One of the things that really sets northern New Mexico and Southwest Colorado apart is our relative isolation. Southern Colorado is too far away from the bustle of exploding Denver for most people. As a result, Durango and Pagosa Springs have been somewhat left out of the hype that is sweeping so much of Colorado. If you attend the Four Corners Folk Festival on Labor Day, you realize what a wonderful little enclave we have here.
Every year for the last 22 years, people in Pagosa Springs have been putting on a folk music festival on Reservoir Hill above the old part of town. At first it was just folding chairs and locals. Over time the festival has grown and attracted some of the greats of Americana music, people such as Keb Mo, Ruthie Foster, Drew Emmet, Chris Thile, Bela Fleck, and Elephant Revival. Mixed in have been a wide range of musicians who have wowed the roughly 3000 people who come every year.
Unlike the Telluride Bluegrass Festival that sells out in days and attracts almost 10,000 people, Four Corners is very low key. People sit in a meadow among the Ponderosa pines and a large tent is set up with the sides open to protect the bands and the most dedicated listeners. Children run around happily and enjoy programs for kids. Adults can enjoy Colorado beer (from Breckenridge this year), or food trucks and shopping for psychedelic clothes etc. You can spread out your tarp and kick back with friends from all over the region or you can go in the stage tent where people really listen closely to the music.
In A Grove
After 22 years, the festival really works well. Campers can camp on the hill just outside the venue or they can camp by the San Juan River down in town. You can soak at any of the three commercial hot springs near the venue or soak in a free pool in the town park east of the bridge to the Springs. The festival is run by staff and volunteers. The stage staff is fully professional, changing band setups quickly and without problems many times a day.
This year the music was exceptional. Sunday night peaked with the Sam Bush Band followed by the David Grisman Trio. These are the grand priests of progressive music. Sam Bush is lively and unsurpassed in his musical abilities on the mandolin and fiddle. His band is beyond description, true masters of their instruments. He always brings new energy and innovation to his shows and he gets a sustained standing ovation every time. Sam is an American treasure.
David Grisman hails from the Bay Area. He played with Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead on some of the early albums like American Beauty and Workingman’s Dead. His own career involved decades of acoustic jazz with such people as Tony Rice. Near the end of Jerry Garcia’s life, he was a very close friend, coaxing some of the last really great music out of Jerry at Jerry’s home in San Rafael, California. His real love for Garcia spanned decades.
Grisman is a master mandolin player. He played with his son Samson and guitarist and banjo expert Danny Barnes. Sam Bush joined them for a few pieces but the beauty and mastery of their performance really followed the excitement of the Sam Bush Band with real beauty. The crowd was on their feet though the music was often like a classical trio.
This is the sort of thing that the Four Corners Folk Festival pulls off. They are low key, understated and local but they bring in national or international acts. They are closely tied to KSUT Public Radio out of Durango/Ignacio.
The remoteness of Southwest Colorado really helps maintain this sort of experience. For example, when Sam Bush announced that his drummer Chris Brown is originally from Albuquerque, half the crowd cheered wildly. Sam paused and said “we’ve never gotten that response before.” Well, Sam, that’s because it’s a small region and its unlikely that a guy from Albuquerque would end up in a band with a true master and we are very proud and happy he did.
See you next Labor Day in Pagosa Springs.
