Avon, Colo., May 19, 2022 — Down valley music matters, and the return of the free Alpine Bank ShowDown Town concerts at Eagle Town Park on Thursday nights will once again be the community gathering place with live music, picnics galore, food and drink vendors and more.
“It’s always amazing to see the streets of Eagle flooded with friends and families on their bikes and on foot, all converging on Eagle Town Park each Thursday to enjoy an impressive lineup of free concerts,” said Ross Leonhart, with the Vail Valley Foundation. “With stunning sunsets and plenty of room to hang out, ShowDown Town is a staple of the down valley music scene in the summer.”
Grab your blanket, your picnic and your friends, and head on down Eagle Town Park on Thursday nights starting June 30 for Alpine Bank ShowDown Town. Concerts start at 6:30 p.m.
Here’s a look at this year’s lineup:
The Altons (June 30)
How would you characterize the sound of Southeast LA? The Altons, natives of the region, combine dust kicked up from backyard parties with evening Art Laboe listening sessions, evoking a sound that veers far from the shadows.
The Altons curate a ballad of retro-indie-soul that has captivated local audiences for several years, quickly driving them to become a staple of the scene. Their distinct sound caught the attention of Daptone Records co-founder Gabe Roth, who was in the process of starting Penrose Records, a subsidiary label to Daptone highlighting the emerging soul-scene growing in Southern California, where The Altons fit perfectly. Their Penrose debut “When You Go (That’s When You’ll Know)” was KCRW’s Today’s Top Tune, and their most recent single, “Tangled Up In You,” has been featured on “Soulection Radio.”
Robby Peoples (July 7)
Robby Peoples was born in Jackson, Mississippi. His childhood was steeped in the Delta blues tradition and oozes out in his lyrics about hardship, family, women and booze. His storytelling is only ousted by his fiery harmonica playing which has allowed him to share the stage with Leon Russel, Black Joe Lewis, Delbert McClinton and more. Make no mistake, though, Robby Peoples is as rock and roll as Elvis Presley and as American as a Chevrolet.
Ryan Dart (July 14)
Farmer. Father. Musician. Painter.
Ryan Dart’s music encompasses the worlds that he lives in. You can’t sing about needing rain unless you really know what it means to need rain. As a grandson of the dust bowl and a steward of the land, Dart’s unique blend of modern knowledge and continual search for forgotten truths has led to this most recent collection “Edge of the Wild.” Dart sings scenes from underneath a Roman Colosseum to frame standout lines like, “Trying to tell myself the truth / Looking for the same in you,” or longing for a return to the road with the album’s opening track “Ready for the Road.” Dart showcases his significant lyrical evolution since his first release a decade ago with pandemic- and quarantine-inspired tracks like “Loves Gone Outta Style” and “Right or Wrong.”
“In a world where it’s increasingly difficult to find something real to connect with, Ryan Dart and his music do just that,” says Daniel Sproul (Rose Hill Drive, Ryan Bingham, Hard Working Americans). “There’s no mistaking the soul and authenticity that he brings with his lyrics and tunes. Edge of the Wild gives you all of that and more.”
The new album, “Edge Of The Wild,” debuted in April.
Sam Bee and the Form Troopers (July 21)
Sam E. Bee and the Form Troopers feature an Eagle County local along with some Denver superstars ready to funk you up at a moment’s notice. After realizing he was never going to make it as a hand model, Samuel Elliot Bee decided to join together with The Form Troopers, one of Colorado’s brightest, best looking and well dressed duos in Connor Williams and William Whiting. The three got together for writing sessions and local gigs and quickly realized they needed a ringer for the bunch. Due to Williams’ connections and personality, they were able to obtain the velvety sounds of Chantil Dukart on keys. Together, they feature funk and soul music with originals and covers that make people move.
Babaux & the Peacemakers (July 28)
Babaux & the Peacemakers is a Colorado-based roots-rock quartet led by singer-songwriter and dobro player Cristian Basso, aka Babaux. Basso wrote the song material for their debut release “Lucky 13,” which will drop in July ahead of their ShowDown Town performance. The title of the record reflects the number of albums Babaux has written and produced to date. Basso has played alongside of musical greats such as Bo Diddley, Leo Nocentelli (The Meters), Papa Mali, Particle and Eric Lindell. The Peacemakers are made up of three multi-talented songwriters, producers, engineers and musicians and include Eric Martinez on guitar, as well as Alana and Niek Velvis on drums and bass respectively. Each Peacemaker is credited for co-producing their new recording, “Lucky 13.”
These blues-roots driven songs are inspired by a time experienced in Basso’s childhood years. He grew up being surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia where his mother was a music promoter.
“It’s been amazing to work with the Peacemakers and the Peacemaker Family who all continue to inspire with their multi-talented ways,” says Basso. “The chemistry amongst the band was immediate and positive. It was what drove us in the studio and it made for a mutually refreshing and rejuvenating musical effort.”
Quemando Salsa (Aug. 4)
Based out of Boulder, Quemando Salsa has been satisfying the music scene for 12 years now. This high-energy 11-piece band performs traditional and contemporary sounds of Latin music, comprised of a Cuban style drum kit, Timbales, Congas, bass, piano, five vocalists and a three-piece horn section. The members of the band are collectively from Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Panama and the USA.
Quemando performs the beautiful music of Salsa legends such as Gloria Estefan, Marc Anthony, Celia Cruz, Poncho Sanchez as well as putting a Latin twist on popular artists such as The Beatles and Frank Sinatra.
This energetic and elegant band has opened for well-known artists such as Sheryl Crow at Jazz Aspen Snowmass in 2016 as well as other regional music festivals.
Dawson Hollow (Aug. 11)
Dawson Hollow is an American indie-folk-rock band formed in 2016 by five siblings who have been touring, writing and making music together since 2001. Dawson Hollow’s unique brand of entertainment fuses the cinematic colors of pop, nostalgic string elements of Americana and iconic five-part harmonies. Based out of the Ozark Mountains of Missouri, Dawson Hollow’s high-energy performances offer supporting lyrics that carry a hopeful undertone.
More information: Visit www.vvf.org/showdown-town
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About the Vail Valley Foundation
The Vail Valley Foundation is a 501c3 Colorado nonprofit corporation with a mission to enhance the quality of life in the Vail Valley and showcase our community to a global audience through arts, athletics and education.
The organization’s work in education is through YouthPower365, a 501c3 Colorado nonprofit corporation with a mission to provide year-round extended learning opportunities that empower and educate the youth and families of Eagle County from cradle-to-career readiness. The Vail Valley Foundation also provides the Vail Valley with several of its most treasured annual events, such as the GoPro Mountain Games, the Xfinity Birds of Prey Audi FIS Ski World Cup races, the Vail Dance Festival, and the Hot Summer Nights and ShowDown Town free concert series. The Vail Valley Foundation also manages and operates two performing arts centers, the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek Village and the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail, providing more than 100 Broadway, dance, comedy, classical, rock, pop, jazz, community and family events per year.
Vail Valley Foundation activities and events are in part made possible by cornerstone partners: the Town of Vail, Vail Resorts, Beaver Creek Resort Company, GMC, Nature Valley and CELSIUS Energy.
To learn more about the Vail Valley Foundation visit www.vvf.org.