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ASPEN — Almost all of the big players in the local music scene were noticeably on top of their games these past 12 months. Jazz Aspen Snowmass had what was certainly its most crowd-pleasing, best-attended, highlight-filled season ever. Belly Up Aspen continued to build on its tremendous accomplishments, bringing big names into a cozy venue. The Snowmass scene, including the Chili Pepper & Brew Fest, the free Thursday night series and Massive Music & Movies weekends, is more ambitious than ever.
Yet, what sticks out just as much in this outstanding, vibrant, phenomenal (wait, don’t stop me yet) memorable, remarkable (OK Stewy, that’s enough) musical year were the less obvious things: Jazz concerts in Aspen Music Festival venues. Lesser-known acts. Artists making their Aspen debuts. Musical events presented by the Aspen Writers’ Festival. A surprise, free performance in the most unusual of spaces by one of the biggest names in indie rock.
For reasons big, small and mid-sized, it was a tremendous year of music in the valley. It has me thrilled to look back, pick through it all, and select the best of it in an annual exercise I call the Stewys. I hope you have as much fun reflecting as I am.
Yet, what sticks out just as much in this outstanding, vibrant, phenomenal (wait, don’t stop me yet) memorable, remarkable (OK Stewy, that’s enough) musical year were the less obvious things: Jazz concerts in Aspen Music Festival venues. Lesser-known acts. Artists making their Aspen debuts. Musical events presented by the Aspen Writers’ Festival. A surprise, free performance in the most unusual of spaces by one of the biggest names in indie rock.
For reasons big, small and mid-sized, it was a tremendous year of music in the valley. It has me thrilled to look back, pick through it all, and select the best of it in an annual exercise I call the Stewys. I hope you have as much fun reflecting as I am.
<b>Best solo show:</b> The nominees are Warren Haynes, Martin Sexton, Nick Lowe, John Oates, John Hiatt and Rufus Wainwright. In an interview, Massachusetts soul-singer Martin Sexton offered the self-assessment that he’s better as a solo act than with a band. A strong claim; I had seen his band show last summer, and came away most impressed. But damn if he wasn’t better in a solo show, Feb. 22 at Belly Up, and even better able to connect with the audience. Stewy to the mighty, smiley Martin.
<b>Best speech:</b> At a sprawling February event at the Wheeler, presented by Aspen High School’s Action in Africa and the Aspen Writers’ Foundation, DMC — half of the pioneering hip-hop team Run-DMC — gave a passionate, wise defense of hip-hop that made its mark on the mostly young ears in attendance.
<b>Best impromptu event:</b> On the afternoon of Sept. 19, an email blast hit town: Satellite Party, the new project by Jane’s Addiction leader Perry Farrell, would play a free show. That day. At the D&E Snowboard Shop. Faithfully, an offseason crowd of locals made their way to the outdoor plaza, and Farrell and company showed up to play a short but electrifying acoustic set.
<b>Best half of a show:</b> The North Mississippi Allstars’ gig, Feb. 17 in the Aspen Skiing Company’s Hi-Fi Concert Series, was plagued by three power outages, the last of which cut short the performance. Blame the location — the show was at the end of the Snowmass Village mall, a new and not perfectly logical venue for the series. But don’t blame the No-Miss Allstars, who, when they were playing, provided their own electricity. Somehow, guitarist Luther Dickinson continues to improve.
<b>Best song performance:</b> I don’t take notes. I always go on the theory that any song that stands out from the few thousand I hear in a year is doing so for good reason.
The ones that I can still hear in my ears: Martin Sexton’s “Glory Bound”; the Del McCoury Band’s “Get Down On Your Knees”; Lucinda Williams’ “Righteously”; Herbie Hancock & Friends’ “Watermelon Man”; Michelle Shocked’s “Come a Long Way”; the Allman Brothers’ “Mountain Jam”; Drive-by Truckers’ “Righteous Path”; and the Cowboy Junkies’ “State Trooper.”
