CrestFest 2009 Lineup - Headliners & Regional Bands

Local Bands | Schedule

(Times are subject to change...)

The Edgar Winter Band- Saturday, August 8, 8 p.m.

See the Edgar Winter Band here.

We're very excited to present Edgar Winter on Saturday, August 8 at 8 p.m. Edgar is best known for his innovative #1 hit "Frankenstein" and his top ten mega-hit “Free Ride.” Edgar invented the keyboard body strap and was the first artist to feature a synthesizer as the main instrument in a song. “Frankenstein” revolutionized rock and roll and opened up a whole new world of possibilities with experimentation and sound.  Edgar has found an audience in every major entertainment medium--music, film and television. His music encompasses many different genres, including rock, jazz, blues, and pop. His album “They Only Come Out at Night” peaked at the number three position on the Billboard Hot 200 and stayed on the charts for an impressive 80 weeks. It was certified double platinum in November 1986. With over 20 albums and numerous collaborative efforts to his credit, he can also be heard in no fewer than fifteen film and television projects. His new album “Rebel Road” has garnered rave reviews, and he also regularly tours with Ringo Starr’s All Starr Band. Edgar and his five-piece band continue to thrill audiences with their live performances, always remaining on the cutting edge of music and style.

Papa Grows Funk - Sunday, August 9, 6 p.m.

See Papa Grows Funk here.

Papa Grows Funk will deliver the funk on Sunday, August 9 at 6 p.m. PGF's tight grooves re-define the funk-jam band. Tethered by the slinky Hammond B3 and gravel pit vocals of bandleader John "Papa" Gros," the band is a "who's-who" of New Orleans' best musicians. Morphing guitarist June Yamagishi is an original member of Japan's first blues combo, The West Road Blues Band and has inspired two documentaries entitled "June Yamagishi in New Orleans" from his native Japan. Saxophonist Jason "Big Wind" Mingledorff cleanly articulates the knee-dropping funk sustained by bassist Marc Pero and Jeffrey "Jellybean" Alexander on the drums.

Influenced by The Meters, Dr. John and The Neville Brothers, Papa Grows Funk parcels it out New Orleans-style. One is treated to a booty shaking set of Mardi Gras funk, original material, improvised jams and fresh interpretations of New Orleans classics. These five musicians seamlessly shift gears while never losing the essential groove.

The band's fourth CD, Mr. Patterson's Hat, debuted on Jambands.com at #1 while it held its own for 24 weeks on the Roots Music Report and CMJ Jazz Chart. Suffice it to say, the CD and the band continues to deliver and far exceed expectations, as it will for years to come.

The Last To Know w/Flying Desert Brigade - Friday, 8 p.m.

Listen to The Last To Know here.

Returning by popular demand this year is The Last To Know out of Taos, New Mexico. They have been performing their style of "discofunkgrass" since 1999. They've shared the bill with Hot Buttered Rum String Band, The Motet, Culture, the Vince Herman Trio, the Skatalites, and Leftover Salmon. The Taos News says, "If a band could be designed to play a summer jam fest in the mountains, this is it."

Planet O - Saturday, 6:15 p.m.

Listen to Planet O here.

Planet O, formed in 1997, has toured extensively throughout the southwest and western states, sharing the stage with Ray Charles, Frank Zappa, Steve Vai, Leon Russell, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Little Feat.  The gravitational pull of Planet O is so strong, audience members have often remarked at how compelled they felt to “get up and dance.”  This phenomenon can be attributed to the unusual vibrational make up of Planet O, which —through careful analysis— appears to layer the heavy beats of reggae with a trace of blues, a twinkling of jazz, and a heavy dose of funk.  Don’t miss out on this infectious sensation of rhythm and sound.  If Planet O doesn’t take you away, your own dancing, leaping, skipping feet surely will!

Lion SoulJahs - Sunday, 4:15 p.m.

Listen to Lion SoulJahs here.

These highly respected Denver-based musicians are some of the region’s most talented and experienced artists, deeply rooted in reggae tradition.  Lion SoulJahs play an eclectic fusion of conscious roots and high-energy dancehall rhythms to please even the most critical of audiences. Lion SoulJahs have backed up Kymani Marley, Frankie Paul, and Sammy Dread, and opened for some of reggae's biggest and best acts including Damian "Jr Gong" Marley, Stephen Marley, Ziggy Marley, The Wailers, Yellowman, Burning Spear, Jimmy Cliff, Beres Hammond, Black Uhuru, Third World and Sizzla. They have also performed at some of Colorado's best-known venues including the Gothic Theater, the Fox Theater in Boulder, and Red Rocks Amphitheater for Reggae on the Rocks.

