensemble is one of my favorites since Crucial Reggae! Yungchen Lhamo’s vocals really help create a sublime experience. Their performance (minus bass & drums) @ Elks Park was also amazing.
I was also very impressed by Greensky this year … they get my award for “most improved” (at least for my particular tastes re: more psychedelic jamming).
Bela’s two sets were two of the best of the festival. I say give Bela all the sets he needs. Chris Thile’s sets were all distinct projects, too, and completely different… Now, I don’t know that I’d have him do a solo set every year, but as long as they’re different acts each year (e.g., last year was Chris & Bela, the year before Thile & Daves… both completely different), I don’t have a problem with it.
Honestly, I’d rather have both Greensky and Stringdusters be every-other-year bands than lose a Bela set. Bela’s sets are more musically diverse, and even though he’s a part of it each year, it’s usually a completely different project each year. Greensky more or less does the same thing each year (although I think, at this point, I’d rather have Greensky be regulars over Yonder).
Every year artists should have the musical versatility to make each performance musically distinct… Sam Bush does that, Bela does that, Rowan, Douglas, Punch Brothers do that (although for Punch it’s generally more in the Sunday night show)… Greensky, Stringdusters, Yonder, etc. are entertaining, but you more or less know what to expect every year. I’m a huge fan of Trampled by Turtles and Devil Makes Three, but I wouldn’t have them as yearly bands for the same reason.
I feel that way about a number of TBF regulars, actually, though - like you - I’m always looking to have my mind changed. It happened with Yonder (who I didn’t “get” for a while because I think I was trying to put them in the wrong box and didn’t appreciate their fun enough).