Stewy goes to Hancock, playing one of his signature instrumentals, “Watermelon Man,” June 21 at Jazz Aspen’s June Festival. We photographers in the pit were given the usual guidance — “First three songs!” — and Hancock did us a favor by extending “Watermelon Man” to nearly 20 minutes, highlighted by the sensational guitar licks of Larry Carlton.
<b>Best speech:</b> At a sprawling February event at the Wheeler, presented by Aspen High School’s Action in Africa and the Aspen Writers’ Foundation, DMC — half of the pioneering hip-hop team Run-DMC — gave a passionate, wise defense of hip-hop that made its mark on the mostly young ears in attendance.
<b>Best impromptu event:</b> On the afternoon of Sept. 19, an email blast hit town: Satellite Party, the new project by Jane’s Addiction leader Perry Farrell, would play a free show. That day. At the D&E Snowboard Shop. Faithfully, an offseason crowd of locals made their way to the outdoor plaza, and Farrell and company showed up to play a short but electrifying acoustic set.
<b>Best half of a show:</b> The North Mississippi Allstars’ gig, Feb. 17 in the Aspen Skiing Company’s Hi-Fi Concert Series, was plagued by three power outages, the last of which cut short the performance. Blame the location — the show was at the end of the Snowmass Village mall, a new and not perfectly logical venue for the series. But don’t blame the No-Miss Allstars, who, when they were playing, provided their own electricity. Somehow, guitarist Luther Dickinson continues to improve.
<b>Best song performance:</b> I don’t take notes. I always go on the theory that any song that stands out from the few thousand I hear in a year is doing so for good reason.
The ones that I can still hear in my ears: Martin Sexton’s “Glory Bound”; the Del McCoury Band’s “Get Down On Your Knees”; Lucinda Williams’ “Righteously”; Herbie Hancock & Friends’ “Watermelon Man”; Michelle Shocked’s “Come a Long Way”; the Allman Brothers’ “Mountain Jam”; Drive-by Truckers’ “Righteous Path”; and the Cowboy Junkies’ “State Trooper.”
Stewy goes to Hancock, playing one of his signature instrumentals, “Watermelon Man,” June 21 at Jazz Aspen’s June Festival. We photographers in the pit were given the usual guidance — “First three songs!” — and Hancock did us a favor by extending “Watermelon Man” to nearly 20 minutes, highlighted by the sensational guitar licks of Larry Carlton.
<b>Best singer:</b> Bettye LaVette, Martin Sexton, Marva Wright, Lucinda Williams, Ben Harper are the nominees. And the Stewy goes to LaVette, who managed to coax the full power and spirit of the blues from her 62-year-old lungs and lithe body, in her local debut, July 26 on Fanny Hill.
<b>Best rapper:</b> Method Man, of the Wu-Tang Clan, from their Dec. 19 show at Belly Up. In fact, not to slight the mighty Wu-Tang, but Method equals all the other eight or however many Clan members there are put together.
<b>Best week (for music):</b> I’d have loved to go to Costa Rica with my wife and daughter. But the mid-February timing wasn’t great, so I passed on the warmth and beaches. Instead I got music. Cushioning my blow that week, Feb. 14-22, was a lineup of Drive-by Truckers, Martin Sexton, Easy Star Allstars, Galactic, North Mississippi Allstars, DMC and Stockholm Syndrome, plus an excellent comedy show at the Wheeler Opera House. Yes, I hit all of the above, but passed on George Clinton & the P-Funk Allstars, Crystal Method and DJ Z-Trip. Now that’s a full week. And yes, I did miss my family — especially when Drive-by Truckers sang about “daughters and a beautiful wife.”
<b>Best day:</b> I had my first art exhibit (concert photography, naturally), “Well, Maybe a little ... ,” Aug. 25 at LivAspenArt. Hundreds of people showed up. I sold a few pieces. Got to sit in on two songs (”The Harder They Come” and “Midnight Moonlite,” for those with a setlist obsession) with Grateful Dead cover band Shakedown Street and guest keyboardist Melvin Seals, from the Jerry Garcia Band. Someone commented that it was one of the three best parties he’d ever seen in the valley — and the other two were both back in the ’80s. Nice.
