The Snowbird Mountain Music Festival was held July 10-12 at the Snowbird Resort, located in Little Cottonwood Canyon above the Salt Lake Valley. It is a new event, not the folk and bluegrass festival held for several years on the same weekend at the same resort as an Intermountain Acoustic Music Association event.

Snowbird is a beautiful setting and the new main stage on the Peruvian Terrace was framed with impressive, sculptured cliffs.  What great photographic opportunities for the artists! Snowbird management was obviously hoping to retain the audiences from the past folk/Bluegrass festivals and add a Country fan base as well. The space did seem packed with Country fans on Friday and Saturday night for Son Volt, Cowboy Junkies and Old 97’s. The folk, singer/songwriter and Bluegrass artists did not get the larger audiences.

There was enough talent to draw in Bluegrass lovers. It was varied enough to please fans of all ages and expose everyone to new talent and experimental sounds. Who doesn’t admire the energy of the young Belleville Outfit and  Greencards? The seasoned sounds of The Seldom Scene and Alison Brown Quartet fed our Bluegrass souls.  There were amazing musicians to watch in each group. It was a joy to be there. But numbers of paying acoustic/bluegrass fans were down from years past.

This new festival is sponsored by the Snowbird Renaissance Center (SRC). This is a non-profit arm of Snowbird to foster cultural, educational and artistic events. Speaking from my educational and music background, I hope they can maximize their mission. The survival of folk and Bluegrass depends on pulling in young musicians and cultivating new interests. The band camp performance was a delight to watch. The singer/songwriters were inspiring.

However, for me a real music festival is more than listening to good music. It is becoming immersed in the musical experience. It is watching the professionals and becoming inspired. It’s playing, learning new licks, sharing songs and feeling part of the community there.  Jamming has always been limited at Snowbird by their corporate clients and tourists.  It was even more so, this year because meetings were being held during the day in the lodge. It’s also a pricy resort. A three day festival needs a grocery store close by for us poor musicians.

Parking was an even bigger problem this year because the bike event had expanded. Snowbird provides a shuttle bus and a good natured driver. However, if this is a family event and you are coming to play music and stay for the day, you have children, sweaters, food, and instruments. The walk to the bathrooms from the Pond Stage where contests and band scramble was held was long, especially carrying a child. Of course it is the staff’s responsibility to maximize the numbers on property.

Our family likes to camp at festivals so we tried out Tanner Flat. It has been misnamed since nothing there is flat. It is a beautiful camping experience and the individual spaces provide privacy and beauty. The hardworking hosts keep restrooms clean and areas safe. However, even if the musicians could organize to camp in the group spaces, the area guidelines would be to end jamming at 10:00 pm.

There is always trade-offs in life. I have finally come to realize that we are not going to create a Strawberry Festival experience in Utah because there is just not the venue for it nor the crowds to pay the dollars to support it.  If we want to see national acoustic talent, we need to put their money where our hearts are. I’m wondering how many Bluegrass musicians will be on the Snowbird Mountain Music Festival next year. From my event promotion experience, I think they’ll be far more Country acts. Granted, the rain may have deterred some fans, but Pagosa Springs devotees come expecting to be rained on at least once a day.

Next year, I intend to support the folk and Bluegrass musicians at Snowbird Mountain Music Festival because I would like to see the opportunity continue. I would also like to enroll all of you in supporting concerts in the area because without your support, they can’t continue. We also have the opportunity to support a true Bluegrass festival at Ft. Buenaventura in Ogden. It has great potential and if we want these experiences to happen, they need our support.

Snowbird Mountain Music Lineup

Friday, July 10, 2009
Cowboy Junkies, Son Volt, Justin Townes Earle

Saturday, July 11, 2009
Old 97’s, Alison Brown Quartet, The Seldom Scene, Bearfoot, The Bellville Outfit, Jim Lauderdale, T.R. Richie, The Doc Young Band

Sunday, July 12
Darrell Scott, Steel Drivers, The Greencards, T.R. Richie, Tift Merritt, Hammer Down, Abalone Dots, The Nay Family Band, Kate Macleod, Steve Seskin, Dan Weldon