As a Telluride Bluegrass Festival (TBF) loyalist and devote festivarian, I found myself driving to Telluride Blues & Brews (B&B) with a rather large chip of skepticism on my shoulder. While friends and festivalgoers alike tried to convince me B&B would steal my heart, my commitment to TBF felt steadfast and strong. Don’t get me wrong, I was beyond excited for this year’s lineup and never did I ever doubt the epic weekend at hand. But, could B&B surmount to the deep, deep love for my favorite festival?
That said, as an all around festival enthusiast and newest member of the F4L crew, I tried my best to enter the magical oasis of the San Juan Mountains with open ears and an open heart to whatever the weekend would bring me.
With a few post-festival weeks under my belt, I’ve had ample time to marinate on all things B&B. And, well, I might have had a love affair.
** Before I dive in, I must caveat that I’ve never had media passes to TBF, which definitely adds a different perspective to any festival experience. So, in all fairness, I will chalk this up to a definite “maybe” I’m falling for a new lover. Final verdict will have to wait until June 2017. I promise to report back.
So, let’s breakdown how the festival humbly swept me off my feet.
Size Matters
An important component of my love affair was size, because let’s be real people, size does matter. The size of TBF has always felt like the right fit, hitting about 12,000 attendees per day. For me, this seemed to be the sweet spot—big enough to generate that unbeatable energy harnessed by a crowd of thousands upon thousands, yet small enough to still feel very personal.
Turns out, B&B was fully equipped to challenge my size preference—the festival caps at 9,600 on Saturday, and 9,000 on Friday/Sunday. Numbers aside, the smaller scale was my first observation as a newbie. Walking into the fest, it instantly felt less crowded and there was clearly more space for festivalgoers to post up/dance/frolic.
This is particularly awesome for a few reasons. First off, if you are a) not a morning person, b) decide to dance the night away and stay up late drinking a little too much whiskey and/or c) a blend of a and b, the smaller size preserves your ability to still get a great spot even if your crew rolls in late. At TBF, a late afternoon entrance is a definite faux pas because prime real estate gets tarped up quickly (not familiar with TBF’s “running of the tarps”? Educate yourself here.)
The smaller crowd also enables event staff to structure the festival grounds so the crowd can get way, way closer to the stage. Unlike TBF, which has a large media/ VIP directly in front of the stage, B&B just leaves a small sliver reserved of media to take photos upfront and situates VIP to the left of the main stage. For me, the ability to interact with artists in such close proximity created an undeniable intimacy and heightened festival experience.
So, when it comes to size, B&B definitely won me over.
Setting the Mood
Part of my infatuation with TBF has always been that it aligns with the Summer Solstice (aka June 20 aka the official start of summer), which triggers a specific euphoric state for me. Ya know, that “fuck yeah it’s FINALLY summatime” kind of high. And, let me tell you, Telluride in the summer is the most gorgeous. The landscape is thick and green, the wildflowers are beginning to bloom, the San Miguel River is rushing with melted spring water and the peaks are begging for adventure. The sun also dictates a wardrobe of little to no clothing because holy hell it is hot! As in, 90 plus degrees at an elevation of about 8,750 feet, meaning you are really close to the sun. But, the summer nights are this refreshing, cool relief from the scorching days. It’s an incredible dynamic.
And, for the longest time, I thought this dynamic was beyond perfect. Until, B&B swooped in a wooed me. Much like TBF, B&B also aligns with a pretty glorious seasonal shift, the Fall Equinox (aka September 22 aka the official sendoff of summer). This was my first time enjoying Telluride in the fall and man, oh, man is it purrrty and magical. Even more magical than usual. The mountains transform before your eyes every single day, as the bright gold Aspen leaves blanket the mountainside. These breathtaking views are paired with daytime temps in the upper 60s/low 70s. This range is my absolute favorite! Never too hot or cold. Just right. No need to take shelter from the blaring sun, only bask in it. Plus, these cooler temps help with longevity, which is especially helpful during the beer fest.
The nights are chillier than the summer, reaching the low 30s at times. But, cooler nights and all, B&B really set the mood for me.
Those Late Night Moves
TBF and B&B really have me in a love triangle when it comes to their after-show game, as both festivals have an awesome late night music series. The late night sessions, NightGrass for TBF and Juke Joints for B&B, showcase some of the festivals’ best artists at some of Telluride’s most beloved venues. When it comes to the quality musicianship and epicness of shows, it’s definitely a tie for me. Seeing some of your favorite artists in intimate music venues in Telluride will never get old.
