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Colorado’s central location means there’s an abundance of gifted musicians visiting the state during any given week, a significant amount of whom play music of the stringed persuasion. It makes sense then that Tyler Grant—a multi-instrumentalist, National Flatpicking Champion, and Lyons native—saw an opportunity to bridge the gap between Front Range musicians and all the outside talent passing through. After an exceptional collaboration between Grant’s band, Grant Farm, and Portland-based rock ‘n’ roll quintet Fruition, resulting in a 4-song EP titled Meeting on the Mountain, the idea for a five-part series of the same name was born.
“It was really a fit of inspiration,” explains Grant, discussing how a one-off partnership turned into the series Meeting on the Mountain. “That [EP] just captured a certain amount of magic, and I wanted to continue with the ‘meeting on the mountain’ theme. I wanted it to be a regular concept, where we could incorporate musical guests we admire and/or have some kind of connection to.”
The first event in the Meeting on the Mountain series will take place this Sunday, March 1, at Cervantes’ Other Side. Hosted by Grant Farm, this meeting’s lineup includes California’s Dead Winter Carpenters, as well as Colorado’s own Bill Nershi (of The String Cheese Incident) and singer-songwriter Benny “Burle” Galloway. Grant Farm and Galloway will remain constants throughout the series, serving as statesmen of the Colorado music scene.
“We want to drive home the concept of the mountain as a place of elevated consciousness, elevated musical awareness, and just beauty,” says Grant. All the artists involved in the series will be connected on that visionary level, and though Grant won’t reveal the other musical acts on the bill for the four other meetings scheduled this year, he said, “We’re thinking big.” Grant also has a Meeting on the Mountain festival in the works, which will hopefully happen this summer in Denver.
This Sunday’s meeting will begin with a barbecue, followed by the main event: a free, hour-long live broadcast—run by Fort Collins-based Hyphytek—which will include interviews with the artists, as well as a collective performance. The broadcast is an important element of the event, as it promotes inclusivity and will help build the local music scene. The airing will last about an hour, and will be followed by sets from each participating band. Seats will be set up in the front of the venue, though there’ll also be plenty of dancing space further back. Watch the meeting live as it unfolds, or later, at your leisure, on the Meeting on the Mountain website.
Doors & BBQ: 6 p.m., broadcast: 7 to 8 p.m. (don’t be late!), concert to follow; $10 to $15; Cervantes’ Other Side, 2637 Welton St., 303-297-1772, cervantesmasterpiece.com