Music on the Mesa, the free concert series in Norwood now in its
second year, is excited to announce the lineup for the two shows at the San Miguel County Fairgrounds on June 15 and Aug. 10.
“We’re in for another energized storm of sound and motion with this year’s bands, showcasing foot-stomping talent from sassy youngsters to the deep thrum of brassy veterans,” said producer Daiva Chesonis.
Like last year, gates for these Sunday afternoon concerts open at 4:30 p.m., with food and vendors in the Pig Palace, a robust KidZone, Cornhole Alley and a cash bar. The music starts at 7 p.m., allowing plenty of leisurely pre-show picnicking, catching up with old friends and perhaps making a few new ones.
“We loved seeing career ranchers shooting the breeze with career ski patrollers, farmers dancing with bus drivers, grandpas and face-painted grandkids sharing blankets making hometown memories,” Chesonis added.
Vendors again run the gamut of locally-made offerings: from in-the-moment henna art to handmade jewelry, from leather goods to tallow-based health products, plus the local 4-H kids doing a plants sale.
On June 15 will be Pixie & The Partygrass Boys. Hailed as “the hottest band in the Wasatch” by the Intermountain Acoustic Music Association, Pixie and The Partygrass Boys is composed of lifelong professional musicians drawn together by a common love of bluegrass and skiing in the Wasatch.Featuring soulful, often harmonic vocals and solid strings and rhythm, this tight-knit crew was born out of the belly of a warm cabin after a long day on the slopes, sipping whiskey and singing into the night. With a high energy sound and a love for silly outfits, they travel the land spreading the gospel of whiskey, chickens and fun for everyone. They’ve been touring extensively since the release of their 2018 debut EP "Utah Made,” with notable festival appearances that include becoming a five-year fixture at WinterWonderGrass, as well as gracing the stages of Bourbon and Beyond, Delfest, High Sierra Music Festival, Jam Cruise, Rockygrass, Blue Ox Music Festival and Hangtown. They have directly supported musical greats such as Billy Strings, The Infamous Stringdusters, Grace Potter, Lindsay Lou, The Brothers Comatose and Lake Street Dive. More about the band at www.pixieandthepartygrassboys.com.
On Aug. 10 will be Electro Lust, where Electronic Funk pulses through the veins, entwined with a stampede of live Beats and Brass. This musical journey begins with a deep connection between electronics and live musicians, ignited by a passion for multi-cultural rhythms that echo across the festival scene. At the core of Electro Lust beats the hearts of Grammy Award-winning artists from Asheville, North Carolina’s musical scene: Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band, The Fritz, Empire Strikes Brass and Marcus King Band. Their odyssey into the realms of Funk, Latin, Cuban and Afrobeat reads like a musical adventure, spawned from encounters with diverse cultures while on the road and under the influence of vinyl treasures unearthed in record shops scattered across the nation. The soundtrack to this journey is an eclectic hip-hop mix tape, a melodic manifesto that invites the audience to lose themselves in the raw energy of the Electro Lust experience.
More about the band at www.electrolustmusic.com .
Anyone interested in volunteering a few hours the weekend of either or both concerts may email musiconthemesa.norwood@gmail.com. The gig comes with a free T-shirt.
“Every penny makes music,” said Chesonis. “Music on the Mesa 2025 is presented by Norwood Park & Recreation District, Town of Norwood and Pickin' Productions, with support from Telluride Foundation, Lone Cone Saloon, Norwood Chamber of Commerce of Wright’s Mesa, Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, Back Country Inn, San Miguel Power Association, San Miguel County, Blue Grouse Bread, Abby Altshuler and Mark Vandenberg, Lone Cone Legacy Trust, Wild Iris Greenhouse and Gardens, Alpine Bank, Judy Muller and George Lewis, EarthTech West, Lisa Foxwell and Paul Finley, Rosie Cusack and Telluride Luxury Rentals & Real Estate, Mary Jane’s Medicinals, Jam Ranch and Jim and Gretchen Wells, Telluride Daily Planet and The Norwood Post, San Miguel Basin Forum, Dark Sky Café, Fenceline Cider, Metzger Associates PR, DC Design, Local Liquor, Arena Hair LLC, TREE Realty LLC, Apple Core Project, The Coach’s Mother and Wild Gal’s Market.
To join the support crew, visit the online form: form.jotform.com/240335999309063.
