The Dolores River Festival has lined up seven bands to perform all day at Joe Rowell Park on June 2.
“It should be a really fun day,” said festival promoter Ryan Robison. “The lineup has a lot of variety, and we have more games this year.”
American rock band Hollis Brown will headline the all-day event about 8 p.m.
Hollis Brown will be preceded by the acts Niceness, Liver Down the River, Buster’s Ghost and The Crags. At the Hollywood side stage, the bands Elmore’s Corner and Little Brother will perform at food vendor row.
Festival tickets are $20 in advance, or $25 the day of the show. Go to www.doloresriverfestival.org for tickets, information and to volunteer.
The four-member Hollis Brown band was formed in 2009 and is named after the Bob Dylan song “The Ballad of Hollis Brown.”
The band has three albums out and has toured extensively in America and Europe. It has been touring with the Counting Crows as the opening act. “They are one of those bands you can say, ‘I saw them before they got really big,’” said Robison. “They are solid musicians and bring a lot of energy.”
Songs from Hollis Brown’s debut album had placement for two movie trailers, including “The Founder,” plus television shows “Real World” and “Kingdom.” It also is known for a Velvet Underground tribute album.
Telluride-based Niceness started about 3½ years ago, said lead singer Koral Delatierra. Sets feature a variety of music styles, from reggae and dance hall to Latin, funk, soul and jazz, she said.
Niceness plays reggae versions of popular songs and soul favorites, including a handful of Motown tunes. The band’s original songs are steeped in projecting positivity, accepting responsibility and stepping into one’s purpose in life.
“Hopefully, the message will come through clear and leave people feeling inspired,” Delatierra said.
Durango-based band Liver Down the River plays a strong bluegrass set featuring crisp banjo and mandolin rifts with clear lyrics. The group has their roots in countless river floats, campfires and late-night picking. The band’s sound and high-energy performances have led it to share the stage with the likes of The Infamous Stringdusters and Railroad Earth.
The Crags have been playing original psychedelic surf rock since 2010. Its third album, “Bent,” was released in January, said band member Tracy Ford. “It is our best album far,” she said. “We really honed in on our style and are playing really cohesively. Dolores can expect an energetic show.”
In DGO Magazine, music reviewer Bryan Liggett describes The Crags as “capable of playing original indie-rock as they are covering The Sex Pistols or psychedelic-rock-influenced tunes that dabble ever so delicate in the sounds of surf noir and spaghetti Westerns.”
Ska band Buster’s Ghost also will perform at the festival, as will Little Brother, a spinoff from the local band Wake Up Laughing.
Elmore’s Corner includes Eric Nordstrom and Paul Iudice from the Farmington Hill band. The duo is known for its up-tempo style and country-fried twang mixed with punk rock.
“Our live shows are perfect for a beer-drinking good time on the dance floor,” said Iudice. “We are there to play hard and have fun with the audience.”
Festival promoter Robison says new aspects this year include a raffle to win a Rocky Mountain raft, an expanded beer tent dubbed The Snaggletooth, and a new location for the main stage so the dance area is on grass instead of dirt.
The festival will again offer camping and RV parking, and well-behaved, leashed dogs are welcome. There will be kid activities and an area to play volleyball and badminton. Free raft rides are a staple of the festival, but whether they will happen this year is unclear because of the low-flowing the Dolores River. Festivalgoers may need to bring inner tubes this year for the traditional parade float through town.
The Dolores River Festival is organized by Greater Dolores Action, as a fundraiser for community projects, including river cleanup days, conservation education, fishing and boating access and historic preservation.
“We are a project-driven, nonpolitical organization with a mission to improve the Dolores area through enhancement projects,” said GDA president Scott Clow.
Some of their projects include:
Partnering with the Dolores River Boating Advocates and the U.S. Forest Service for a new boat ramp on the upper Dolores River, just downstream of Stoner.Removing old cars from the Dolores River, especially around “car-body alley,” near the Colorado State Wildlife Area.Partnering with the Town of Dolores, the U.S. Forest Service and others to install fish habitat and stream restoration structures between the Fourth Street bridge and the Lost Canyon confluence.Funding on an annual basis for the Slickrock Gage on the Lower Dolores River. They plan to donate at least $1,000 yearly to keep the gage operational.There are still openings for volunteers, who will get free entry to the festival.
For more information and discounted tickets, go to the Dolores River Festival website.