Lake Street Dive "Clear A Space"

It feels a bit weird to be in Steamboat without the Foggers, but here I am. Great to be back in The Boat! And MusicFest at Steamboat is the same as it ever was, a warm gathering of fellow travelers in the snow, in the high altitude, set amidst the beauty of the mountains. I think the friendships made through the years here are what makes this so special, whether artists or fellow attendees. This is my tenth year, and I have been involved in a different kind of tech experience each time. So this year the MusicFest folks decided to stream the shows from the tent, sort of like what I used to do when I was programming X Country, XM 12, only with pictures! Today, there are four sets coming your way, all start time ares Mountain Time, of course:

3:45 to 4:55 Ragweed former members Cody, Jeremy and Rand.

5:20 to 6:40 Casey Donahew Band.

7:10 to 8:30 Roger Creager.

9:00 to 10:30 Reckless Kelly.

And that is just day one of four!

The band Lake Street Dive is heading out west in February.  We were tickled to have made their acquaintance during Americana Fest in Nashville in October. They are from Boston, and that begs the question what is in the water in Back Bay? Such a lovely lilt to so many artists out of their; from Eilen Jewell to Miss Tess, to the prodigious talents of Mike Olson, Rachael Price, Bridget Kearney and Michael Calabrese. Today we bring you an as yet unreleased tune form the Music Fog Fall Marathon at Marathon Recorders, “Clear A Space.”

- Jessie Scott

Fred Andrews "This Side of Crazy"

I have been driving by Franklin Barbecue just off I-35 at East 11th Street in Austin at lunch time for the last 6 months, seeing this incredible line waiting to get their daily meet. Franklin’s started as a well-respected food cart in 2009, and when this building became available, they jumped at the chance of having a brick and mortar establishment. They opened right around SXSW 2011, if I recall correctly, and there were lines from the start. There is a total buzz on this place; Bon Appétit magazine named them best in the country during the summer. Now you know I love my Q, but I was having a hard time looking at the people waiting for two hours to eat. Then I tried some brisket and some smoked sausage, quite heavenly. Still I think it is a tad crazy to wait that long to get your lunch.

Steamboat time is upon us. Music Fog is not attending this year, but I am on the mountain with fond memories. Last year, we had the honor of doing another edition of the Gondola Concert Series™ where we bring our cameras and audio recording gear, tweet for a contest winner to take the ride with us, and grab a game artist to serenade us. Last year, Fred Andrews was our ski-lift crooner. Now it happens that Tuesday was the release date for Fred Andrews and Honeybrowne’s new album This Side Of Crazy. Take the virtual ride with Fred, as he does a solo version of the title song from the brand new album.

- Jessie Scott

Foster & Lloyd "It's Already Tomorrow"

Today’s the day I head up the hill to MusicFest at Steamboat Springs. Only this year, the weather seems a tad weird. I always relish the twinkling Christmas lights set amidst the majestic pines and the blanket of snow. Talking to Steamboat resident and dear friend Brian Smith at the beginning of the week, he said he was just wearing a sweatshirt, as the temperature was an unusual mid 40s! He also said that there were more people breaking bones this year, as opposed to just bruising when skiing, as the deep snow acts as a buffer. The snow this year is not yet that deep. Here is the 10 day forecast, with plenty of daytime melting going on. That said, this is your friendly yearly reminder that if you are attending MusicFest, you’ll need to pack more than a thermal shirt or a sweatshirt. It is a whole lot colder than it is in Texas, and it will be dropping into the teens at night.

Thinking back a year, it was after a session we did with Radney Foster at MusicFest 2011, that he told us he was in the process of doing a new Foster and Lloyd album, the first in 20 years. He ran back to his room and grabbed a home burned CD and played us some tracks. Wow! I was stoked that we could extend an offer to Foster & Lloyd two months later to play for the Music Fog cameras at Threadgill’s during SXSW. Coming up this year in early March, Radney is getting ready to do a new acoustic recording of his breakthrough solo album, Del Rio Texas 1959. Check out the details here. But let us back track to last March at Threadgill’s, “It’s Already Tomorrow," the title track from the most recent Foster & Lloyd CD.

- Jessie Scott