<b>Best rapper:</b> Method Man, of the Wu-Tang Clan, from their Dec. 19 show at Belly Up. In fact, not to slight the mighty Wu-Tang, but Method equals all the other eight or however many Clan members there are put together.
<b>Best week (for music):</b> I’d have loved to go to Costa Rica with my wife and daughter. But the mid-February timing wasn’t great, so I passed on the warmth and beaches. Instead I got music. Cushioning my blow that week, Feb. 14-22, was a lineup of Drive-by Truckers, Martin Sexton, Easy Star Allstars, Galactic, North Mississippi Allstars, DMC and Stockholm Syndrome, plus an excellent comedy show at the Wheeler Opera House. Yes, I hit all of the above, but passed on George Clinton & the P-Funk Allstars, Crystal Method and DJ Z-Trip. Now that’s a full week. And yes, I did miss my family — especially when Drive-by Truckers sang about “daughters and a beautiful wife.”
<b>Best day:</b> I had my first art exhibit (concert photography, naturally), “Well, Maybe a little ... ,” Aug. 25 at LivAspenArt. Hundreds of people showed up. I sold a few pieces. Got to sit in on two songs (”The Harder They Come” and “Midnight Moonlite,” for those with a setlist obsession) with Grateful Dead cover band Shakedown Street and guest keyboardist Melvin Seals, from the Jerry Garcia Band. Someone commented that it was one of the three best parties he’d ever seen in the valley — and the other two were both back in the ’80s. Nice.
<b>The Danny Gatton Memorial Stewy for Best Guitarist:</b> A bunch of years ago, rockabilly guitar monster Danny Gatton earned the first Stewy for best guitarist. A year later, he was dead, by his own hand. Let’s hope nothing like that happens again.
And the nominees are: Luther Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars; Derek Trucks of the Allman Brothers Band and Soul Stew Revival; Larry Carlton, one of Herbie Hancock’s “Friends”; Doug Pettibone of Lucinda Williams’ band; and Warren Haynes, who performed as a member of the Allman Brothers and Gov’t Mule, played a solo show, and also sat in with Michael Franti during Jazz Aspen’s Labor Day Festival.
The winner is Carlton. I previously knew him, faintly, as a contributor to a Steely Dan album or two. Now I’ll always remember those nasty jazz-rock licks, and the joyful spirit, he injected into Herbie Hancock’s show. And at last, I’ll stop getting him confused with Larry Coryell.
<b>Favorite musician, non-guitarist, non-singer category:</b> Stanton Moore, drummer, Galactic and Garage a Trois; Marco Benevento, keyboardist, Benevento/Russo Duo and Garage a Trois; John Popper, harmonica player, Blues Traveler and the John Popper Project; Ronnie McCoury, mandolinist, the Del McCoury Band; Christian McBride, bassist, Christian McBride & Edgar Meyer; Edgar Meyer; bassist, Christian McBride & Edgar Meyer.
The element of surprise gives the Stewy to Benevento, who reminded me, in his Aug. 31 Belly Up gig with Garage a Trois, of Phish’s Trey Anastasio — unreal musicianship, huge spirit — except with keys instead of a guitar.
<b>Best opening or side stage act:</b> Ryan Shaw, the Felice Brothers, Dead Confederate. Stewy goes to old-school soul singer Ryan Shaw, who showed the potential for stardom playing the JAS Club side stage at the Labor Day Festival. When Shaw started performing, the floor was empty; by the third song, it was packed.
<b>Two most pleasant surprises:</b> Reggae band the Easy Star Allstars (Feb. 15, Belly Up) earned their reputation by recording reggae covers of Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” and Radiohead’s “OK Computer.” But who knew that their live shows, featuring three wonderful singers, would top their studio output — even when they were playing their own songs?
