Just for the music

February 20, 2017
Posted by: Tom Boyd

GoPro Mountains of Music’s all-star depth is reason enough to come.

Take a gander at any starting line at a GoPro Mountain Games’ event and you’ll notice something rarely seen in the competitive world: world-renown professional athletes standing side by side with locals, weekend warriors, newbies and newcomers.

When it comes to the GoPro Mountains of Music concert lineup, the same idea holds true. Three FREE nights of music at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater June 8-10 will put local, regional, and internationally-renown talent all in close proximity, all in the spotlight for an incredible music experience in Vail.

Did we mention that it’s free?

Moon Taxi, Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass, and Nahko and Medicine for the People headline Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, respectively, and a deep cast of bands fills out the lineup with six additional shows.

On the running hill, we may see local heroes like William Desportes give pros like Josiah Middaugh a run for their money. On the river we may see burly boys like Paul St. Ruth take a chunk out of pros like Dane Jackson and Alec Vorhees (especially in the Coors Light 8-Ball Kayak Sprint.) And there’s no doubt 13-year-old Alayna Szuch has her eyes on the prize, even with runners like Megan Kimmel expected in the field.

It’s all in parallel to what we see on stage, and we think our audience will be blown away by “not-local-for-long” talent like Town Calvary, and the venue will be packed for acts with huge local followings like Bonfire dub.

And if you haven’t checked out The Marcus King Band … well, all we can say is check out this Jam in the Van performance (below) from January 6 of this year and prepare to experience a metaphorical cranial implosion (the pleasurable sort, of course). They play Friday night at 7:30 p.m. at the Amp where, we are fairly certain, additional allegorical and mind/soul-related implosions/explosions will occur.

Add White Denim Thursday night, Brother’s Keeper Friday night, and Trevor Hall Saturday night, and suddenly it becomes crystal clear why so many fans come to the GoPro Mountain Games just for the music … with the action from more than 30 sporting events providing an additional bonus form of entertainment during the azure-laced daytimes.

We’ve barely begun to scratch the surface of this year’s music lineup, but between now and Games’ time we’ll be checking in to give a little in-depth love to our headliners and local heroes alike. Check back in this space for more, and then join us to enjoy these fine acts in depth, in person, come June.