The latest album from Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band was written by candlelight and then recorded using the best technology available . . . in the 1950s.

But listeners won’t find another album as relevant, electrifying and timely as Dance Songs for Hard Times.

Dance Songs for Hard Times conveys the hopes and fears of pandemic living. Rev. Peyton, the Big Damn Band’s vocalist and world-class fingerstyle guitarist, details bleak financial challenges on the songs “Ways and Means” and “Dirty Hustlin’.” He pines for in-person reunions with loved ones on “No Tellin’ When,” and he pleads for celestial relief on the album-closing “Come Down Angels.”

Far from a depressing listen, Dance Songs lives up to its name by delivering action-packed riffs and rhythms across 11 songs. The country blues trio that won over crowds on more than one Warped Tour knows how to make an audience move.

“I like songs that sound happy but are actually very sad,” Peyton says. “I don’t know why it is, but I just do.”

Of course, the greatest front-porch blues band in the world found itself sidelined from a relentless touring schedule because of the coronavirus pandemic. Peyton says he was surprised when his mind and soul unleashed a batch of new songs in March and April of 2020.

“I think it was the stress of everything,” he says. “At the time, we were watching everything we know crash down. I didn’t know what was going to happen with our career, with our house, with food, with anything.”

Peyton wasn’t alone in uncertainty. It’s a feeling that gripped the world. Added to Peyton’s concerns were a lingering illness — perhaps undiagnosed COVID-19 — affecting “Washboard” Breezy Peyton, his wife and Big Damn Band member, as well as a cancer diagnosis for his father. A metaphorical wallop arrived when unpredictable weather in the rustic wilds of Southern Indiana knocked out power at the Peytons’ 150-year-old log cabin. For multiple days.

While Breezy rested and recovered, Peyton crafted songs in near darkness.

“It’s been a struggle the entire time,” he says. “Nothing’s been easy. Other than the music. The music came easy.” 

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After planting their roots in the Northern Virginia/Washington D.C. area,  The Elegant Plums moved to Denver, CO in 2016 which they have since  called home. The Plums core is a five-piece group, which often expands to  as many as 10-members featuring a three-piece horn section, and two  back-up singers. Members of the band have a wide range of musical  influence resulting in a unique blend of funk, rock, and so much more. The  Plums are known for their energetic live performances with surprises at  every turn and have been fortunate enough to play iconic venues between  both Denver and Washington D.C. To know The Elegant Plums, one must  experience their fun blend of diverse originals and creative curveball covers  that can turn any normal evening into an elegant one. 

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Platinum recording artists Bonnie & Taylor are one of Colorado's most powerful and dynamic musical duos. From the soul shaking harmonies and masterful songwriting to the endearing onstage moments, Bonnie & Taylor have captivated audiences all across the world. From their most recent global success I See Red tallying over 150 million streams and a deal with Columbia Records to playing countless live shows and festivals around CO and the Western US; tours to Germany, Canada and Sweden; multiple studio albums; exciting collaborations with other area musicians and hundreds of students through summer camps and private lessons Bonnie & Taylor have established themselves as a potent creative force of the vibrant Colorado music scene. 

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Just as much an easygoing trip with Gram Parsons into the desert as a mad dash with the Grateful Dead away from the law, Roscoe’s Dream is the purest distillation yet of the distinct Mapache sound, which has been brewing for many years now. Finch and Blasucci first met as students at La Cañada High School, just north of Los Angeles: “There wasn’t much supervision or anything,” remembers Blasucci. “It was really nice. And we got to just play guitars together.”

The two stayed friends through their college years—Finch went to Chico State and Blasucci spent two years as a missionary in Mexico—and eventually they ended up back in L.A., spending their days playing guitar together once again, just like old times. Working with producer/engineer Dan Horne (Cass McCombs, Allah-Lahs), they recorded two albums of originals (2017’s Mapache and 2020’s From Liberty Street) as well an album of covers, 2021’s 3. Often trading solos, and occasionally switching from English to Spanish, Finch and Blasucci are now a well-oiled machine

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Chain Station is a 4-piece, high-energy, get ‘em out on the dance floor string band from Denver, Colorado. Their music is well-steeped in Americana roots, with vocal harmonies that are high, lonesome, and tight. Their picking ranges from lightning-fast to mountain mellow. They are a bluegrass band that would satisfy a picky old-timer and delight fans of newgrass, a delicate balance indeed.