When it was announced the Wu-Tang Clan was playing Belly Up (Dec. 19), my first question was, Exactly who from the enigmatic Clan would be showing up? The band’s publicist didn’t get back to me; the club didn’t seem to know. The answer was, all of them, except for the RZA (who had canceled a scheduled Belly Up appearance earlier that month). My second question was, Exactly how would they perform? Answer: as a clan, with all the members onstage, together, the whole night.
<b>Best two-venue doubleheader:</b> June 26. Wynton Marsalis led the Jazz & Lincoln Center Orchestra, with Ghanaian ensemble Odadaa! in a sublime performance of the New Orleans/African piece “Congo Square” at the Benedict Music Tent, then it was over to Belly Up to catch the gifted Joan Armatrading, in her Aspen debut.
<b>Best tiny little micro-trend:</b> Hip-hop with live instruments. New Orleans groove band Galactic made two appearances, at the Labor Day Festival and Feb. 14 at Belly Up, with guest rappers in support of their recent hip-hop album, “From the Corner to the Block.” The Hip-Hop Live Tour, which featured rappers Ghostface Killa, Rakim, Brother Ali backed by the 10-piece Rhythm Roots Allstars, showed that rap music is not exclusively a studio production.
<b>Best big trend:</b> African acts coming to Aspen. We got not only a lot, but the best of it, too: Ghanaian ensemble Odadaa! Femi Kuti, Habib Koité, Vusi Mahlasela, Tinariwen, Vieux Farka Touré, Youssou N’Dour.
<b>Best set by a Colorado band:</b> Leftover Salmon, Sept. 2, Labor Day Festival. When the eclectic Colorado band came back from their hiatus with a handful of festival dates last summer, the word was they were looking for big paychecks. Whatever they were paid, Leftover delivered with a mighty set, showing plenty of life left.
<b>Best show:</b> The big one. The nominees are bluegrass quintet the Del McCoury Band, which played the Wheeler Opera House, an ideal venue for them, March 6; Southern rocker the Drive-by Truckers, who made their Aspen debut with an acoustic show in May, and returned with their plugged-in concert in February; J@LC Orchestra and the African group Odadaa! whose June 26 performance at the Benedict Music Tent was co-presented by the Aspen Music Festival and Jazz Aspen (and may that partnership live on); Southern singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, who showed up in fine spirits July 12 at Belly Up; Wu-Tang Clan, in their Aspen debut, Dec. 19 at Belly Up; and Nigerian singer-saxophonist Femi Kuti, son of Afropop legend Fela Kuti, in his Aspen debut, July 30, at Belly Up.
And the winner ... is ... Drive-by Truckers, the electric show, in February. The earlier show, part of their unplugged The Dirt Underneath tour, was impressive enough, meriting a nomination for Best Show. But the full-on Southern rock extravaganza started out hot, and just got better and better. Brilliant songs, great guitars, captivating frontman in Patterson Hood.
Not only that, but the Truckers are poised to pull off an unprecedented double feat. Their January release, “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark,” is, at the moment, my front-runner for best CD of the year.
Last, the band probably also gets the nod for best audience — mostly a bunch of blue-collar guys, drinking PBR tallboys, getting a good, arms-around-your-buddy drunk on.
And the nominees are: Luther Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars; Derek Trucks of the Allman Brothers Band and Soul Stew Revival; Larry Carlton, one of Herbie Hancock’s “Friends”; Doug Pettibone of Lucinda Williams’ band; and Warren Haynes, who performed as a member of the Allman Brothers and Gov’t Mule, played a solo show, and also sat in with Michael Franti during Jazz Aspen’s Labor Day Festival.
The winner is Carlton. I previously knew him, faintly, as a contributor to a Steely Dan album or two. Now I’ll always remember those nasty jazz-rock licks, and the joyful spirit, he injected into Herbie Hancock’s show. And at last, I’ll stop getting him confused with Larry Coryell.
