Steamboat’s Strings Music Festival announces winter concert lineup
The Wallflowers, Joan Osborne and seven other live music acts will be taking the stage from December to March in Steamboat Springs.
The Strings Music Festival revealed its winter concert lineup this week, and the talent spans a wide range of genres and tastes, including everything from rock to jazz, running from 1940s Ireland up to the Alaskan Arctic.
“We’re beyond excited to welcome an array of talented artists to our stage this winter,” Strings Music Festival Executive Director Elissa Greene said in a statement. “Winters in Steamboat Springs might be best known for winter sports, but when the Strings stage lights up, all attention shifts indoors. We can’t wait to welcome so many incredible acts.”
Tickets will go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. Oct. 14. People may purchase them at StringsMusicFestival.com or by calling the Strings Box Office at 970-879-5056 ext. 105.
Additionally, the String Music Festival offers donors of $500 or more pre-sale access to tickets. Eligible donors will receive details via email. People can make a donation and access the pre-sale at StringsMusicFestival.com/Donate.
The nine acts announced on Tuesday, Sept. 27, include:
Mike Cooley (of the Drive-By Truckers) — 7 p.m. Dec. 8. Tickets start at $30. Cooley of the Drive-By Truckers has temporarily ditched his band to roll back the volume for unaccompanied acoustic performances that would become his debut solo record, “The Fool on Every Corner.”
Cooley shines on this bare-bones live set, tossing aside his guitar pick and playing with his fingers. The record is comprised mainly of re-imagined and stripped-down Drive-By Truckers classics, along with a few never-before-released originals. Along with that, Cooley will bring his tongue-in-cheek humor and maybe even a few stories about life on tour.
The Wallflowers — 7 p.m. Dec. 9. Tickets start at $70. For the past 30 years, the Jakob Dylan-led act has stood as one of rock’s most dynamic bands with smash hits like 1996’s “Bringing Down the Horse” and 2012’s “Glad All Over.” Now, the Wallflowers are writing the next chapter in their career with their first new album in nine years, “Exit Wounds.”
Very Jazzy Holiday with Jazzy Ash and the Leaping Lizards — 5:30 p.m. Dec. 11, all-ages. Tickets start at $15. Jazzy Ash & The Leaping Lizards features a live five-piece New Orleans jazz band for families. The show will include ukulele, guitar, banjo, accordion, fiddle, bass, trombone, sax, washboard and drums as Ash draws influence by the music from her mother’s hometown of New Orleans and her father’s Trinidadian culture.
Tomáseen Foley’s A Celtic Christmas — 7 p.m. Dec. 18. Tickets start at $45. Built around Foley’s storytelling, a Celtic Christmas springs from Ireland’s rich cultural heritage, when neighbors gathered at each other’s houses with their fiddles, tin whistles, flutes, bodhráns, uilleann pipes, and, perhaps, most important, their unshakeable sense of community.
Yonder Mountain String Band — 7 p.m. Jan. 14. Tickets start at $45. With their latest album, “Get Yourself Outside,” the Colorado-based band stands out as a pioneering jam-grass act and is regarded as one of the most innovative groups in the live music scene. Following the pandemic, it’s somewhat of a fresh start for the group, which is welcoming its newest member, mandolinist Nick Piccininni.
An Evening with Branford Marsalis — 7 p.m. Feb. 9. Tickets start at $85. After four decades in the international spotlight, the achievements of the saxophonist continue to grow. From his initial recognition as a young jazz lion, Marsalis has expanded his vision as an instrumentalist, composer, bandleader and educator, crossing stylistic boundaries while maintaining unwavering creative integrity.
He is a multi-award-winning artist with three Grammys, a citation by the National Endowment for the Arts as a Jazz Master and an avatar of contemporary artistic excellence. The Branford Marsalis Quartet, formed in 1986, showcases Marsalis’ talent. In its virtually uninterrupted three-plus decades of existence, the quartet has established a rare breadth of stylistic range that is not to be missed.
Martin Sexton — 7 p.m. Feb. 17. Tickets start at $45. Headlining venues from The Fillmore to Carnegie Hall, Sexton has songs that have appeared in television series such as “Scrubs,” “Parenthood,” “Masters of Sex” and in numerous films, though it’s his incendiary live show, honest lyrics, and vocal prowess that keep fans coming back for a new experience every time.
He released his tenth studio album and is touring with what Rolling Stone calls his “soul-marinated voice,” acoustic guitar and a suitcase full of heartfelt songs. His latest release, “2020 Vision,” is produced by three-time Grammy-nominee John Alagia with John Mayer guesting on guitar.
Call of the Wild: Illustrated Edition — 7 p.m. March 24. Tickets start at $15. Call of the Wild is a multi-media adventure that mixes classic storytelling with projected illustrations to tell the story of Buck, the magnificent crossbred offspring of a St. Bernard and Scottish Collie. Kidnapped from his lavish life on a California estate and sent to work as a sled dog during the great Klondike Gold Rush, Buck fights to survive and becomes the most famous dog in the history of the northland.
Performed by Austin-based Theatre Heroes, the show uses a 180-degree projection screen that surrounds the performer. It features a unique mix of classical illustrations from the book with brand new drawings and animations created by artist Michael Rae and a live score from award-winning singer-songwriter Graham Weber. Audience members young and old will enjoy this performance, but it is best for ages 9-plus.
Joan Osborne — 7 p.m. March 26 (Rescheduled from summer 2022). Tickets start at $50. Osborne broke through 25 years ago with the multi-platinum album “Relish” and its touchstone mega-smash hit “One of Us.” A seven-time Grammy nominee, Osborne mastered a diverse range of genres, which can be heard on her 10th studio album, “Trouble and Strife.”
Additionally, tickets from the summer 2022 Joan Osborne performance have been refunded and will not be honored. Patrons should purchase new tickets to attend this show. A pre-sale will be available to former ticket holders. Additional details will be forthcoming.
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