NightGrass Shows
The sun may set and the temperature may drop. But the music doesn't stop... NightGrass is the late-night component of the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.
| Sheridan Opera House sign in Telluride |
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| NightGrass partners |
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Shows are held nightly at the historic Sheridan Opera House, the Fly Me to the Moon Saloon, and Las Montañas - all located on Colorado Avenue in Telluride, just a few blocks from the Town Park festival grounds. Special shows are also held at the Telluride Conference Center in Mountain Village (a free gondola ride from Telluride) and three screenings of Bela Fleck's documentary Throw Down Your Heart at the Nugget Theatre (on Colorado Avenue in Telluride) with a personal introduction by Béla Fleck.
A very limited number of All-Venue Passes were available for $145 (Sorry, these are now sold-out!). These passes are good at any of the venues on a space-available basis.
- Any remaining NightGrass tickets will be available in Telluride at Telluride Music and at the venue 30 minutes before showtime.
- All NightGrass tickets are non-refundable.
- Tickets to these shows are completely separate from festival tickets.
2008 NightGrass Schedule
- 8pm doors / 9pm show
- Telluride Conference Center, 580 Mountain Village Blvd, Mountain Village
- All-Ages
- Tickets: $25 advance [ Sold-Out! ]
For the seventh consecutive year, Festivarians from around the world will take the sunset gondola from Telluride to Mountain Village to celebrate the kick-off of the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. It's the official beginning to four adventurous, magical days of music and festivation in Telluride, with one of Festivarian Nation's favorite bands. It will be one of the sets people talk about all weekend - a high-energy improvisational freak-out, followed by a Festivarian-filled gondola ride descending into the lights of Telluride. If this is your first Telluride, this is where to begin. If it's not your first, well... then you already know. 
- 10:30pm doors / 11:00pm show
- Sheridan Opera House, 110 North Oak St.
- Ages 21+ (unless accompanied by a parent)
- Tickets: $30 advance [ Sold-Out! ]
While the power of Del McCoury's high-lonesome voice is undeniable, his band is a powerhouse unto itself. The collaboration of longtime bandmembers Ronnie McCoury (mandolin and vocals) and Rob McCoury (banjo) was highlighted on their well-received 1995 CD as well as on Ronnie's solo albums. Ronnie has been named the IBMA mandolin player of the year a record-setting eight times and received nods as a co-producer (with David Grisman) of the Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza. This special (not-to-be-missed) NightGrass show will present Ronnie and Rob McCoury with many of their musical friends.
- 9pm doors / 10:00pm show
- Fly Me to the Moon Saloon, 132 E. Colorado Ave.
- Ages 21+
- Tickets: $10 advance
When the first strains of Cadillac Sky come pulsing off the stage, it's immediately apparent that there's a different kind of bluegrass band on the scene—one wrapped in tradition, but not bound by it. This original approach comes from a deep-seated respect for tradition wrapped around an unbridled musical curiosity. The Cadillac Sky sound is the fruition of bandleader (and successful country songwriter) Bryan Simpson's vision to create a bluegrass band built for the 21st Century. Joining together in Texas in 2002, the new band blended the traditional sounds of Bill Monroe and the colorful stylings of The Beatles with free form jazz to develop their signature sound. Just a few years later, Ricky Skaggs signed the young band to his own Skaggs Family Records for their excellent 2007 debut Blind Man Walking.
- 10:30pm show
- Las Montañas, 100 West Colorado Ave.
- Ages 21+
- Tickets: $20 advance
True innovators defy easy categorization and John Cowan is the ultimate innovator. His ability to move easily between music styles and blend and bend genres into creative new forms has made him one of the most significant voices in acoustic music over the past thirty years.
After making a name for himself as one of the most in-demand vocalists in the early 1970s' music scene in Louisville, KY, Cowan rose to fame when he became the lead singer for New Grass Revival for nearly two decades. A Grammy-nominated artist, an award-winning songwriter, and a first-call session musician, living and working (literally and figuratively) on the fringes of Nashville’s Music Row, Darrell Scott occupies his own unique half-acre in this city’s crowded musical landscape. In a town that’s got pigeonholing down to an art, Darrell Scott stands out as a refreshingly mischievous artist. Scott is a master of both the infectious, Appalachian-inflected riff, and of the instruments that bring them to life. His songs are propelled by his knack for blending tradition-soaked hooks with personal, contemporary lyrics.
- 10:30pm doors / 11:00pm show
- Sheridan Opera House, 110 North Oak St.
