MUSICMARAUDERS

Red Rocks Amphitheatre Morrison, CO Words By J-man Photos By J-man & Kevin Hahn ( Split Open & Shoot Photography ) Audio By Peter Coffan The peak of summer for many is marked by The String Cheese Incident's multiple night run at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. This year, Red Rocks would only play host to two nights of SCI as opposed to the usual three. Unlike many other touring acts, SCI struggled to sell out the nine thousand plus venue in their home state, with only Saturday night selling out in the end. With criticism reaching a boiling point for SCI in regards to their performances, song selections and their utilization of dupstep, the band were under the microscope from their increasingly critical fan base. On top of the open criticism that the band has been receiving, Horning's Hideout tickets have been popping up on Facebook and Craigslist from one hundred dollars, to best offer/free, with speculation surrounding the reality of Horning's being "Sold out...

Jerry’s Farm Lone Tree, IA Words & Photos By Nicholas Stock Audio By Tommy The Beard Thomas Wolfe said, “You can’t go home again.” I think what he meant was that when you return to the place of your roots years later the changes in that environment mean that it will never really be the same. My journey to Iowa for Camp Euforia is the epitome of this statement. Ten years ago a then local band bought ten kegs of beer, set up a modest stage, and put on an event forever known as the “Euforquestra Fan Appreciation Party.” For some unknown reason they asked me to be the Master of Ceremony. The concert consisted of a handful of Iowa City acts and around 200 music fans. Everything was free including beer and food. A decade later, this event endures having evolved into a full blown two-day festival with both nationally touring and homegrown bands on the bill. They asked me to return this time as the official festival video producer. We culled together a small group of young, pass...

Boulder Theater Boulder, CO Words & Photos By Kevin Hahn ( Split Open & Shoot Photography ) Here in our great state of Colorado, bands seem to come and go like our ever-decreasing amount of afternoon thunderstorms. Buses filled to the brim with gear, merchandise, and musical instruments stroll from one mountain town to another ripping and roaring their way through musical venues that we have all come to love and call home. Towns such as Breckenridge, Steamboat Springs and Aspen all are able to pull in national touring acts due to their magnificent beauty, great food and close proximity to Colorado’s music epi-center, the Denver Metro area. Year after year and month after month bands from all over the world head to the mountains of Colorado to usually embark on a multiple city run which can take them from Pueblo in the South all the way to Estes Park up North. Railroad Earth is a perfect example of one of these national touring acts who make an annual pilgrimage to the mou...

Red Rocks Amphitheatre Morrison, CO Words & Photos By J-man Audio By Gerry Gladu The line at the Red Rocks box office swelled to a daunting size as folks checked their cell phones for the time with beers in hand. Rain came and went, then returned once again cooling off the lot scene both in regards to temperature and general action. Inside the venue the stage was set for what would be a relatively intimate show with Greensky Bluegrass, considering the circumstances. Folks waited in line for over an hour as security conducted fairly extensive searches of the evening's patrons. Greensky came out on to the stage with a look of awe on their faces as they smiled and laughed. The energy and excitement was palatable as they took up their instruments to begin, only to laugh again at the perceived insanity of the situation and a realized dream. Their set included fantastic renditions of Greensky material, as well as an unreleased song or two from their upcoming album. The band so...

The Fox Theatre Boulder, CO Words & Photos By Kevin Hahn ( Split Open & Shoot Photography ) New Orleans; Known for its amazing food, insane nightlife, and abundance of what we Americans call “Culture,” has also become a enticing hotspot for thriving musicians to come down to the South, set up shop, and show what they can do. One of the now biggest and more recognizable bands on our jamband scene that call New Orleans, Louisiana their home is Galactic. This dynamic, rock-n-roll playing, party starting group rages some good ole New Orleans funk every chance they get and it was no different for their recent show at the Fox Theatre in Boulder. Playing at the smaller venue as a part of a package deal with their Red Rock’s show the next day, Galactic was determined to bring the heat from the very first beat. The Fox was packed, and the crowd was ripping and roaring as the NOLA-based funk group took the stage with their now regular 6-man lineup. Drummer, Stanton Moore, is ...

Armoury Denver, CO Words By J-man Photos By Kevin Hahn ( Split Open & Melt Photography ) Video By Carly Marthis Audio By Kind Recordings It was another packed Wednesday at Armoury in Denver, CO. In fact, Armoury was the only happening place on the block for the majority of the evening, as folks had turned out in force to catch Greg Garrison Trio +2 featuring Andy Hall and Chris Pandolfi of The Infamous Stringdusters. That night would begin with Greg (Bass), Dave Devine (Guitar) and Marc Dalio (Drums) performing some interesting covers that included the music of Pink Floyd, Nirvana, Led Zeppelin and more! Dave Devine may be one of the most underrated guitarist on the Denver scene. The magnificence of his playing came to the forefront that evening on the Armoury stage. Following a short but sweet first set, the trio took a short break only to return with the evening's plus two in Andy (Lap Steel) and Chris (Banjo). Greg Garrison Trio Live at Armoury on July 10, 2013....

Double JJ Resort Rothbury, MI Words By J-man Photos By Carly Marthis The sun beat down on our tent until we rolled out of bed and into the grass in an attempt to escape the polyester inferno. It was clear that Carly would not make it to yoga, but fortunately for me, there was no time limit on burritos. On our way back to camp from the vending/food area we stopped for a $10.00 bag of ice, as all of the $5.00 bags were conveniently sold out. After about an hour of staring off into space followed by a quick rinse and we were as fresh as we could be given the circumstances. We passed yet again through the festival gates and settled in at the Ranch stage for some Jeff Austin and Friends. To our absolute delight, his friends were comprised of Eric Krasno (Soulive), Anders Beck (Greensky Bluegrass), Cody Dickenson (North Mississippi Allstars) and a bass player whom I was not familiar with. The group's output was as loose as I had ever heard from Jeff Austin. A couple of times Jeff ...

Double JJ Resort Rothbury, MI Words By J-man Photos By Carly Marthis After about ten hours of comfortable sleep, almost unheard of at most festivals, we awoke to a delightfully overcast day. Some iced coffee and a breakfast burrito was exactly what we needed to jump start our directional move towards heading into the venue. As Carly participated in yoga, I wandered around taking pictures and sending live updates of the festival grounds that had been well manicured following the previous night's mayhem. The forest was endlessly entertaining, even from a seated position of observation. As the hour passed I made my way back towards yoga at the Tripolee stage, making a quick stop to talk to Tim Carbone who was sound checking on the Ranch stage for his afternoon set with Railroad Earth. We made a quick trip back to our site to rinse off and hydrate before once again passing through the venue gates for RRWE. I almost always enjoy Railroad Earth in a festival setting. Their liv...

Double JJ Resort Rothbury, MI Words By J-man Photos By Carly Marthis The sprinklers came on in the darkness with the first signs of the morning's light. The closing of the trunk on our Jeep signified the beginning of a long journey that would take us from Denver, CO, across the country to Electric Forest in Rothbury, MI. From Electric Forest we would head up the serene west coast of Michigan, across the Mackinaw Bridge to Lake Superior, before starting our long return trip across Michigan's Upper Penninsula, through Wisconsin, then back home. 3,000 miles sounded like a lot of driving and indeed it was. From Colorado to Michigan we went, arriving late that night at a Comfort Inn in Muskegon, a mere stones throw to Rothbury. One last shower and a warm breakfast the next morning was followed by a short trip, a reasonably efficient line and eventual access to the grounds of the famed Double JJ Resort! With a little negotiation, a prime camping spot was secured for the weeken...