June 23 • 5:30 pm
The Dunwells
with Whiskey Mornin’
Utterly natural. There’s no more fitting description for both the music of The Dunwells as well as the story of their magical rise from the pubs of Leeds, England to an American record deal and a stunning debut album in just two short years. The group is two brothers, two cousins and totaling five best mates who simply love to sing and play music, and do so together. “We are genuinely best mates,” explains singer, songwriter and guitarist Joseph Dunwell. “We sometimes bicker and fight, but then we hug and make up and go out for a drink.”
thedunwells.com
July 7 • 4:30 pm • OuterLocal Summer Games
BOOM CHICK
with Isaac Hayden & Friends with guest Michael Scalabrino, and Lazy Eyes
Boom Chick is a rock n’ roll duo consisting of Frank Hoier on guitar and vocals and Moselle Spiller on drums. Boom Chick’s sound is born out of an ecstatic love for atomic 50’s rock n’ roll, spooky Delta blues, reverb-laced surf rock, 60’s girl group melodies, and the classic catalogs of Chess & Sun Records. Their first album “Show Pony” was released in November of 2010 and quickly garnered a significant amount of indie press and praise from regional New York publications as well as national magazines. According to Magnet Magazine’s BEST OF 2010: Boom Chick gets “straight to the grimy, messy heart of rock n’ roll.”
July 18 • 5:30 pm
Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds
with Mandatory Air
Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds is a nine-piece powerhouse that puts a modern spin on classic soul. The band is led by Arleigh Kincheloe (Sister Sparrow), whose astoundingly powerful voice and sly demeanor make for a spellbinding presence onstage. She is backed by the mighty force of The Dirty Birds, a flock of eight men who masterfully lay down thundering grooves and soaring melodies. While each of the Birds are capable of lighting up the stage with jaw-dropping displays of musicianship, it’s clear they’re focused on delivering the band’s infectious music as a single entity. Simply put, the band’s live show is explosive.
sistersparrow.com
July 25 • 5:30 pm
Justin Townes Earle
with Screen Door Porch
On a rainy Nashville Thursday last October, Justin Townes Earle leapt onstage at the famed Ryman Auditorium to accept the 2011 Americana Music Award for Song of the Year. The triumphant evening capped a turbulent twelve months for the gifted young musician categorized by significant hardship as well as notable achievement including debut performances at New York’s Carnegie Hall and on The Late Show with David Letterman. Just one week later, Earle retreated to the western mountains of North Carolina to record his next album, Nothing’s Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now – an intriguing title given the importance of change in Earle’s approach to art. “I think it’s the job of the artist to be in transition and constantly learning more,” he says. “The new record is completely different than my last one, Harlem River Blues. This time I’ve gone in a Memphis-soul direction.”
justintownesearle.com
August 8 • 5:30 pm
Double Bill: The Features & Finn Riggins
Jackson Hole Music Experience presents opening acts:
Organized Chaos & Kiss of the Fool
The Features
The Features are a psychedelic rock outfit that plays fresh, off-kilter pop that sounds like a head-on collision between Ray Davies and Elvis Costello with the Elephant 6 Collective picking up the pieces and putting them back together in the American South. The Features’ exhilarating new CD Wilderness quickly establishes the Nashville-based combo as one of the most exciting and imaginative bands working today. Songs like “Another One” and “Fats Domino” are marvels of pop ingenuity, animated by vivid lyrics, unshakable hooks, and experimental soul.
thefeatures.com
Finn Riggins
Dynamic, quirky and highly energetic indie rock trio Finn Riggins has made a name for itself around the West and the greater US as road warriors from the oft-overlooked state of Idaho over the last several years. The collaborative brainchild of three music school graduates from the University of Idaho — Cameron Bouiss, Eric Gilbert and Lisa Simpson — Finn Riggins has always been a tough entity for the music industry to pin down. Their genre-defying approach to rock-n-roll has yielded a long stream of varied explanations for their sound over the years — experimental pop, prog-pop, post-punk post-epic 70s rock, synth-driven indie rock, and so on. One consistent thread through most of the press raves over the years has been the fact that Finn Riggins’ sound is unique and fresh and not adhering to any particular trend, all while being accessible through pop-hooks and an incredibly well executed and fun live show.
finnriggins.com
August 26 • EARLY SHOW 3:00 pm
Robert Randolph & The Family Band
with Benyaro, Elk Attack
Lace up your boogie shoes for this Sacred Steel Sunday. Robert Randolph and the Family Band is a multicultural American funk and soul band led by pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph. The pedal steel is referred to in many African-American Pentecostal churches as Sacred Steel. “I grew up in the House of God church. The pedal steel was a big part of our church tradition. I grew up watching older guys play, and I started playing when I was fifteen. When I was nineteen, someone gave me tickets to a Stevie Ray Vaughan concert. After that, I wanted to play pedal steel like Stevie Ray played his guitar.” Randolph’s concerts are known for their lively stage performances, with Randolph content to let the rest of the band play on while he dances. Dance is an integral part of the concerts.
robertrandolph.net