- Ages 21+ (unless accompanied by a parent)
- Tickets: $30 advance [ Sold-Out! ]
We don't mean to worry you, but this is the single hardest ticket to get in Telluride: one of the greatest touring bands in America - a band known for its energy, creativity, and live improvisation - in one of their most intimate shows of the year, the historic Sheridan Opera House. Formed in December 1998 to open for a band at the Fox Theatre in Boulder, Yonder Mountain has become one of the most popular live bands in America through steady gigging and high-profile festival sets, all of which are full of improv and none of which feature the same set list. It can’t be overstated just what the band has achieved with that "untraditional" banjo/bass/mandolin/guitar line-up.
- 9pm doors / 10:00pm show
- Fly Me to the Moon Saloon, 132 E. Colorado Ave.
- Ages 21+
- Tickets: $15 advance
While Uncle Earl's fiddle-led, banjo-flecked sound holds profound echoes of the rural Americana, the music of Uncle Earl is equally marked by a grandly elegant sense of loss; the breaths of something wistful escaping, bloodied but unbeaten, from the throes of a dying European empire. The music of this four-woman band (or "all-g'Earl," if you will) points toward the roots of stringband music (Scotch-Irish ballads, Celtic fiddle tunes, the blues), but by including original material and opening their sound to an array of influences past and present, they arrive at something haunting and timeless, yet instantly appealing and accessible.
- 10:30pm show
- Las Montañas, 100 West Colorado Ave.
- Ages 21+
- Tickets: $10 advance
Thanks to victories in the band contests at both Telluride Bluegrass and RockyGrass, Spring Creek
is quickly gaining a reputation as the hottest young band in the Rocky Mountains. The quartet play a mix of bluegrass standards and compelling originals, and all four musicians are also accomplished vocalists. The young band, whose members met in music school in Texas, have studied and performed together for several years, creating a tight, polished sound. Counting such bands as Country Gazette and Hot Rize among their influences, Spring Creek's members have a deep respect for tradition, as well as an innate sense of musical innovation. In late 2006, Spring Creek released Rural & Cosmic Bluegrass, a 12-track album of kickin' Colorado bluegrass that has impressed fans, critics, DJs and festival producers alike. "Spring Creek has redefined what can be accomplished on acoustic instruments," says Chris Kelly of the Crested Butte Weekly.
Béla Fleck brings the banjo back to Africa...
- Midnight screening
- Nugget Theatre, 207 West Colorado Ave.
- All Ages
- Béla Fleck will personally introduce each screening of the film at the Nugget Theatre.
- Tickets: $5 advance / $7 door
This feature-length documentary follows American banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck on his journey to Africa to explore the little known roots of the banjo and record an album with local African musicians. Béla's boundary-breaking musical adventure takes him to Uganda, Tanzania, The Gambia, and Mali, and provides a glimpse of the beauty and complexity of Africa. Using his banjo, Béla transcends barriers of language and culture, finding common ground and forging connections with musicians from very different backgrounds. The film was honored with the Audience Award at the 2008 SXSW Film Festival. Writes the Austin American-Statesman, "Fleck, our amiable ambassador of the banjo, generously steps back and lets the local musicians shine. Together they evoke naked humanity — tears, laughter, passion and the unalloyed bliss of making music."
- 10:30pm doors / 11:00pm show
- Sheridan Opera House, 110 North Oak St.
- Ages 21+ (unless accompanied by a parent)
- Tickets: $30 advance [ Sold-Out! ]
As the dynamic lead singer and mandolin player with Leftover Salmon and his own Drew Emmitt Band, Drew is a true renaissance man on musical instruments. Playing mandolin, acoustic and electric guitar, he's a string man to be reckoned with. From the saloons of Telluride to the some of the most sought after venues in America, Bill Nershi has delighted countless fans as a guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and founding member of the String Cheese Incident. A seasoned veteran of flat-picking and a variety of acoustic styles, Nershi adds a unique, colorful perspective to virtually any musical situation he encounters, and his enthusiasm and playful spirit encourage an interactive, participatory experience for musicians and fans alike. These two influential musicians are joined by Tyler Grant and Andy Thorn to forge their latest acoustic adventure: the Emmitt Nershi Band.
- 9pm doors / 10:00pm show
- Fly Me to the Moon Saloon, 132 E. Colorado Ave.
