The Mountain-Ear Podcast

Last year, the Jamestown Mercantile started a brand new event known as the Cosmic Winter Wonderfest, and this year, it's coming back! On today's episode of the podcast, we talk to the owner of the Merc, Rainbow Shultz, about last year's event, what to expect for this year's event, and hopes for the Merc in general!  Our theme song is courtesy of singer-songwriter Brittney Wagne...

Daniel Rodriguez spent much of his time living in Nederland. While he now lives in Lyons, he still keeps Nederland close to his heart and calls the town the source of his musical roots. From the band’s formation in 2006 to its primary dissolution in 2018, Rodriguez served as the guitar and banjo player of Elephant Revival. He was also one of the founders and key songwriters of the group. Once the...

Groundhog Day is celebrated every year in the US on February 2nd, and we're gearing up to celebrate early! For this segment of The Mountain-Ear Podcast, we'll hear from Maryann Rosen about celebrating Groundhog Day! Or should we say Marmot Day? Our theme song is courtesy of singer-songwriter Brittney Wagner. Stream her record  Better off Dead  here. Support the show Thank you for listeni...

There’s a new jam band rolling into town, although the members have been playing locally for years. This new band is calling themselves KC36 Orange Sunshine Band (shortened from KC36 and the Orange Sunshine Band). The name is a reference to the disco-funk group KC and the Sunshine Band, as well as to the strains of marijuana known as the KC36 and the Orange Sunshine. The band’s lineup consists of...

We've covered The Carousel of Happiness a few times on The Mountain-Ear Podcast (and plenty of times in the physical paper, of course). In fact, the first-ever episode of our podcast involved The Carousel of Happiness! Now, the carousel has started its own podcast! In this episode, the Carousel's Outreach Director and podcast creator Allie Wagner talks with us about her goals and plans f...

Welcome to Maryann Rosen's first segment of 2025! In this segment, fitting for the forecasts predicted for this week, she'll be bringing listeners on a journey to learn more about the weather, wind, and snow from throughout the Peak to Peak's history!  Our theme song is courtesy of singer-songwriter Brittney Wagner. Stream her record  Better off Dead  here. Support the show Thank yo...

 The lineup of the project known as Colorado Junction has changed lineups a couple of times over the years, with musicians leaving to focus on their personal lives or pursue other career opportunities. In 2025, the band will be performing more frequently in a new lineup, which longtime member Troy Yanel refers to as “Colorado Junction 3.0.” That lineup consists of Yanel on guitar, Chris Spurlock o...

David Tilmon has lived in Colorado his entire life. Growing up, his parents encouraged him and his siblings to try something musical. He remembers first trying piano, but taking lessons and practicing, he never connected with the instrument. His parents still encouraged him to pick an instrument, so he decided to try playing a guitar in their house that hadn’t been played for a while. He started l...

Welcome to the first community-centered podcast episode of 2025! To start our series of interviews promoting the sponsors of our 2024 Pet of the Year Contest, Ontie and Antie Joan, hosts and creators of local podcast Pickled Watermelon Rinds, join us to talk about their podcast experiences and their sponsoring of the contest! Music and clip provided by Pickled Watermelon Rinds Pet of the Year Winn...

Jason Greenlaw grew up on the East Coast, just outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He earned his bachelor of arts in Jazz Studies at the University of Pittsburgh, studying guitar under Joe Negri and improvisation under Geri Allen, before moving to Colorado in 2020. He is currently based in the Denver/Boulder area of Colorado, where he focuses primarily on jazz guitar, playing in solo shows, small...

For Maryann Rosen's final segment of 2024, she discusses how the musical legacy of the Peak to Peak area has evolved through today! Our theme song is courtesy of singer-songwriter Brittney Wagner. Stream her record  Better off Dead  here. Support the show Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below. If yo...

There’s a new group in the Peak to Peak area that emphasizes their use of the organ, and they play in various lineups. Primarily, the group is called the MMB3 Organ Trio, and it consists of Ryan McCurry playing the Hammond organ, John Massone playing the guitar, Stephen “Steve” Balgooyen playing the drums, and all three of them providing vocals. Occasionally, when McCurry can’t make a gig, the tri...

