Leftover Salmon’s Solshine Music Festival 2016

We are all getting older.  I know it’s hard to believe, based upon how we all act when we see each other at music festivals.  But we are – it’s just a fact.  We just don’t want to stop doing what we love to do – go to music festivals, see our favorite bands, stay up too late and party too hard. So, when a band decides to have a music festival in a beautiful mountain town and not on top of the mountain, fans flock to the luxury of hotels and restaurants.

Leftover Salmon has been truly embracing this “comfort festival” scene over the past few years, and their fans are truly digging it.  LOS has been putting on mini-festivals in locations where attendees can “choose their own adventure”, from Chicago to Asheville to Estes Park. Yes, sometimes it costs more – after all, pimpin’ ain’t easy (or free!).  But that was just the opposite this past weekend in Winter Park, CO where they put on a free music festival.

The 4th Annual “Solshine Music Festival” rolled throughout the mountain town of Winter Park, Colorado from Thursday evening until Sunday afternoon.  There was music at a couple of venues around town (Winter Park Pub and Ullrs) during the day and late into the night; but the main shows were held right in the center of town at Hideaway Park.  Leftover Salmon generously gifted their fans with two free shows in a beautiful park in the middle of a gorgeous little town with an epic background.  As if that wasn’t enough, they threw in a few extra free shows from Trout Steak Revival (winners of the 41st Telluride Bluegrass Festival!), The Record Company, Sweet Lillies, and DeadPhish Orchestra, and then they topped it all off with a mere $5 cover to see Gipsy Moon on Friday night and The Alwyn Robinson, Greg Garrison and Erik Deutsch Band (members of Leftover Salmon) on Saturday night.  Now, that’s the way you throw a music festival. 

Between sets, we enjoyed the convenience of being able to enjoy beverages back on our hotel’s balcony (where you could still hear the music from the park).  We also had the comfort of grabbing food and cocktails at one of the many restaurants nearby, and even had a great brunch with a good friend on our way out of town.   I especially enjoyed being able to sleep in late in the comfort of my hotel bed.  With the shades pulled shut and the temperature set to a level of my liking, it was nice not waking up to a stifling hot tent and having to dread the walk to the nearest port-a-pot.

The best part is that this isn’t a one-off (this was the 4th Solshine Festival) , and this twist on a “festival” isn’t a rare occurrence.  Check out our interview with Leftover Salmon at this year’s Blue Ox Festival where they tell us about their take on reinventing the music festival experience.  We are excited to say we’ll see you at Strings & Sol and at the Stanley this year, continuing to enjoy the luxury festival experience throughout the winter.