<b>Favorite musician, non-guitarist, non-singer category:</b> Stanton Moore, drummer, Galactic and Garage a Trois; Marco Benevento, keyboardist, Benevento/Russo Duo and Garage a Trois; John Popper, harmonica player, Blues Traveler and the John Popper Project; Ronnie McCoury, mandolinist, the Del McCoury Band; Christian McBride, bassist, Christian McBride & Edgar Meyer; Edgar Meyer; bassist, Christian McBride & Edgar Meyer.
The element of surprise gives the Stewy to Benevento, who reminded me, in his Aug. 31 Belly Up gig with Garage a Trois, of Phish’s Trey Anastasio — unreal musicianship, huge spirit — except with keys instead of a guitar.
<b>Best opening or side stage act:</b> Ryan Shaw, the Felice Brothers, Dead Confederate. Stewy goes to old-school soul singer Ryan Shaw, who showed the potential for stardom playing the JAS Club side stage at the Labor Day Festival. When Shaw started performing, the floor was empty; by the third song, it was packed.
<b>Two most pleasant surprises:</b> Reggae band the Easy Star Allstars (Feb. 15, Belly Up) earned their reputation by recording reggae covers of Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” and Radiohead’s “OK Computer.” But who knew that their live shows, featuring three wonderful singers, would top their studio output — even when they were playing their own songs?
When it was announced the Wu-Tang Clan was playing Belly Up (Dec. 19), my first question was, Exactly who from the enigmatic Clan would be showing up? The band’s publicist didn’t get back to me; the club didn’t seem to know. The answer was, all of them, except for the RZA (who had canceled a scheduled Belly Up appearance earlier that month). My second question was, Exactly how would they perform? Answer: as a clan, with all the members onstage, together, the whole night.
<b>Best two-venue doubleheader:</b> June 26. Wynton Marsalis led the Jazz & Lincoln Center Orchestra, with Ghanaian ensemble Odadaa! in a sublime performance of the New Orleans/African piece “Congo Square” at the Benedict Music Tent, then it was over to Belly Up to catch the gifted Joan Armatrading, in her Aspen debut.
<b>Best tiny little micro-trend:</b> Hip-hop with live instruments. New Orleans groove band Galactic made two appearances, at the Labor Day Festival and Feb. 14 at Belly Up, with guest rappers in support of their recent hip-hop album, “From the Corner to the Block.” The Hip-Hop Live Tour, which featured rappers Ghostface Killa, Rakim, Brother Ali backed by the 10-piece Rhythm Roots Allstars, showed that rap music is not exclusively a studio production.
<b>Best big trend:</b> African acts coming to Aspen. We got not only a lot, but the best of it, too: Ghanaian ensemble Odadaa! Femi Kuti, Habib Koité, Vusi Mahlasela, Tinariwen, Vieux Farka Touré, Youssou N’Dour.
<b>Best set by a Colorado band:</b> Leftover Salmon, Sept. 2, Labor Day Festival. When the eclectic Colorado band came back from their hiatus with a handful of festival dates last summer, the word was they were looking for big paychecks. Whatever they were paid, Leftover delivered with a mighty set, showing plenty of life left.
<b>Best show:</b> The big one. The nominees are bluegrass quintet the Del McCoury Band, which played the Wheeler Opera House, an ideal venue for them, March 6; Southern rocker the Drive-by Truckers, who made their Aspen debut with an acoustic show in May, and returned with their plugged-in concert in February; J@LC Orchestra and the African group Odadaa! whose June 26 performance at the Benedict Music Tent was co-presented by the Aspen Music Festival and Jazz Aspen (and may that partnership live on); Southern singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, who showed up in fine spirits July 12 at Belly Up; Wu-Tang Clan, in their Aspen debut, Dec. 19 at Belly Up; and Nigerian singer-saxophonist Femi Kuti, son of Afropop legend Fela Kuti, in his Aspen debut, July 30, at Belly Up.
And the winner ... is ... Drive-by Truckers, the electric show, in February. The earlier show, part of their unplugged The Dirt Underneath tour, was impressive enough, meriting a nomination for Best Show. But the full-on Southern rock extravaganza started out hot, and just got better and better. Brilliant songs, great guitars, captivating frontman in Patterson Hood.
