The Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Experience took place from September 4–6 at Snowmass Town Park, delivering its usual mix of big headliners and unexpected discoveries. I made it to a couple of events over the weekend starting with a JAS After Dark show at the Paul JAS Center in Aspen.
Saturday was a first for the Paul Center with its inaugural EDM booking featuring Berlin-based producer Jan Blomqvist. What made the set even more remarkable was Blomqvist’s day. He’d started off by playing a 1:30 a.m. set on the playa at Burning Man in Nevada, then traveled to Aspen for his 11 p.m. show that night. If he was tired, it didn’t show. The red lasers turned the intimate venue into something closer to a warehouse, and the room was energetic from the first track. For a festival best known for jazz, blues, and Americana, watching JAS stretch into electronic music at the Paul Center was genuinely exciting to witness and right up my alley.
On Sunday, several friends and I headed to Snowmass Town Park for the closing day of the main festival with Kingfish, Bonnie Raitt, and The Red Clay Strays on the Main Stage, and local favorite Jes Grew on a sidestage.
Backed by her longtime band, Bonnie Raitt’s voice sounded as rich and controlled as ever, and her slide guitar work was a reminder of exactly why she’s spent decades as one of the most respected musicians in American roots music.
The Red Clay Strays followed, making their first-ever visit to Aspen. The Alabama roots-rock band brought a raw, soulful energy, making it easy to see why they’ve been generating so much buzz nationally.
The music doesn’t stop after the weekend – JAS keeps a regular presence in downtown Aspen year-round with the Paul Center, and one event on my radar is their Tuesday Open Mic Night, which reportedly draws a solid crop of local talent looking to test out new material in front of a live crowd. I haven’t made it to one yet, but after this weekend, it’s on my list.
To see more of what’s happening in Aspen, click here:
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- Travis Beard, Dani and Kris Myers, and Tara and JR Spung close out the weekend at JAS Labor Day Experience. May Selby photo.
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- Berlin-based producer Jan Blomqvist at the Paul JAS Center over Labor Day weekend. May Selby photo.
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- Brandon Coleman co-founder of The Red Clay Strays from Mobile, Alabama, is the lead singer and also plays acoustic guitar. May Selby photo.
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- Tillie Walton and Andrew Rachlin at Bonnie Raitt. May Selby photo.
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- Tony and Jennifer Ward, Joey and Lisa Santoro, Jim O’Leary, and Chris Vaughn. May Selby photo.
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- Bonnie Raitt closing out the weekend with a Sunday set. May Selby photo.
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- Matthew and Missi Tapper with their daughter Willow at JAS Labor Day Experience. May Selby photo.
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- Bruce Etkin and Laurel Gilbert in town for Labor Day Fest. May Selby photo.
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- JAS crew Darcy Conover, JJ Jones, Rocio de la Cruz, and Hannah Childe. May Selby photo.
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- Alex Liberman and Steve Goff. May Selby photo.
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- Jan Louthis, Ezra Louthis and Janice Louthis at Jazz Aspen Snowmass. May Selby photo.
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- The Mollie Aspen team in the VIP section at JAS Labor Day Experience. May Selby photo.
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- Jill and Clay Patrick Lowery. May Selby photo.