But, accessibility to the late night shows is very different between the two fests. Due to the larger scale of TBF, NightGrass tickets are very coveted and typically sell out instantly during the April lottery. So, many festivarians end up not attending—such a bummer. Also, there are multiple NightGrass shows each night, but the purchase of a ticket is for specific show/artists. At B&B, the Juke Joint ticket for that evening allows admittance into any of the shows. This is something I really enjoyed because you could bop around town and catch a little bit of everyone. Or, get completely enthralled and dance the night away at just one. I liked not being limited. Juke Joint tickets also don’t sell out quickly and are typically available day-of.
TBF is much more exclusive with its late night moves. B&B really impressed me with its inclusiveness.
A Little Something Special
I’d say the icing on the cake to my potential love affair with B&B is due to a little something special … for campsite people only. B&B has private campground performances throughout the festival. Tucked away in Town Park, surrounded by dense forests and beautiful fall leaves, there’s a small wooden stage nestled next to a rushing waterfall. Small, private and the most beautiful. The energy from that stage was incredible and swept me off my feet.
Artists Highlights
My artist interviews were a big part of my potential B&B love affair. Each artist we spoke with brought a comforting vibe, heartfelt perspective and lots of laughter. Plus, easy on the eyes. What more could a girl want?
Here’s a few of the moments I’m still swooning over:
Con Brio // Ziek McCarter
- The inspiration for our favorite song, Kiss the Sun, was Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. It is about the discovery of self for our generation and the journey towards our destiny, and how truly hard it is despite how our society glorifies it. Step out into your life. Embrace it.
- Con Brio’s tour van is named Luther Vandross and trailer, Little Richard.
- One of Ziek’s big “we are going to make it” moments was when the band landed a manager. For the first time, someone from outside their little sphere believed in them and wanted to help them grow as a brand and business, not just as musicians.
- If Ziek were to make a Spotify playlist for the F4L crew right meow, the first 3 songs would be: Travis Scott, Through the Late Night feat. Kid Cudi, A full score from Ennio Morricone, a classic Spaghetti Western. (Technically a full album, but we’ll take it.), Chance the Rapper, Smoke Break feat. Future
- Favorite place to shop—Zara, cheap and classy. We couldn’t agree more. We need one in Denver, ASAP.
- The F4L crew likes to cap interviews with a little rapid-fire word association game:
- Tomato –To-mah-to
- Lips – Kiss
- Rainbow – Skittles
- Dreams – Manifest
- Hallucinogens — Mushrooms
- Blue – Zeke
- Harmonica – Music
Israel Nash
- Israel’s dad was a southern Baptist minister and his grandparents hosted a Sunday morning church show on the radio. This faith-filled upbringing helped him grown as a songwriter and an overall person to appreciate the spiritual elements in his life. The beauty of things that exist that we take for granted.
- Israel lives on a ranch with his entire family (mom included), which is also where his studio is. Everything he needs is right there, family, music and land, and is very much a part of him.
- Favorite quote: “I have no idea how to make a tree, do you? These things need to blow our minds more.”
- Most excited to hear: Bright Light Social Hour and Israel Nash album. It’s coming, friends. YES!
- Top 3 albums/ artists for F4L’s Spotify playlist: Van Morrison – Astral Weeks, Jackson Browne, Beau Brummels
- Our word recording got cut off, but we do recall:
- Hallucinogens – Excellent. (Nuff said.)
Jamestown Revival // Jonathan Clay & Zach Chance
- Musical Inspiration – a big one was Creedence Clearwater Revival. They even stole a piece of their name. They admire the “southern, guitar-driven delivery of fogarty” and the ability to craft a song and make it so fun to sing along to. Who doesn’t want to sing along to a good song?
- If Jamestown could go back and speak to their younger selves, they would remind them it’s not about the destination it’s about the journey. To appreciate the moments when they were sleeping in the back of cars, showering at truck stops and playing for a room of five people. There’s something about those moments that are beautiful about that piece of the journey. Also, don’t drink so much. Save some for tomorrow.
- Love is a Burden was inspired by the internal questioning of was California their greatest piece of work, and will they ever surmount to better. They wanted to call themselves for being hung up not on just that song, but that fear that can take over.
- The Jamestown Spotify playlist for the F4L crew would include:, Gregory Alan Isakov (J), Jim James (J), Ray Lamontagne – Ouroboros (J), Guy Clark (J), John Denver (J), James Taylor (J), Willie Nelson (Z), Van Morrison (Z), Bruce Springsteen – Born in the USA (Z)
- Word Association Funness:
- Tomato – To-mah-to (J) / Rotten Tomatoes the website (Z)
- Lips – Candy Lips (J) / Seduction (Z)
- Rainbow – Our tour manager Austin Luna
- Dreams – Fleetwood Mac (Z)
- Hallucinogens – Iowaska (J) / Fun (Z)
- Blue – Sky
- Harmonica – Mickey (J) / Soul (Z)