Not only that, but the Truckers are poised to pull off an unprecedented double feat. Their January release, “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark,” is, at the moment, my front-runner for best CD of the year.
Last, the band probably also gets the nod for best audience — mostly a bunch of blue-collar guys, drinking PBR tallboys, getting a good, arms-around-your-buddy drunk on.
<b>Strangest show:</b> Aimee Mann’s Second Annual Christmas Tour, featuring “Curb Your Enthusiasm”-like home movies, stand-up comedy, the pixie-like Nellie McKay singing in front of a screen filled with horror-film images, and the Hanukkah Fairy, rapping, repeatedly, “I’m the m.f.-in’ Hanukkah Fairy.” Of course, she didn’t abbreviate the refrain. A Christmas show, mind you, with such numbers interspersed with gorgeous renditions of “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire).” Yes, the Wheeler Opera House was happy to give refunds to those who brought the kids — assuming they could run them down as they ran for the exits.
<b>Ickiest show:</b> Nickel Creek, Aug. 29, Labor Day Festival. Hard to deny their talents, especially of mandolinist Chris Thile, one of the most talented musicians ever. But the band had announced their break-up more than a year earlier, and probably shouldn’t have waited this long to actually stop performing together. Clearly they weren’t enjoying each other’s company.
Thile returns to the area Aug. 13, in an Aspen Music Festival event. Presumably he’ll be in better synch with his partner for that date, bassist Edgar Meyer.
<b>Best music-related movie of 2007:</b> I’m going to have to wimp out here, and call it a draw: the low-budget, exquisitely rendered “Once,” which put music front-and-center; and the cinematically ambitious Bob Dylan quasi-biopic, “I’m Not There.”
<b>Best movie of 2007</b> (since I never got around to writing a column about my favorite movies of the year): “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”
<b>Number of tribute bands that played in the valley in the past year:</b> I lost count after 15. Number of tribute bands I saw perform: One. Shakedown Street. And that was because they played an event that I put on, and invited me to sing with them. If Lez Zeppelin or the Pink Floyd cover band the Machine asks me to join them, I’ll show up. But I’m not about to cover any Guns ‘n’ Roses.
<b>Show I Really Wish I Hadn’t Missed:</b> I missed a lot of shows, many of which I really wish I had seen. A partial list includes Richard Thompson, the subdudes, Suzanne Vega, Burt Bacharach, Yerba Buena, Gov’t Mule, the Rev. Horton Heat, Wyclef Jean, Blues Traveler, Soulive, the Avett Brothers, the Christian McBride Band, Allen Toussaint, Little Feat, Gogol Bordello, X, Social Distortion, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Keller Williams, Vieux Farka Touré and on and on. The one I really wish I had seen was Richard Thompson, the British, folkie, guitar hero whom I’ve never seen. Come on back.
<b>Show I’m Glad I Missed:</b> Stephen Stills. Hearing David Crosby talk about Stephen Stills, at the Aspen Writers’ Foundation’s Lyrically Speaking event, was most amusing. Much more enjoyable, I bet, than seeing Stills perform.
<b>Favorite for best show Stewy a year from now:</b> Contenders include Widespread Panic (playing two nights at the Labor Day Festival, Aug. 28-29); John Fogerty (one night at the Labor Day Festival, Aug. 31); the Brian Setzer Orchestra (June Festival, June 21); Robben Ford (Snowmass Free Series, Aug. 14); Bootsy Collins, playing a tribute to James Brown (May 24, Belly Up); and Chris Thile & Edgar Meyer (Aug. 13, Harris Hall).
Make mine Thile & Meyer.
Thanks to everyone who puts on music, plays music, and talks music with me.
