Summer Jam, Belle & Sebastian and more make our picks of the best Colorado shows this week. See you there, and if you don’t make it out, follow our music musings and our
Snowmass Mammoth Fest — June 12-14, Aspen Snowmass
While always known to bring a few big headliners to the mountains every year, the 2015 Snowmass Mammoth Fest offers one of the eventap most well rounded lineups to date. Scrolling down the lineup, even the bottom lists a few exciting names — notably Futurebirds, the Cave Singers, Roadkill Ghost Choir and the Lone Bellow. These acts will offer an excellent buildup to the Snowmass Mammoth Festap main talent in Tedeschi Trucks Band, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings and Greensky Bluegrass. Even though you can catch Tedeschi Trucks at Red Rocks on June 13, itap tough to pass up seeing the act with an impressive support lineup in the mountains. Snowmass Mammoth Fest takes place June 12-14 at Snowmass Town Park. ($55-$275, snowmassmammothfest.com)
Telluride Bluegrass Festival — June 18-21, Telluride
If you want to go on a two-week music road trip through the Rocky Mountains, this is a great week for you. From the Snowmass Mammoth Fest, you can continue another 4-ish hours southwest through the mountains down to Telluride. There, you’ll find one of the most beloved outdoor music events in the state in Telluride Bluegrass Festival. Now in its 42nd year, the iconic festival brings Ry Cooder, Sharon White & Ricky Skaggs, John Butler Trio, Janelle Monáe, Kacey Musgraves, Trampled By Turtles, Yonder Mountain String Band, Greensky Bluegrass and more. Tickets for Telluride Bluegrass Festival on June 18-21 are sold out.
Belle & Sebastian — June 17, Red Rocks Amphitheatre
People in Colorado want to dance. Having grown a cult following as a sensitive and sweet indie-pop band since the ’90s, Belle & Sebastian wouldn’t always be your first choice for a dance show. But with the new album “Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance,” the band dabbles in synthesizers and a heavy dance gloss. What really makes this whole situation more interesting is that Belle & Sebastian is playing with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra on June 17. Will it be a classical dance party? We know the CSO can do it, given it’s performance with Pretty Lights. Or will Belle & Sebastian stick to older, more classically suited material. There’s only one way to find out.
Tedeschi Trucks Band — June 13, Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Husband and wife duo Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks have two children both named after iconic musicians. If these kids grow up to be lawyers or doctors or anything other than musicians it will be a complete shock. Tedeschi and Trucks had long and accomplished music careers before they met and formed the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Trucks is one of the finest slide guitarists in the world and Tedeschi a Grammy nominated vocalist and guitarist. Together they bring enough talent worthy of the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre on June 13.
Summer Jam — June 12, Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
It hasn’t been an easy year for Colorado’s biggest hip-hop concert. After a few artists were replaced because of poor ticket sales, according to Action Bronson, we have a different lineup that was originally announced earlier this year. Despite the issues, there’s still quite a bit to love on the stacked lineup. Specifically, we’re looking forward to sets from Childish Gambino, G-Eazy, Kid Ink and Trey Songz. It’ll be a long day of hip-hop on Friday, as the gates of Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre open at 4:30 p.m.
