The Mediations, Voles Open Annual Bash

 

GROOVIEW

 

TELLURIDE – Mid-summer brings a whole lotta love to Telluride, when the lovely ladies of Lez Zeppelin return to kick it down for the 12th Annual KOTO Doo-Dah on Saturday in Town Park. The New York City-based, all-girls, all-Zep band is the first female group to pay tribute to the original super-group, and in doing so, garner rave reviews around the world.

Band founder and guitar goddess Steph Paynes says Lez Zep is busy this summer. “We're playing a lot in Colorado, actually. It seems that Colorado is our home away from home,” she says. “This month alone, we're in Boulder, Denver and Aspen for a double stint at the Belly-Up. We're also playing some festivals, including the Steamboat Summer Concert Series, Mishawaka Theatre in Fort Collins and of course, the Doo-Dah," adding that the band will continue to roll into the fall. “We're also traveling around the East Coast some and we're off again to Europe in October and November."

Paynes notes that Lez Zep has been riding high on their tremendous self-titled CD. "At the end of last summer we released our first CD, which was produced by the rather legendary Eddie Kramer (Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, KISS, Peter Frampton, etc.). The record has created a lot of excitement and we just signed a deal in Japan to release it there, as well as in Europe."

She hints that the band may have something new on the way. "Presently, we've got another hot project on the fire, which we hope to announce soon.”

Paynes notes that the local audience holds a special place in the band's heart. "Telluride is magic, for sure. We first played here when Jennie Franks and Janice Gerona invited us to play a fundraiser for Sparky Productions over at the Sheridan Opera House. We did that twice and not only did those shows sell out, but they went a long way to developing an extremely loyal and enthusiastic audience for the band. It seems that when we play Telluride, we are involved in helping some local organization or other. This, in addition to the amazingly responsive audience, makes Telluride easily one of our favorite destinations."

The Doo-Dah is not the first benefit the girls have rocked for Telluride's beloved radio station. "The last gig we did was hosted by KOTO at the Conference Center. We played Led Zeppelin I from start to finish and I think it was a really special night," she beams. "I suppose they figured it might be all right to have us back to help give a boost to the KOTO community. And, it's a pleasure to be able to do something for local radio. Hey, Led Zeppelin – despite songs that sometimes run into eight to ten minutes – was always a great radio band. Still is! Turn on a classic rock station and odds are you'll hear a Zeppelin tune within ten minutes. Unfortunately, it's getting harder and harder to find high quality radio these days, so we all need to support a creative station such as KOTO."

Anyone who has seen Lez Zep in concert knows that the ladies put on a scorching, high-octane performance that rivals the energy of the original band, and if you've never seen them, here's your chance to hear and see one of the best cover bands on the planet, never mind that they're not too bad to look at.

Hey, hey, mama, the bottom line is Lez Zeppelin rocks and is ready to take the audience on an a wild, misty mountain hop.

“Umm, yes," says Paynes. "We shall take no prisoners!"

The Town Park stage will be warmed up by a couple of opening acts for the Doo-Dah, including The Meditations, who were members of Bob Marley’s Harmony group back in the 70s. The band has recently released the tremendous Ghetto Knowledge CD, which is their first recording in more than a decade. 

Original members Ansel Cridland, Danny Clarke and Winston Watson have stuck together since 1974, which means that they are one of few vocal trios in the world with this kind of longevity, and one of the smoothest acts around. Don't miss the incredible vocal harmonies and grooving perfection of The Meditations.

Also on the roster, Telluride’s own rockers The Voles will take the stage to kick off the event. Drummer Gary Damsky says the local boys are ready to punch it. "The stoke factor for playing the Doo-Dah is extremely high. We're honored to be part of it all, and are excited to be sharing the stage with both The Meditations and Lez Zeppelin, and have plans to play a very sick show."

The Voles are known for their kicking grooves and non-stop live performances, and Damsky notes the band is tight after being in the studio as of late. "The recording is going really well," he explains, and adds that the record is forthcoming. "There will be a CD release party on July 25 at Tommy’s Bar in Telluride"

Catch the opening note at Town Park on Saturday for the delicious Doo-Dah, presented by KOTO and Las Montañas. Gates open at 4 p.m. on Saturday, with the show at 6 p.m. Grab a ticket in advance and save five bucks. It's gonna rock!