Boulder Acoustic Society - Saturday, 4:45 p.m.

See Boulder Acoustic Society here.

Old school but never old, Boulder Acoustic Society is the new wave of American roots music. It's what happens when four songwriters get together to mash up blues, folk, gospel, indie and world music to soothe their musical curiosity. Whether it's a festival stage, performing arts center, dive bar or a late night campground set, B.A.S. delivers musical diversity throughout their set as if it's normal. B.A.S.'s unique lineup is violin, accordion, bass and percussion, supporting sharp vocal hooks and powerful grooves. The energy that B.A.S. brings to a stage can tip a festival into overdrive or mesmerize a club audience as they dance into the wee hours. All of this comes from four guys who wear vintage clothes and rock the ukulele.

Crestone Kaminari Taiko - Saturday, 3:30 p.m.

Many thanks to the Shumei International Institute for bringing Taiko Drummers from Japan to our humble little town once again. It is an honor to have such a high profile international act grace our stage. They create a mesmerizing choreographed explosion of energy and beauty.

Nosotros - Sunday, 2:45 p.m.

See Nosotros here.

Nosotros seamlessly combines Latin rhythms with the elements of Flamenco, Jazz, Salsa, and Rock, creating an original sound that is unmistakably Nosotros. The award-winning ensemble began as a guitar trio in 1994 and was based in the southern New Mexico town of Las Cruces. In early 2001, Nosotros combined its line up with the local jazz trio Quantum.  By September 2001, Nosotros was selling out shows and relocated to the Albuquerque/Santa Fe area, firmly establishing themselves as one of the most popular bands in New Mexico. In November of 2003, Nosotros released their album, self-titled “Nosotros.” This album received numerous awards, cementing the group’s reputation as a Latin music powerhouse.

Theano & Chuck Lamb - Saturday, 2:15 p.m.

Listen to Theano & Chuck Lamb here.

 Chuck Lamb co-founded the group Dry Jack, with which he released two internationally acclaimed albums of his music and was cited in The Rolling Stone History of Music.  Joining forces with vocalist and composer Theano, who was named best jazz musician in 1993 in Westword Arts Weekly, the duo has garnered global acclaim for their unique and beautiful recordings as well as their inspired live performances.  Their music is eclectic, fusing world rhythms with varied styles – based on improvisation, with the spirit and roots of jazz at the core. 

Low Flying Knobs - Sunday, 1:30 p.m.

Listen to the Low Flying Knobs here.

Formed in 1994 as an all women’s Afro-pop marimba ensemble, the “Knobs” play traditional and contemporary music from Zimbabwe, South Africa and other areas of the African diaspora.  Their repertoire is largely influenced by the traditional instrument of Zimbabwe, the mbira dza vadzimu, or thumb piano. In addition to the mbira, their instrumentation includes seven marimbas, drums, vocals, hosho (traditional gourd shakers) and percussion.  The Low Flying Knobs are committed to supporting women and girls in Zimbabwe, and a portion of their proceeds are donated annually to charities working in Zimbabwe to improve daily living conditions and access to education.  Their music is upbeat, engaging, danceable and will make you rock!

The Rifters - Sunday, 12:00 p.m.

The Rifters formed in 2002 in the fertile and creative music scene of Taos, New Mexico from members of two popular bands already active in the area ~ Jim Bradley and Don Richmond of Hired Hands, and Rod Taylor of the Rounders. In their own words, “It’s music that comes from where we come from – both from the high desert and mountain landscape of our home and from the background and experiences of our lives – sort of a laid-back high-energy gentle giant old blue-buffalo-grama-grassy, cowboy, folky, shake-a-leg with a smile sort of thing. A rift is a split or a gap, sort of like the Rio Grande Rift that we all live on or around. But this music is more about bridging gaps. For us the music is what ties all the different times and places together.”

Beth Quist - Sunday, 10:30 a.m.

Listen to Beth Quist here.

Beth Quist is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and composer, who began playing piano at age 2. Her early musical influences were "Batman," "Star Trek," and "Dr. Zhivago." "I'm a Little Leopard Prowling Around in Sneakers" was her first musical composition at age 8. She has a 4-octave soprano voice, and plays piano, keyboards, santour (hammered dulcimer), dumbek, daff, guitar, flute, and various other toys that she can get her hands on. Her music combines influences from the Balkans, the Middle East, and India with her Western upbringing. She was lead soprano and instrumentalist for the creation band in Cirque du Soleil's "KA", and currently performs solo, with Sherefe, and sings with Bobby McFerrin's Voicestra.