- Ages 21+
- Tickets: $15
For four years now, The Duhks, the band of five skilled, high-energy, tattooed twenty-somethings from Winnipeg, Manitoba, has been riveting audiences and winning staunch fans across North America with music that acknowledges its predecessors and lives in the here and now. Since the release of their self-titled, Béla Fleck-produced album in 2005, the band has won admirers as diverse as David Crosby, Dolly Parton, and Doc Watson. This is not surprising, given their Duhks-alone blend of soul, gospel, North American folk, Brazilian samba, old time country string band, zydeco, and Irish dance music, and the attack they bring to these interwoven acoustic styles—which might as well be called sheer rock and roll. Their unique sound has also earned them a Grammy Award nomination, one Juno Award, two additional Juno nominations, two Folk Alliance awards, and an Americana Music Association nomination for Best Emerging Artists.
- 10:30pm show
- Las Montañas, 100 West Colorado Ave.
- Ages 21+
- Tickets: $10
The Steep Canyon Rangers have carved out a special spot in the world of bluegrass music, creating a sound that looks forward and backwards at the same time. First formed in the stairwells and kitchens of Chapel Hill, NC, the Rangers arrive from varied musical backgrounds. On stage and in the studio, Woody Platt, Mike Guggino, Charles Humphrey, Nicky Sanders, and Graham Sharp have perfected their ensemble approach using fierce dynamics and seamless harmonies. The Rangers base their sound around a stunning catalogue of original songs, drawing on the sounds of early bluegrass, honky tonk, and blues. In 2006 the International Bluegrass Music Association voted Steep Canyon Rangers the Emerging Artist of the Year.
Béla Fleck brings the banjo back to Africa...
- Midnight screening
- Nugget Theatre, 207 West Colorado Ave.
- All Ages
- Béla Fleck will personally introduce each screening of the film at the Nugget Theatre.
- Tickets: $5 advance / $7 door
This feature-length documentary follows American banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck on his journey to Africa to explore the little known roots of the banjo and record an album with local African musicians. Béla's boundary-breaking musical adventure takes him to Uganda, Tanzania, The Gambia, and Mali, and provides a glimpse of the beauty and complexity of Africa. Using his banjo, Béla transcends barriers of language and culture, finding common ground and forging connections with musicians from very different backgrounds. The film was honored with the Audience Award at the 2008 SXSW Film Festival. Writes the Austin American-Statesman, "Fleck, our amiable ambassador of the banjo, generously steps back and lets the local musicians shine. Together they evoke naked humanity — tears, laughter, passion and the unalloyed bliss of making music."
Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile
- 10:00pm doors / 10:30pm show
- Sheridan Opera House, 110 North Oak St.
- Ages 21+ (unless accompanied by a parent)
- Tickets: $30 advance
The line-up of Punch Brothers—whose name is taken from the Mark Twain short story, Punch, Brothers, Punch!—is formidable. Thile released the first of five solo albums when he was just thirteen and, by the time he was 20, he was attracting a following among pop, country, and alternative-rock audiences as a member of the Grammy Award–winning Nickel Creek. A Washington Post critic recently said Thile “may well be the most virtuosic American ever to play the mandolin.” His equally youthful, prodigiously gifted band-mates are among the most in-demand performers in the worlds of bluegrass, folk, and traditional music. Guitarist Chris Eldridge was a founding member of the Infamous Stringdusters and occasionally sits in with his dad Ben’s band, The Seldom Scene; bassist Greg Garrison has played with trumpeter Ron Miles and Leftover Salmon—along with banjo player Noam Pikelny. Pikelny has performed and recorded as a solo artist and has collaborated with acoustic music heavyweights John Cowan and Tony Trischka. Violinist Gabe Witcher, a life-long friend of Thile’s, is a sought-after session man who has recorded with a range of artists from Willie Nelson to Beck to Randy Newman.
- 3:30pm matinee screening
- Nugget Theatre, 207 West Colorado Ave.
- All Ages
- Béla Fleck will personally introduce each screening of the film at the Nugget Theatre.
- Tickets: $5 advance / $7 door
This feature-length documentary follows American banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck on his journey to Africa to explore the little known roots of the banjo and record an album with local African musicians. Béla's boundary-breaking musical adventure takes him to Uganda, Tanzania, The Gambia, and Mali, and provides a glimpse of the beauty and complexity of Africa. Using his banjo, Béla transcends barriers of language and culture, finding common ground and forging connections with musicians from very different backgrounds. The film was honored with the Audience Award at the 2008 SXSW Film Festival. Writes the Austin American-Statesman, "Fleck, our amiable ambassador of the banjo, generously steps back and lets the local musicians shine. Together they evoke naked humanity — tears, laughter, passion and the unalloyed bliss of making music."
Special thanks to our NightGrass partners...