When Yonder Mountain String Band gets the chance to play in Boulder, Colorado, they don’t pull any punches. The supposed “warm-up” show at the Boulder Theater the night before New Year’s Eve was filled with high-energy performances and dazzling musicianship that left the capacity crowd satisfied and happily exhausted by the time the music stopped at 1:30.

It really has been quite a journey for Colorado’s String Cheese Incident. There are small and humble beginnings for these fellas who have now gone on to influence a solid generation of bluegrass-fusion bands. Michael Kang, Bill Nershi, Michael Travis, and Keith Moseley talk about how in the beginning they would play unplugged next to the ski lifts at Telluride and Crested Butte, Colorado, hoping to score a free lift ticket and gain some local clout.

A New Year’s Eve Party is much like the Super Bowl. A highly anticipated hyped event that rarely lives up to preceding tension. The event must live up to the crowds expectations and tote a larger than expected production. If you don’t end up there, or if game time doesn’t deliver the goods, disappointment is naturally amidst. Luckily us Coloradan’s here on the Front Range we have a super rare opportunity to end our year with; the chance to spend three nights with an iconic Colorado musical entity.