Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — Steamboat Ski Area chairlifts had barely stopped toiling away before several local entertainment venues started packing away for mud season.

Old Town Pub, Ghost Ranch Saloon, The Boathouse Pub, Sweetwater Grill and The Tugboat Grill & Pub are taking breaks from live entertainment, and some are closing during the April dead period.

Old Town Pub will be closed for a week starting Monday, during which the restaurant will install some new kitchen equipment before reopening April 25. The venue plans to offer live music in May.

The Ghost Ranch Saloon is closed and reopens April 27, with its first show featuring Achachay!, of Austin, Texas, on April 28.

The Tugboat will stay closed until June 17 and will begin to offer music a few weeks after that.

Down on Yampa Street, The Boathouse still will be open, except Sundays and Mondays but has no live entertainment booked.

Sweetwater Grill owner Kim Haggarty was getting ready to close her restaurant after Wednesday’s employee party.

It was the restaurant and lounge’s first winter in operation, during which it offered live music several nights a week.

She said the restaurant has big plans for summer season after it reopens for Mother’s Day on May 8.

“Music for us will start in June,” she said. “We actually have a huge music festival planned out on the lawn on July 23.”

She said Sweetwater would have live music after every Free Summer Concert Series event at Howelsen Hill and hopes to offer “Reggae on the River” on Sundays.

A ‘great winter’

As venues look forward to summer bookings and events, Old Town Pub manager Kurt Vordemeier reflected on the busy winter season in entertainment.

“I think we had a great winter,” Vordemeier said. “We discovered some new talent we haven’t had in here before, one being the Sneaky Bastards. We love those guys.

“We were happy, and overall, compared to the last few years, we saw a little bit of an upswing this year.”

Trevor G. Potter, a local musician and event booking agent and promoter, had his hands full at several venues this winter.

“There was as much entertainment offered this winter as I can remember,” he said. “With more offerings from Ski Corp. and then having a heavy music schedule at the Old Town Pub, Boathouse and Ghost Ranch.

“And then also having special events like First String Music and the” Depot Art Center.

Potter said First String Music plans to start its concert series again in summer, and Rex’s American Grill & Bar also will start to offer music on Memorial Day weekend.

In the meantime

Some entertainment options remain for those few souls left in Steamboat Springs during April and May, however.

The Tap House Sports Grill will continue to offer DJ nights on Fridays and Saturdays, with DJ Also Starring on Fridays and DJ MelRae on Saturdays.

Live trivia is still on at Tap House on Wednesdays and Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant on Sundays.

Cosmic bowling and karaoke night at Snow Bowl continues at 7 p.m. Saturdays. Steaming Bean Coffee Co. will bring back Michael “Hi Hero” Lambert for Saturday and Sunday morning acoustic entertainment April 23.

Employees at Boathouse and Amante Coffee said they might announce a mud season party or two in the next few weeks.

See full entertainment listings Fridays in the Explore Steamboat calendar.

— To reach Nicole Inglis, call 970-871-4204 or email ninglis@SteamboatToday.com