In this Audio Library segment of The Mountain-Ear Podcast, we share a perspective on Christmas and Hanukkah falling on the same day in 2024 written by Lynn Hirshman! Our theme song is courtesy of singer-songwriter Brittney Wagner. Stream her record  Better off Dead  here. Support the show Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional...

Gary Hall and Linda Adam-Hall first met in a commune in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1975. Gary, visiting a friend, ended up eating and talking with Linda. Linda was instantly impressed by Gary’s kindness, and they connected quickly. They built that connection over time, committing after a year. As Gary puts it, they’ve been together unofficially for 48 years and officially for 44, as they married in 198...

In this special episode of The Mountain-Ear Podcast, our correspondent Maryann Rosen talks about the various holidays to celebrate in the month of December, emphasizing that there's more to celebrate than Christmas!  Our theme song is courtesy of singer-songwriter Brittney Wagner. Stream her record  Better off Dead  here. Support the show Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, f...

Katie Rose Nelson and Dustin Moran first met just north of Salt Lake City around 2008. Working at Barnes and Noble together, they started talking about art: folk music, punk rock, poetry, Bob Dylan, movies, and every other topic they shared a mutual interest in. They started playing music together, starting with gigs in coffee shops around the area. Around 2010, they decided they both wanted a cha...

Selasee Atiase was born and raised in Accra, Ghana. His upbringing was Christian, so he attended church every Sunday. On one particular Sunday, he heard someone playing guitar at the church, and something clicked for him. The melodies this musician played and the way they made Atiase feel inspired him to pick up the guitar, and by the age of twelve or thirteen, he had started performing his own co...

Wylie Jones occasionally plays the keyboard for Selasee and the Fafa Family. For him, music is a necessary part of his life. He says that music has always been in his blood and that he primarily inherited it from his uncle, perhaps also from the universe. He initially sang in church and took piano lessons before he chose the guitar as his primary instrument, inspired by the playing of Metallica’s...

This week's Music of the Mountains episode has been postponed. In this episode, the host explains why and connects it to a column he wrote in this Audio Library segment! Also be sure to stay tuned for the regularly scheduled music mentions! Our theme song is courtesy of singer-songwriter Brittney Wagner. Stream her record  Better off Dead  here. Support the show Thank you for listening to The...

Local astronomer Frank Sanders will be hosting a talk at the Gilpin County Public Library on Tuesday, December 3! For more details, listen to today's segment and enjoy the host's reading of Sanders's most recent monthly Night Skies column for The Mountain-Ear! Our theme song is courtesy of singer-songwriter Brittney Wagner. Stream her record  Better off Dead  here. Support the show...

Beth Gadbaw found herself drawn to Irish music because of her heritage. Her mother’s family emigrated to the United States during Ireland’s Great Famine (1845-1852), settling in upstate New York. From a young age, Gadbaw found herself inspired by that history and culture, particularly once she discovered their musical traditions. From a young age, she’s been singing Irish folk songs, writing limer...

Violin performer and teacher Anthony Salvo will be performing his original material at the Nederland Community Library very soon for an event that combines a concert with a meditation. Learn more about Anthony, his career, and the upcoming event by tuning in to this Miscellaneous Monday episode!  Our theme song is courtesy of singer-songwriter Brittney Wagner. Stream her record  Better off Dead  h...

Andrew's Website: https://andrew-cooney-music-f9ba9d40c8c60139123.webflow.io/ Andrew Cooney has embraced a very busy schedule as a musician. He plays solo gigs with his acoustic guitar across the Front Range, from Telluride to Copper Mountain to Denver to Boulder, and freelance gigs as a bass player for many groups, including periodically with Kind Hearted Strangers. Other groups he has playe...

In this very special episode of Maryann Rosen's regular segment, she talks about what the term "history" means and transitions into the history of the Thanksgiving tradition! Also be sure to tune in for this week's movie at the Backdoor Theater and Thanksgiving events in the Peak to Peak area!  Our theme song is courtesy of singer-songwriter Brittney Wagner. Stream her record ...

Earlier this week, The Mountain-Ear Podcast brought you the first of two interviews with founding members of The Yonder Mountain String Band, the first being with guitarist Adam Aijala. Now, here's the second one, with banjo player Dave Johnston! Yonder Mountain String Band has built a legacy over the last 26 years, and it all started completely spontaneously. The band has primarily focused o...