Lil' Smokies

Greensky Bluegrass! I love their songs and their sound, and I love the people that love the band. Stratton, Vermont is a great place for a music-lover and the venue at Stratton Mountain is cozy and friendly, a perfect venue for Greensky.

The Lil Smokies are like the little engine that could.  They keep chugging along creating a new landscape for themselves at each bend in the road. After critical acclaim including winning both the Northwest String Summit and Telluride’s band contests, they also received the International Bluegrass Music Association's Momentum Band of the Year in 2016.  Andy Dunnigan, songwriter, vocals, and dobro player for the Lil Smokies took some time out to talk to Grateful Web.

When people see The Lil' Smokies setting up their acoustic instruments, they’re often unprepared for the electric energy they generate. The band captures that same dynamic presence on their latest album, Changing Shades, delivering their exceptional songwriting and bluegrass roots with the punch of a rock band. “We wanted to duplicate the energy of our live shows. It’s a perfect mixture of improvisation and composition.

Dark Star Orchestra is holding their seventh annual Dark Star Jubilee festival this coming Memorial Day May 25-27 at the venue which is now known as Legend Valley, in Thornville, Ohio. Back in 1993, it was known as Buckeye Lake Music Center, and on June 11, the Grateful Dead rolled into town. Nearly 25 years to the date, and at the same location, Dark Star Orchestra will be recreating the original band’s historic set during one of the night at The Jubilee in a rare, advanced announcement for the band to confirm a show they’re playing.

Highlighted by spirited headlining performances by The Devil Makes Three (Saturday), The Infamous Stringdusters (Friday), and Railroad Earth (Sunday), there was a profound additional component to this year’s WinterWonderGrass Tahoe. The weather. Before turning all sunny on Sunday, Friday and Saturday’s proceedings included periodic showers of snow, graupel (look it up), and a little rain.

Colorado, how do we show our boundless love for you? You brought us sold out shows in Denver, Boulder, Steamboat, and Crested Butte. We even got the chance to share the stage with Sam Bush at his sold-out show in Keystone. Special shoutouts also go out to Greensky Bluegrass and The Infamous Stringdusters for their support.

Cloud 9 Adventures announces the return of Strings & Sol, the annual bluegrass-centric tropical concert vacation, held at the beloved all-inclusive Now Sapphire and Dreams Resort & Spa in Puerto Morelos. Now entering its seventh year, the event will take place on the beautiful coastline in the Riviera Maya region of Mexico from December 7-11, 2018.

The Lil' Smokies | Mending the Fence | Boulder, CO | 3/23/18

Bluegrass, brews and the backdrop of the majestic Rocky Mountains, does it get any better my friends? The sixth annual WinterWonderGrass Music Festival is just around the corner, and this year’s rendition is shaping up to be the most successful year to date.

When people see The Lil Smokies setting up their acoustic instruments, they’re often unprepared for the electric energy they generate. The band captures that same dynamic presence on their new album, Changing Shades, delivering their exceptional songwriting and bluegrass roots with the punch of a rock band.“We wanted to duplicate the energy of our live shows. It’s a perfect mixture of improvisation and composition.

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