Thanks to Josh Behrman, Alan Richman, Mitch Haas, Gram Slaton, Steve Standiford, Amy Kimberly, and my hip-hop posse of Nate Peterson, Richard Betts and Dennis Scholl. Thanks to Jim, Mark and Andrea at Jazz Aspen; Michael, Kim, Amber, Ralph and everyone else at Belly Up; Lara, Lisa and everyone at the Aspen Writers’ Foundation; Janice and everyone at the Aspen Music Festival; and the Aspen Skico.
And thanks to my editors, Steve, Jeannie, Rick and Bob.
Extra special thanks to my family, Candice, Olivia, Tony and Fluffy.
Keep on rocking in the ski world.
stewart@aspentimes.com
<b>Ickiest show:</b> Nickel Creek, Aug. 29, Labor Day Festival. Hard to deny their talents, especially of mandolinist Chris Thile, one of the most talented musicians ever. But the band had announced their break-up more than a year earlier, and probably shouldn’t have waited this long to actually stop performing together. Clearly they weren’t enjoying each other’s company.
Thile returns to the area Aug. 13, in an Aspen Music Festival event. Presumably he’ll be in better synch with his partner for that date, bassist Edgar Meyer.
<b>Best music-related movie of 2007:</b> I’m going to have to wimp out here, and call it a draw: the low-budget, exquisitely rendered “Once,” which put music front-and-center; and the cinematically ambitious Bob Dylan quasi-biopic, “I’m Not There.”
<b>Best movie of 2007</b> (since I never got around to writing a column about my favorite movies of the year): “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”
<b>Number of tribute bands that played in the valley in the past year:</b> I lost count after 15. Number of tribute bands I saw perform: One. Shakedown Street. And that was because they played an event that I put on, and invited me to sing with them. If Lez Zeppelin or the Pink Floyd cover band the Machine asks me to join them, I’ll show up. But I’m not about to cover any Guns ‘n’ Roses.
<b>Show I Really Wish I Hadn’t Missed:</b> I missed a lot of shows, many of which I really wish I had seen. A partial list includes Richard Thompson, the subdudes, Suzanne Vega, Burt Bacharach, Yerba Buena, Gov’t Mule, the Rev. Horton Heat, Wyclef Jean, Blues Traveler, Soulive, the Avett Brothers, the Christian McBride Band, Allen Toussaint, Little Feat, Gogol Bordello, X, Social Distortion, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Keller Williams, Vieux Farka Touré and on and on. The one I really wish I had seen was Richard Thompson, the British, folkie, guitar hero whom I’ve never seen. Come on back.
<b>Show I’m Glad I Missed:</b> Stephen Stills. Hearing David Crosby talk about Stephen Stills, at the Aspen Writers’ Foundation’s Lyrically Speaking event, was most amusing. Much more enjoyable, I bet, than seeing Stills perform.
<b>Favorite for best show Stewy a year from now:</b> Contenders include Widespread Panic (playing two nights at the Labor Day Festival, Aug. 28-29); John Fogerty (one night at the Labor Day Festival, Aug. 31); the Brian Setzer Orchestra (June Festival, June 21); Robben Ford (Snowmass Free Series, Aug. 14); Bootsy Collins, playing a tribute to James Brown (May 24, Belly Up); and Chris Thile & Edgar Meyer (Aug. 13, Harris Hall).
Make mine Thile & Meyer.
Thanks to everyone who puts on music, plays music, and talks music with me.
Thanks to Josh Behrman, Alan Richman, Mitch Haas, Gram Slaton, Steve Standiford, Amy Kimberly, and my hip-hop posse of Nate Peterson, Richard Betts and Dennis Scholl. Thanks to Jim, Mark and Andrea at Jazz Aspen; Michael, Kim, Amber, Ralph and everyone else at Belly Up; Lara, Lisa and everyone at the Aspen Writers’ Foundation; Janice and everyone at the Aspen Music Festival; and the Aspen Skico.
And thanks to my editors, Steve, Jeannie, Rick and Bob.
Extra special thanks to my family, Candice, Olivia, Tony and Fluffy.
Keep on rocking in the ski world.
stewart@aspentimes.com
