Leftover Salmon: Thirty Years of Festival!

FESTIVAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!!!!

Fans of Polyethnic Cajun Slamgrass giants Leftover Salmon will be familiar with the rallying cry, heard from stages at events around the world.  

It is a homage, not just to a collection of like-minded individuals joined together for the shared purpose of enjoying music for a duration, but to a much larger state of mind and being. 

As Tim Newby relates in his forthcoming book, Leftover Salmon: Thirty Years of Festival, “‘Festival!’ has come to mean so much more to the band than just a silly yell from stage. The communal idea and endless fun of festivals are encapsulated in the “Festival” yell. It has come to be a greeting, a state of mind, the place to be. It represents all the band was and still is.”

“Festival!” is an homage to everything that is Leftover Salmon.

Few bands endure the way Leftover Salmon has.  What was started 30 years ago by Drew Emmitt, Vince Herman and Mark Vann has grown into one of the most iconic, influential, genre-bending, definition-eluding musical forces of our lifetime.  As musical pioneers, Leftover Salmon has been credited as influences by just about every major player in the jamgrass scene, and far outside of it as well.

To commemorate their approaching 30-year mark, author Tim Newby has penned Leftover Salmon: Thirty Years of Festival! to be released February 2019 by Rowman & Littlefield.

Newby is a critically acclaimed author, previously having written Bluegrass in Baltimore: The Hard Drivin’ Sound & Its Legacy  In Thirty Years of Festival Newby does a masterful job of not only relaying the story of Leftover Salmon, but of truly capturing their vibe, something not easily accomplished when telling the tale of such an eclectic and original group of musicians. 

Newby uses the individual stories of those who have contributed to Salmon as a way of chronologically guiding the reader through their 30-year history.  The result is a carefully constructed biography that takes you on the Leftover Salmon journey, starting in Colorado and taking on the world of traditional music.  

Music festivals have been a huge force in the shaping of Leftover Salmon throughout their 30-year journey.  From the woods of Telluride, traditions were born decades ago that continue today.  A community has grown with Leftover Salmon, and music festivals have served as the grounds for strengthening the ties between artists and fans.  The line is often blurred when the wee hours and chirping birds greet the festival campground.

As Newby states in his preface for the book, “Leftover Salmon could have easily faded away and become a footnote in the long history of American music, but much like their namesake, they persevered, swimming upstream through obstacles and struggles, and in year thirty are still standing and playing some of the best music of their career.”

Leftover Salmon: Thirty Years of Festival is the beginning.  Let’s hope Tim Newby gets to write the 50-year biography as well!

Leftover Salmon: Stories From the Living Room Tour

In support of Leftover Salmon: Thirty Years of Festival! Leftover Salmon has also announced a tour to commemorate its release. “Stories From The Living Room” tour will consist of several dates featuring an acoustic night of music along with chatter and stories of those past three decades. “We look forward to reminiscing with all of you as we move towards our fourth decade.”

1/31 Thu – Soreng Theatre – Eugene, OR*
2/1   Fri – Revolution Hall – Portland, OR*
2/2   Sat – The Triple Door – Seattle, WA (2 shows)*
2/14 Thu – Wheeler Opera House – Aspen, CO*
2/15 Fri – Vilar Performing Arts Center – Beaver Creek, CO*
2/16 Sat – Washington’s – Fort Collins, CO*
2/21 Thu – The Steifel Theatre for the Performing Arts – Salina, KS*
2/22 Fri – Sheldon Concert Hall – St. Louis, MO*
2/23 Sat – North Shore Center for the Performing Arts – Skokie, IL*
2/24 Sun – Turner Hall Ballroom – Milwaukee, WI*
2/26 Tue – Woodward Theatre – Owensboro, KY*
2/27 Wed – Minglewood Hall – Memphis, TN*
2/28 Thu – City Winery – Atlanta, GA (2 shows)*
3/1   Fri – The Caverns – Pelham, TN*
3/2   Sat – Dave Finkelman Auditorium – Middletown, OH*
3/14-16 Thur-Sat – Alyeska Resort – Girdwood, AK
3/22-24 Fri-Sun – Boogie at the Broadmoor – Colorado Springs, CO
3/29-31 Fri-Sun – WinterWonderGrass – Tahoe, CA
4/13-14 Sat-Sun – Bender Jamboree – Las Vegas, NV
4/26 Fri – Stoughton Opera House – Stoughton, WI*
4/27 Sat – Stefanie H. Weill Center for the Performing Arts – Sheboygan, WI*
4/28 Sun – Sheldon Theatre – Red Wing, MN*

Complete Tour Dates and Tickets Here

*Stories From the Living Room Shows:
Each of the Stories From the Living Room shows listed will feature Leftover Salmon’s acoustic Living Room set with stories and chatter about Thirty Year Of Festival from the band.