Swallow Hill Music returns to Left Hand Brewing in Longmont with an expanded concert series this summer and fall. Using bluegrass as a launching point, the four-concert series highlights high-energy artists who are ready to demonstrate how far they can push the genre into new sonic territories.
- Wisconsin funkgrassers Armchair Boogie kicks things off on July 19. Americana Highways calls them “a quartet known for sparks and energy,” that Jerry Garcia would have liked, with tunes that “come down to one big factor: fun.”
- The Fretliners are up next on August 16. The Lyons-based band put Colorado audiences on notice by winning both band competitions at Telluride Bluegrass and Rockygrass festivals in 2023 with their mix of traditional and progressive bluegrass.
- Saving Country Music praises the bluegrass and Americana of Colby T. Helms & The Virginia Creepers for being “raw and ragged, but with a sneaky proficiency that doesn’t get in the way of the realness of the songs.” A young man who is wise beyond his years, Colby and his band take the stage at Left Hand on September 13.
- Fireside Collective closes out the series on October 11. The virtuoso progressive bluegrass quintet from Asheville, NC are known for their heartfelt, high-energy concerts. No Depression praises them for their “pure bluegrass sound,” with a “vocal and instrumental sound…so clean” that it never sacrifices “sound for speed.”
TICKETS: Get your tickets to Swallow Hill Music Concerts at Left Hand Brewing
The concerts take place at The Garden, Left Hand Brewing’s outdoor events space located at their Longmont brewery site. Featuring six rotating taps with a wide selection of cans, music lovers will have their pick of fresh beer to enjoy during the concerts. Also available are canned cocktails, wine, cider and nonalcoholic beverages. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs to relax on the grass, or meet under shaded tables by the bar.
Left Hand Brewing is located at 1245 Boston Ave, Longmont, CO.
Last September Swallow Hill partnered with Left Hand Brewing for the first time to present a trio of bluegrass bands at the brewery’s Longmont headquarters. Hundreds of enthusiastic fans turned out and both sides of the partnership knew they had something special.
“We know that Longmont is at the epicenter of the Front Range’s vital and dynamic bluegrass scene, and that Left Hand has supported that scene all along,” Swallow Hill Music’s CEO Jessy Clark said. “Partnering with them made a lot of sense, and after the success of last year’s concert, we were both ready to expand into a series.”
The partnership developed at an ideal time for the Denver-based music nonprofit Swallow Hill as it seeks to expand its programming into all seven counties of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). As a nonprofit, ticket purchases to Swallow Hill productions including the Left Hand Brewing concerts support the organization’s mission of bringing more music to the Denver metro community through concerts, music classes, and preschool music programs.
“We’re so excited to partner with Swallow Hill to bring this amazing concert series to life in The Garden,” said Jill Preston, Marketing Director at Left Hand Brewing. “Their passion for live, local music perfectly aligns with our mission to build community. It’s all about good vibes, great tunes, and coming together under the Colorado sky.”
Tickets are on sale now, get complete details below. Thank you for supporting live music in Colorado with Swallow Hill Music and Left Hand Brewing!
Swallow Hill Music at Left Hand Brewing
All concerts begin at 6pm (5pm doors).
Armchair Boogie w/ Chuck Sitero
Saturday, July 19
Jamgrass, newgrass, funkgrass, whatever you want to call it— Armchair Boogie is rapidly becoming one of the country’s hottest acts. The Wisconsin-based quartet is known for their powerful harmonies, timeless originals, and choice covers, along with unforgettable live performances. Listing them as a “Must-See Roots Artists at Bourbon & Beyond,” The Bluegrass Situation wrote, “we recently caught this jammy Wisconsin outfit at Earl Scruggs Music Festival, where they burnt down their late-night set.”
The Fretliners w/ Shovelin Stone
Saturday, August 16
The Fretliners are a genuine and powerful bluegrass quartet recognized for their songwriting and undeniable chemistry. Their newfound camaraderie produces an energy that is as infectious on stage as it is on record. So much so that in the summer of 2023, they won both band competitions at Telluride Bluegrass and Rockygrass festivals—a feat that had only been accomplished once before. With one eye on the rear-view, inspired by that traditional high lonesome sound, The Fretliners navigate a road less traveled into the peaks of Rocky Mountain original bluegrass.
Colby T. Helms & The Virginia Creepers w/ Friendly Reminders
Saturday, September 13
Hailing from Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, Colby T. Helms taught himself guitar, banjo, and mandolin by watching local performers and YouTube videos. With starkly honest songwriting and a sharp angular twang to his vocals, he struck a dynamic balance between country storytelling, bluegrass energy, and blues power. He caught the attention of Photo Finish Records and inked a deal with the label in 2023. Now, he’s shining a light on a very special part of America and offering up hope.
Fireside Collective w/ Charlie Stevens
Saturday, October 11
Fireside Collective is a quintet who blend the characteristic interplay of bluegrass instrumentation and harmonies with strong original material and exuberant energy. Cheerfully disregarding every kind of one-dimensional label that might be attached to their music, the Asheville, NC-based band draws on folk, blues, funk and a wide variety of bluegrass sounds to create a distinctive body of work that’s all their own.