The Sunset Concert Series is a free open air concert series every Wednesday evening throughout the summer in Mountain Village, Colorado. Nearly 2,000 attendees enjoy a variety of superior music each evening as the sun sets behind 13,000 peaks! Music begins at 6:00 pm on the Sunset Plaza lawn. Come early to save your spot and enjoy a cold beer at the neighboring Hop Garden.

This year’s free concerts feature a collection of Grammy-nominated and award winning artists with an eclectic sound, from bluegrass to blues and everything in between. Featured artists include, in order of appearance:

The Drew Emmitt Band

Wednesday, June 24
 
Revered as one of the most energetic and innovative mandolin players on the jamband/newgrass scene today, Emmitt’s “inestimable talents” don’t end with just the instruments that can be picked. Holding the wheel steady on acoustic and electric slide mandolin, acoustic and electric guitar and mandola, Long Road, Emmitt’s third solo CD, also showcases Emmitt’s superlative storytelling and versatile vocal abilities.

To hear music and learn more about The Drew Emmitt Band click here

Carbon Leaf

Wednesday, July 1 

Carbon Leaf blasted into the national spotlight two years ago with their major label debut, Indian Summer. But while they kept busy working as support on major national tours (Dave Matthews Band, Counting Crows, John Mayer, etc.) and headlining their own, these Virginia-based self-starters kept moving forward musically, as well as professionally. That point rings clear throughout Love, Loss, Hope, Repeat, a collection of new songs whose sound is the richest, whose grooves are the most infectious, and whose messages run the deepest of anything they've yet put to disc. With Love, Loss, Hope, Repeat, Carbon Leaf defines itself as a tight instrumental unit, capable of cranking up the heat even with scaled-down arrangements based on acoustic guitar, in perfect complement to a vocal sound that cannot be mistaken for anyone else's.

To hear music and learn more about Carbon Leaf click here

John Lee Hooker, Jr.

Wednesday, July 8

John Lee Hooker Jr. was born in Detroit "Motor" City with Delta blues-filled blood running through his Motown veins. The son of the great John Lee Hooker, he was exposed to the life of the blues from a young age. At only eight years old Jr. performed on Detroit's WJBK radio and knew from that moment that he wanted to follow the path of his father and become a world-class musician. Jr. Hooker continues to carry the blues into the 21st century, with his Grammy-nominated CD, All Odds Against Me. From the gravely blues of the Detroit streets to a new era of sound; from the shadow of his father's accomplishments to standing apart from his namesake; from criminal to crime-fighter; from San Quentin to the Red Carpet, it’s no wonder the album is called All Odds Against Me. John Lee Hooker Jr. has built upon his colorful past as he continues to distinguish himself as a contemporary "Bluesman."

To hear music and learn more about John Lee Hooker Jr. click here

Old 97's

Wednesday, July 15

Some bands blast out of the gate and never recapture their early energy. Other bands establish themselves as models of consistency. Still other bands take a while to find themselves. And then there are bands like the Old 97's, this alternative country band, who blast out of the gate, establish themselves as models of consistency, take a while to find themselves, and then, fifteen years in, deliver a glorious record that sums up everything about them that fans have always loved. With Blame It On Gravity, the seventh Old 97's record and the second for New West, the band has made its definitive statement.

To hear music and learn more about the Old 97's click here

James McMurtry

Wednesday, July 22

The Texas native long has been known as an astute, clear-eyed observer and concise, no-holds-barred chronicler of the human condition. These recent years have found James McMurtry’s many skills steadily coalescing into an increasingly substantial, formidable whole: the voice, the tunes, the stories and the musicianship have become elementally interwoven to create the inimitable fabric of a distinct, singular artist who’s determined to get to the heart of the matter, shake things up and do whatever it takes to make a difference.

In his regular column for Entertainment Weekly, noted author (and passionate rock ’n’ roll enthusiast) Stephen King cited McMurtry as “the truest, fiercest songwriter of his generation.”

To hear music and learn more about James McMurtry click here

Coco Montoya

Wednesday, July 29

Over the course of his 30-year career, guitarist and vocalist Coco Montoya's explosive guitar playing and soul-driven voice have propelled him to the upper reaches of the blues-rock world. From his early days as a drummer to his current status as one of the top-drawing guitarists and vocalists on the blues-rock scene, Montoya has forged his reputation through years of hard work and constant touring.

