Though there is still a chill in the air, local music lovers can warm up to the idea of some hot Friday nights this summer as the 31st annual Steamboat Free Summer Concert Series lineup has been released.

The 2023 Lineup Reveal Party was Saturday, May 13, at Olympian Hall in Steamboat Springs. Music fans from around the Yampa River Valley turned out for a night that featured local band Buffalo Commons. A silent auction capped off the evening of music, food, drink and dancing. 

Since the series’ inception in 1993, promoter John Waldman, in coordination with a host of entities and individuals, has sought to nurture Steamboat’s love of all different forms of music with a community-oriented approach. Waldman, of Great Knight Productions, said that it is the community and concert-goers that truly support this sponsor-based celebration of music and art.

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The free concert schedule features a wide range of music. From bluegrass, to roots music, to rock, concert-goers will can likely something to inspire their souls and groove to at the base area of Howelsen Hill Ski Area. As announced, the lineup is as follows.

June 23 — Greyboy Allstars with special guest Bonfire Dub

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July 14 — Cody Canada & the Departed with special guest Alan Duty and The Lost Rangers

July 21 — The Wood Brothers with special guest Ida Mae

Aug. 11 — St. Paul and The Broken Bones with a special guest to be announced

Sept. 3 — Yonder Mountain String Band with special guest Buffalo Commons

The series kicks off on the third Friday of June with Greyboy Allstars, who hail from San Diego. The band’s rich soul-jazz sound will be paired with the eclectic roots music of opener Bonfire Dub. 

The second Friday of July will feature Oklahoma-based Cody Canada & the Departed with red-dirt rock rhythms coupled up with the sound of Alan Duty and The Lost Rangers. The American-roots music of The Wood Brothers is featured the following weekend with the husband-and-wife duo of Chris Turpin and Stephanie Jean of Ida Mae warming the crowd up.

Things heat up again the second Friday of August with St. Paul and the Broken Bones with a special guest who has yet to be announced. The closing performance of the season will resonate well with those who love bluegrass as Yonder Mountain String Band returns yet again to Steamboat to play following Buffalo Commons.

The first-ever free concert was held on the lawn of the Steamboat Courthouse in 1993. Since then, the series has evolved into a board-run organization that strives to bring a combination of mainstream artists and emerging bands to the foot of Emerald Mountain.

Waldman reflected on the progress of the series, saying “Colorado, and especially Steamboat, has always been accepting of all styles of music,” and he hopes that sentiment will continue for the foreseeable future.