Marc Tonglen
Nederland

    The First Annual Peak to Peak Music Festival on Saturday July 4 is going to light up the sky with good vibes and auditory explosions!  A great variety of entertainers, townspeople and lowlanders will be converging upon The Guercio Ballfield at noon, with live music beginning shortly thereafter.  A great excitement is spreading through the entire region, in anticipation for this event.
    Festivities will begin at the strike of 1:00 p.m. with child prodigy Jaden Carlson singing the national anthem.  Thereafter, the master of ceremonies, Old Time Dave Talmage, and Dango Rose from Elephant Revival will take the stage for a short tribute to old folk legends.  At 1:30 p.m. Jayme Stone & Kc Groves will play upon the greatness of American culture with their "Tribute to John Hartford."
    Jayme Stone is drawn to musicians who invent their own worlds, musicians who are fluent in the language of music, yet speak in broader brush strokes.  With such unlikely influences as Japanese poetry and Brazilian literature, Stone even composed what he calls a tiny symphony that takes place inside an imaginary light bulb.  In early '09 Stone was awarded his second Canadian Juno for his album ‘Africa to Appalachia’ which highlights the journey of the banjo from its ancestral roots, across the Atlantic to the Mid-South.  His interest in painting new portraits of old legends such as John Hartford sheds light upon the importance of preserving the work of this cultural icon.
    After Stone’s performance, Bonnie May Paine and Daniel Rodriguez of Elephant Revival will play a short "tweener" set during the great stage overhaul for the all-girl Led Zeppelin tribute band, "Zepparella."  The rock outfit is comprised of four women intent on bringing the passion, the beauty, the aggression, the musicality of Led Zeppelin alive. Zepparella delivers an explosive, emotional musical journey akin to the spirit of Robert Plant’s ragged pants after their 1973 world tour. They take on the challenge of balancing their devotion of playing the Zeppelin catalogue with respect to the originals, while taking advantage of their own vivacious camaraderie.  As The Lake Tahoe Weekly elaborates, “It seems like times they are on a mission – like it’s their duty to interpret Zeppelin in front of a crowd, like unseen hands and vocal chords are guiding them.”  
    Following Zepparella, Bridget Law and Sage Cook of Elephant Revival will play a short "tweener" set before the appearance of the hottest rock band on the Front Range, "Motorhome!"  Motorhome has been rocking and rolling across Rocky Mountain stages since 2006. Named one of the top bands to look out for in 2009 by the Colorado Music Buzz, Motorhome is picking up speed with no sign of slowing down.  Instead of pigeonholing their musical genre, they write music that is true to them, and leave it to their fans to decide what to call their exotic blend of rock and irreverent country. While their original songs are a true strength of the band, their overall musicianship, harmonies, and energy cannot be overlooked. Motorhome is a complete package, and their live shows are experiences not soon to be forgotten.
    After Motorhome, the daytime festivities will come to a close at Guercio Field and music will continue at The Shining Star Café before the nighttime activities begin.  During this transition time from day to night, Dango Rose & Friends will perform at 7:00 p.m. followed shortly thereafter by Jaden Carlson.  At 9:00 p.m. the neo-acoustic roots, folk, Americana, bluegrass outfit from Fayetteville Arkansas, "Three Penny Acre" will make their Nederland debut.
    Over yonder at The Black Forest Restaurant, Chicago Afrobeat Project will take the stage at 9:00 p.m.  Emerging in 2002 from an industrial, urban Chicago art community, CabP has established itself as leaders in the non-traditionalist side of the afrobeat movement. The 7-14 person ensemble energizes the classic afrobeat influences of juju, highlife, American funk, and afro-Cuban music with a formative infusion of experimental jazz and rock elements that thrive in the Chicago music scene. Inherent in the group’s sound is an expression of world cultural unity and social awareness within a medium of music, dance and rebellious celebration.
    After the fireworks, three out of four of Nederland’s local bands, Elephant Revival, Smooth Money Gesture and Mountain Standard Time will be performing at Whistler’s Café, The First St. Pub and The Pioneer Inn.  There are plans in the works at this time for these bands, along with Fat Rabbit to begin doing shows together on a "Nederland Music Showcase Tour" but for now patrons of the pub crawl must go from door to door to witness the best music Colorado has to offer.
    Tickets for the daytime festivities are $15 and the admission grants access to all activities occurring at Guercio Field.  The performances at The Shining Star Café are free to the public and the nighttime ticket, including Chicago Afrobeat Project, Elephant Revival, Smooth Money Gesture and Mountain Standard Time are $15 as well.  The full day ticket which grants all access from noon until closing time is a discounted $25.  The time is here and now to celebrate Independence Day mountain style at The First Annual Peak to Peak Music Festival.