Llama Presents at Las Montañas is bringing in another favorite band to jump-start the weekend, with Greensky Bluegrass ready to pick it up downtown tonight. Greensky Bluegrass won the 2006 Telluride Bluegrass Festival Competition and the accolade has propelled the Michigan pickers into the big leagues, with the band out on the road performing at festivals and clubs across the country. 

Formed in the fall of 2000 by banjoist extraordinaire Michael Arlen Bont, guitarist Dave Bruzza and Paul Hoffman on mandolin, Greensky released their superb Less than Supper in 2004, and soon added bassist Michael Devol to the fold. The second studio CD, Tuesday Letter, quickly followed, and was produced by Railroad Earth’s Tim Carbone to wide acclaim in bluegrass circles and beyond.

In November of 2007 the band released its first live CD, Live at Bell's, recorded at Bell's Brewery in their hometown of Kalamazoo, Mich., and the group exploded, with the addition of the tremendous Anders Beck on dobro, who adds wonderful depth to the already bad-ass band. The versatile quintet smoothly segues from the traditional to the sublime, and excels with their improvisational techniques and high-energy performances. Innovative and infinitely fun, get your weekend off to a rollicking start with Greensky Bluegrass, tonight at Las Montañas. 

Roll down the block to The Bubble Lounge tonight, where the metal-tinged sounds of Fractalized will set the tone for the weekend. The Ridgway rockers continue to be on a roll, and are still working on their studio debut. Keyboardist Michael Scherr notes that the website has been updated with some new tunes. "No idea on a release date for the CD, but our demo is available for your listening pleasure on our myspace page," he explains, and adds that Stosch, Bailey and the boys will be roving the Western Slope this summer. "We are playing a bunch of gigs around Telluride, Montrose, Norwood, and Ridgway until we launch the album and we will then go more around the state and the Four Corners."

Scherr says new opportunities for musicians are popping up all of the time in the region. "I would like to put a plug in for the new venue with a killer sound and light system in Ridgway called the Switchback Tavern. We will be doing a huge opening party there soon, and will keep you updated."

Although the main band is the focus of the talented group, Scherr notes that the members of Fractalized have spun off into various side projects, including the Humanimals and others. "There's the Lizard Head Jazz on Sundays at the Bubble. Also, our bass player, Joel, and I are playing with Back of the Bus on Saturday night. Bailey, our drummer, has been playing with Bruce Hayes a little and Stosch has been doing Wednesday solo gigs at the Chipeta Sun Lodge in Ridgway, so we're busy!"

Yes, and hard rocking too, get prepared to be Fractalized, tonight at the O2 Bar.

As noted, Back of the Bus rolls into The Bubble Lounge on Saturday night, featuring Telluride local Sean Deland and a pile of his talented buddies, including Scherr on keys, Joel Waller on bass, plus "Box Car" on guitar and vocals, and Mark Sandeno on drums.  Back of the Bus is all about the dance vibe, fusing reggae, rock, hip-hop and funk to get you moving. Groove with them after the Doo-Dah on Saturday night.

At the Fly Me to the Moon Saloon this weekend, reggae is the word at the Fly Me to the Moon Saloon tonight with the magical Mountain Mystics. Walter St. Clair and Mikey G's originals are bolstered by the terrific band, who also kick it down on numerous classic reggae tunes. Groove wid ’em, tonight at the Moon. Jah,mon.

Saturday night at the Moon, it’s the fantastically fresh Forever Growing, who pumps it out with their mighty mix of funk, jazz, dub, and trance. The Eugene, Ore., trio includes Andrew Becker on guitar, Adam Sweet on drums and Joel Gustafson on bass, and the young rockers re making quite a stir in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Look for Forever Growing to rock it following the Doo-Dah. 

Down at Tommy's after the show, the Turkey Creek Ramblers will take the stage on Saturday night, with a slightly new configuration. The marvelous Mike

Pale of BluOrbit fame has joined forces with the local pickers, and the result is stunning, with Pale's finesse and range. Look for special guests to pop up at this show, Saturday night at Tommy's.

Coming up, the Mountain Village Sunset Concert Series continues on Wednesday, with Hot Buttered Rum, the insanely talented group out of San Francisco. HBR blurs the genres, fusing blues, folk, bluegrass, jazz, and rock, and they’re sensational. Catch the free show next week.

Also on the way, The Sheridan Summer Concert Series continues with indie-rocker Josh Ritter, and there's a hot up-and-coming female rock band out of Grand Junction, Riveter, who will be at the Las Dollar Saloon next weekend.

Ramble on!