They've become known for winning over crowds with creative, fun original songs that flow from the mountains, through them and right back to you. Pure Mountain Music! It's obvious these guys love what they do, engaging their growing fan base with energy and stage antics that guarantee one hell of a night out.

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Tom Lafond from Banshee Tree!
Dan Hochman is a Boulder-based singer songwriter who combines elements of soul, blues, and rock into his unique and hauntingly beautiful sound. Growing up just south of New York City, Dan was raised on a melting pot of music. His childhood home was filled with diverse sounds that ranged from Joni Mitchell to Otis Redding. Naturally, a deep affinity for music developed and led Dan to pick up his dad’s nylon string guitar for the first time at the age of twelve. At sixteen Dan formed his first project “Passing Cars” with a group of High school buddies. For the next few years, they played humble venues across Long Island, consisting mostly of local pubs, bowling alleys, and art galleries. However, it wasn’t till Dan moved to Boulder Colorado in 2018 that he truly began to deepen in his craft. With help from Denver-based musicians and friends the birth of his first EP “Hearts Alive” was released in October of 2020. Launching “Hearts Alive” led Dan to play various venues in Colorado and start collaborating with other local artists. Dan’s second passion project and EP “Midday Muse” was recorded in July of 2021 and was released on October 22nd of 2021. 

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THE HENHOUSE PROWLERS ARE BLUEGRASS AMBASSADORS.Founded 18 years ago with the simple desire to play original and powerful bluegrass, this quartet now finds themselves at the intersection of performance, diplomacy and education.
On stage, the group's enthralling performances give audiences a sense of how much they love what they do.  On record - including their 2021 release and ninth full length album, The Departure - the band explores their collective life experiences through songwriting and intricate instrumentation. While bluegrass is the undeniable foundation of the Prowlers music, the band bends and squeezes the traditional form into a sound all their own.

Working with the U.S. State Department and under their own nonprofit, Bluegrass Ambassadors, the Prowlers have toured over 25 countries across the globe. The group's experiences with people and musicians across Africa, Asia, Europe, and The Middle East have shaped the band’s world view and broadened the group’s direction towards bridging cultural gaps with music, educational programs and workshops. Using traditional American music as a foundation, connecting folk music and cultures the world over, the Prowlers incorporate international elements into their already robust repertoire of unique traditional American music.
Whether performing live or presenting workshops, and wherever they are, the Henhouse Prowlers find and spread the commonality we share as human beings through the universal language of music.

You can feel it at every show.

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The members of the Boulder, CO band The Good Kind (Russ Grabski – Guitar and Vocals, John Kang – Bass, Drew Michael – Guitar and Vocals, R.T. Weber – Drums) are live music fanatics who have seen hundreds of live shows performed by some of the greatest musicians of the last 50 years. These experiences inspired the band to create the ultimate live music show featuring exceptional song selections and mind bending jams. Every show is unique and energetic and includes covers, originals and plenty of dancing.

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"Peak2Peak was born from a collective, forged in the intense heat of practice, steeped in history, and now presents the best of the Grateful Dead tradition and the cohesive improvisational jams that you expect if you're going to boogie down for 3 solid hours."

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Veterans of beloved Colorado bands honor the songs of Bob Dylan and Neil Young like a Rolling Harvest. 

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Sunshine, rain or storm, it’s all the same / Blessings always come rearranged”. These lyrics from Cas Haley’s newest single “Every Road I’m On” give a glimpse into the mindset that has kept him and his family moving forward through it all.

Cas has had his ups and downs both personally and with his career, but through it all his optimism and attention to those blessings have served him well. 

Cas’ latest single “Every Road I’m On” was the winner of the recent Lincoln Chart Your Course Competition (mentored by Jon Batiste), and even aired during the broadcast of the 2020 Grammy Awards. With the big win, Cas signed a talent contract with Lincoln, and a recording session with the legendary producer / engineer Al Schmidt at Capital Studios. 

Cas recorded multiple versions of the song: one version produced by up-and-coming reggae producer Nathan Aurora (Iya Terra), the original solo acoustic version (with which Cas won the Lincoln competition), and the version recorded at Capital Studios. The EP was mixed by Grammy Award-winning engineer Rob Fraboni, whose credits include Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Bob Marley, & many more. 

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