Flatirons Sessions: Boulder-born bands celebrate induction into Colorado Music Hall of Fame

Dec. 8—It's no secret that Colorado has produced some pretty incredible music throughout the years.

From Aspen-dwelling icon John Denver to chart-topping groups like OneRepublic, The Fray, The Lumineers and Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, the Centennial State is never lacking when it comes to originators crafting unforgettable hits.

"Colorado does seem to breed creativity," said Karen Radman, executive director of Colorado Music Hall of Fame. "According to the National Endowment for the Arts, Colorado is ranked the No. 1 state in the country with the largest percentage of residents who perform or create art. It must have something to do with the 300 days of sunshine Colorado gets. Our majestic mountains and landscapes are certainly inspirational."

Colorado Music Hall of Fame's museum, located at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre Trading Post, offers visitors exhibits that shine a light on the creatives responsible for stellar songs. Admission is always free, but donations are encouraged, at this center of memorabilia, artifacts, photography, video biographies and more.

"Whatever Colorado's magic potion of creativity is, we're doing it right and have been producing unbelievable talent in not just music, but in so many of the creative arts," Radman said.

During Thanksgiving week, Leftover Salmon — legendary jamgrass group that has taken stages for over 30 years — played to packed houses at Boulder Theater. Not just ordinary gigs, the late-November shows ushered in the band's official induction into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame.

"I was honored to attend and participate in Leftover Salmon's induction into Colorado Music Hall of Fame," Radman said. "The Hall's founder, Chuck Morris, presented the induction to the band, and I, along with longtime board member "Pasta Jay" — Jay Elowsky — and volunteer Bob Fontneau, cheered them on from the stage."

Tickets for Leftover Salmon's Nov. 25 show went fast, a testament to the devotion of local fans who've witnessed the band's steady journey upstream.

"Watching the sold-out crowd at the Boulder Theater go wild when Salmon was inducted was awe-inspiring," Radman said. "There is no doubt that Leftover Salmon — one of Colorado's original jam bands and architects of jamgrass — has amassed an impressive following over the past three decades."

Leftover Salmon is currently on tour. The band is playing this week at Strings and Sol — an all-inclusive bluegrass festival vacation experience in Puerto Morelos, Mexico. At the sold-out event, concertgoers can enjoy a beachside view and performances by Yonder Mountain String Band, Big Richard, Greensky Bluegrass and others.

Starting on Dec. 30, Leftover Salmon will perform a two-night run at Salvage Station in Asheville, N.C. In January, the boys will head to Anchorage, Alaska, for more dates. In early March, the band will perform at the 10th annual Winter Wondergrass in Steamboat Springs.

Radman feels lucky to have been able to honor the influential group — that soulfully dips into everything from Cajun and Zydeco to country and rock — at a beloved Boulder venue before members embarked on tour.

"Having a thousand of their fans present for their induction into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame was the epitome of the celebration and recognition that they deserve for the impact they've had on not just Colorado music, but music in general," Radman said.

Leftover Salmon is part of a star-studded group of 2021 honorees that Colorado Music Hall of Fame has labeled The Flatirons Sessions. Other honorees in this class include The String Cheese Incident, Yonder Mountain String Band, Hot Rize and the Fox Theatre.

"The original plan was for the Hall of Fame to host an induction concert last year like we've always done — with all of the inductees from The Flatirons Sessions induction class of 2021 — but the pandemic had other ideas for this class," Radman said. "Most of these bands are actively touring and making up for touring time lost during the pandemic. It was proving too difficult to find a date that worked for everyone, and we were getting further and further away from 2021 — their official induction year."

Fans should keep an eye out for the potential inductions of String Cheese Incident and Yonder Mountain String Band.

On Nov. 4, the influential concert hall on the Hill, Fox Theatre, was inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame at one of the concerts celebrating the venue's 30th anniversary featuring New York jam band, Moe.

In addition to Leftover Salmon and the Fox being inducted in person, Hot Rize also was awarded at July 2022's RockyGrass at Planet Bluegrass in Lyons.

"It always feels good to be recognized for a creative effort," said Nick Forster, member of Hot Rize and founder of eTown Hall — a venue that is also a Colorado Music Hall of Fame inductee. "That recognition can come from things like tickets sales or record sales, but the Colorado Music Hall Of Fame inducting Hot Rize was more about our career and our legacy, how much Hot Rize influenced the landscape of bluegrass and acoustic music in our state. It felt good to be honored in that way, especially on stage at RockyGrass where we've played so many times."

Hot Rize was founded in the 1970s and quickly rose to fame becoming International Bluegrass Music Association's very first Entertainers of the Year. The talented group remains a steady influence on the genre. With all living members performing over the summer in Lyons, it was a perfect opportunity to celebrate the group's impact.

"Hall of Fame board member, Patricia Calhoun — better known as the founder/editor of Westword — and I did the honors on stage in front of the RockyGrass audience, who hadn't known that they were going to be part of Colorado music history in the making," Radman said, "as the induction was not announced ahead of time."

While no Hot Rize dates are currently scheduled for 2023, fans can likely catch Forster on stage as he often lends his musical skills to other acts. A few years back, he launched Hippy Bluegrass Church, a rotating feel-good nondenominational community sing-along.

From "Bittersweet" group Big Head Todd and the Monsters to the countless musicians — such as Elton John, Carole King and Peter Frampton — who recorded magical tracks at the iconic Caribou Ranch near Nederland, Colorado continues to produce musical content that stands the test of time.

"We are so proud that two Colorado Music Hall of Famers are nominated for Grammy awards in 2023 — Yonder Mountain String Band for Best Bluegrass Album and Judy Collins for Best Folk Album," Radman said.

In the year ahead, Colorado Music Hall of Fame will deliver more offerings with the hope to have a greater reach.

"Colorado Music Hall of Fame has exciting plans for 2023," Radman said. "After witnessing how deeply the pandemic impacted the music industry, this year the Hall of Fame adopted a new mission statement to celebrate, promote and support Colorado's music community and, along with it, new programming planned for next year."

Both the Beatles and Joe Cocker sang about getting by with "a little help from my friends." Colorado Music Hall of Fame has a goal to help those in the community who suffer with substance abuse and more.

"To support a healthy music community, the Hall is developing a mental wellness program to destigmatize the conversation around mental health and addiction to raise awareness, share resources and provide mini-grants to Colorado musicians and industry professionals who are struggling," Radman said.

The mini-grant program is anticipated to launch in May 2023. Radman and crew have also already started to brainstorm who new inductees will be, but details will be shared at a later date.

"The Hall of Fame is also spearheading a campaign to promote Colorado's vibrant music culture," Radman said. "Folks should be seeing the first phase of this campaign on digital billboards across the state beginning in January, but that will be just the start."