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Get ready for reggae, rock, roll and soul — Steamboat Springs Free Summer Concert Series releases 2018 lineup

Stephen Marley set to take the Howelsen Hill stage Aug. 4.
Courtesy
2018 Steamboat Springs Free Summer Concert Series lineup
  • June 30: TBA
  • July 7: Keller Williams with The Hillbenders known as Pettygrass with special guests, Buffalo Commons
  • July 21: JJ Grey & Mofro with special guests, Freddy & Francine
  • Aug. 4: Stephen Marley with special guest
  • Sept. 2: End of Summer Jam Show – Headliners TBA, special guests Eric Tessmer and Kyle Hollingsworth

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — The cat’s out of the bag — the Steamboat Springs Free Summer Concert Series has finally released its lineup for the 2018 season.

At the Free Summer Concert Series annual fundraiser Friday at the top of the Gondola, organizers released the full schedule of concerts, as SuperMagick (formerly Filthy Children) kept the crowd dancing in anticipation.

“This year is one of the more exciting lineups that we’ve had, especially when the two headliners that are to be announced soon, people will see the acts are really diverse and have strong followings across the country,” said John Waldman, promoter for the Steamboat Springs Free Summer Concert Series.



After powering through the process of researching, scheduling, budget checks and phone calls to piece together the lineup for the annual series, Waldman is confident this summer’s recently announced lineup is about as strong as he’s seen. Opening the show will be Steamboat’s Buffalo Commons, who recently performed at the WinterWonderGrass Festival.

On July 7, the multitalented Keller Williams will be back in town with bluegrass quintet The Hillbenders, who have teamed up to form PettyGrass, a group performing Tom Petty covers, bluegrass style.



“The Keller Williams show is a Tom Petty bluegrass tribute, which is something a little different for Keller,” Waldman said. “He hasn’t been here in quite a while, so that will be a unique show.”

Then on July 21, Florida soul-rockers JJ Grey & Mofro will make their appearance in Steamboat sharing the stage with Freddy & Francine, a soul-icana duo hailing from Boston.

“JJ Grey & Mofro will for sure be a crowd favorite,” Waldman said.

Carrying on the legacy of reggae music from his legendary father Bob Marley, Stephen Marley, who is also a five-time Grammy Award winner, will take the stage Aug. 4. This will be his first time in Steamboat as the lineup’s quintessential reggae show.

For the second year, the End of Summer Jam Show will commence Sept. 2 with special guests Eric Tessmer, with his power-packed sessions of wickedly fast guitar riffs, and Kyle Hollingsworth, established and versatile keyboardist best known for his role in The String Cheese Incident.

The main headliner for the first show of the season on June 30 is still to be announced as well as the End of Summer Jam Show headliner.

“We can’t announce these headliners until a later date,” Waldman said.

All of the concerts will be at the base of Howelsen Hill downtown. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. for each concert and typically begin with an opening band followed by the headliner.

While the shows are free to the public, the concerts will again feature the Local’s Lounge, an exclusive viewing area and bar available to a limited number of concert-goers who purchase a season pass for $200.

Tickets are still available for the Local’s Lounge through the Steamboat Springs Free Summer Concert Series website at keepinitfree.com.

To reach Audrey Dwyer, call 970-871-4229, email adwyer@SteamboatToday.com or follow her on Instagram at @AudVentures Twitter @Audrey_Dwyer1.

 


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