It's no coincidence that publications from The Philadelphia Daily News to Blues Revue to Living Blues to The Village Voice all rank Coco among the best guitarists and singers on the blues scene. "Montoya is at the forefront of the contemporary blues world," declared Guitar World.

To hear music and learn more about Coco Montoya click here

Trombone Shorty

Wednesday, August 5

Rare indeed is the artist with the virtuosity to draw the unqualified respect of some of the most iconic legends in jazz and the ability to deliver a high-energy funk rock show capable of mesmerizing international rock stars. Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews is one such artist - and there is no one else like him. Trombone Shorty is equally adept on trombone and trumpet and is a man to be reckoned with on both. A product of New Orleans' culturally rich Treme neighborhood, Trombone Shorty was a bandleader by the age of six. In 2009, New Orleans’ premier music magazine, Offbeat, awarded Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue Best R&B/Funk Band for the second year in a row.  Trombone Shorty himself picked up an award for Best Trumpet and he has been named Performer of The Year twice. His success - and his promise - has been recognized by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on one of the Fest’s two annual official posters.

To hear music and learn more about Trombone Shorty click here

Dirty Dozen Brass Band

Wednesday, August 12

The Dirty Dozen is an innovative blend of traditional New Orleans sounds and modern jazz sensibilities. The ensemble has recorded with artists from Dizzy Gillespie to Elvis Costello, taken on the music of jazz inventor Jelly Roll Morton for the album Jelly and reinterpreted the hymns and parade songs of the Crescent City second-line bands for 2004’s Funeral For A Friend (following the death of co-founding member Tuba Fats).  They’ve mixed intriguing approaches to traditional and familiar material, but in a context emphasizing challenging original music composed by the Dozen members themselves.  In the course, the band resurrected, revitalized and put distinctly personal stamps on what was a dying tradition of New Orleans brass bands when the group formed in the late ‘70s, inspiring a full-on revival that’s flourished with several new generations of young brass bands each bringing their own twists to the form.

To hear music and learn more about the Dirty Dozen Brass Band click here

The Avett Brothers

Wednesday, August 19

The Avett Brothers combine bluegrass, country, punk, pop melodies, folk, rock and roll, honky tonk and ragtime to produce a sound described by the San Francisco Chronicle as having the "Heavy sadness of Townes Van Zandt, the light pop concision of Buddy Holly, the tuneful jangle of the Beatles, the raw energy of the Ramones." The group itself eschews labels, feeling that "none would do the music the justice. It's simply left up to each person to extract his or her own account from the Avetts' music." The songs are honest: just chords with real voices singing real melodies. But, the heart and the energy with which they are sung, is really why people are talking, and why so many sing along. They are a reality in a world of entertainment built with smoke and mirrors, and when they play, the common man can break the mirrors and blow the smoke away, so that all that's left behind is the unwavering beauty of the songs. That's the commotion, that's the celebration, and wherever The Avett Brothers are tonight, that's what you'll find. In 2007, The Avett Brothers won the Americana Music Association Duo/Group of the Year and New/Emerging Artist of the Year awards.

To hear music and learn more about the The Avett Brothers click here

Delta Spirit

Wednesday, August 26

Delta Spirit is a band from San Diego, California. Often dubbed as a “hybrid of rock and northern soul” or as an "Americana/soul" group, the band has never been signed to a major label. The group incorporates unconventional instruments (such as trash cans lids and orchestral bass drums), the multi-instrumentalism of the members and the vocal delivery and religiously/spiritually-themed lyrics of singer Matt Vasquez.

To hear music and learn more about the Delta Spirit click here 

 

Hill Country Revue

Wednesday, September 2

The modern Southern Rock / Blues band for the new generation. Formed by Cody Dickinson from The North Mississippi Allstars in 2008, it features Chris Chew, Kirk Smithhart, Ed “Hot” Cleveland and Dixie Dan Coburn. The band’s debut album, ‘Make a Move’, was released by Razor and Tie Records in May 2009. “This is really back to the roots of blues,” says Cody of the upcoming record. “It's funky. Really nasty, that's the best way to describe it. Gritty, messy, stripped-down.”

To hear music and learn more about the Hill Country Revue click here