Taos Mountain Music Festival Preview

The second annual Taos Mountain Music Festival happens Sunday Sept. 5, with 6 great acts that will make your Labor Days eve complete. (Daytime temps predicted at 73 degrees up in Taos Ski Valley.) The festivals great success last year had 4,000 people enjoying talent like Ozomatli, The Wailers, and Joan Osbourne. Now whats great is that every brand new festival calls itself “The First Annual Amazing Tah-Dah!-something” but in year 2 becomes the 2nd Annual Empty Parking Lot.” The TMMF has completely bucked that trend because the organizers got it correct last year; and the acts performing this year are just as stellar as last.

(Before I jump into the actual music festival I would like to encourage you to check out all the other goodness going on in the valley on the long Labor Day weekend. Of course theres the to be expected horseback rides and chair lift sailing but one event that really caught my eye was a hike (see trail map below) to Wheeler Peak with Taos Ski Valley Mayor Neal King on Saturday morning starting at 7am. Its a cool hike, in beautiful scenery, with the mayor who can probably give a lot a insight into what makes the whole valley tick.

Taos Trail Map

Sunday the festival box office opens at 8am and doors at 10am with the first act going on at 1130am. That is the very festive Mariachi Calor who will set a great tone for the day. One thing you will start to notice from here on out is that the set times will start to go from longer-than-your-usual-festival to an epic two and half hours with the headliner Govt Mule — and the reason is that all the acts chosen are that badass. At 12:30 Mia Borders from NOLA takes the stage. Mia Borders and her band were named “New Orleans hottest buzz band” by Where Yat Magazine. Her style is pure NOLA blues and soul with a rockin vibe. Basically she completely encompasses what makes the Norleans musical magic what it is. If you do end up missing her set check out her tunes when you get a chance. Great stuff. Heck how about a video to listen to while you read the rest of this TMMF run down:

I totally love these guys: Radio La Chusma from El Paso, Texas is a latin reggae band that writes music that moves your blood and bones and whatever else you got cookin in there. With songs that have complex four part harmonies, a wicked violin player, superb guitar action, and the unique “Pachuco” sound that they have developed over the years. Their brand new album is about to pop so expect lots of energy from them at this show. They play 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm.

Imagine being in your 20s and opening for the Rolling Stones. Shemekia Copeland has done that (In this current century purist type people.). She has also headlined at the Chicago Blues Festival and trust me Chicago takes its blues very seriously. (They didnt invent it but Im not gonna tell them that.) She has played with Buddy Guy and B.B. King. The daughter of the late Texas blues legend Johnny Clyde Copeland, Shemekia Copeland is sheer vocal power when she takes the stage. 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm

In the main support slot is the Yonder Mountain String Band from Nederland, Colorado. YMSB are one of the best progressive bluegrass and country jam bands out there on the touring circuit. They have played with several of the major heavy weights in their genre and they also were one of the premiere acts at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver. YMSB are truly superior musicians with a great sense of groove and vibe, and are not to be missed. They play from 5:45 pm – 7:15 pm. The headliners are the very dang close to legendary Govt Mule. Govt Mule began as a side project of Allman Brothers alumni Warren Haynes and Allen Woody and over their 16 years as a band have become a festival favorite. They have a new album entitled Mulennium that just dropped (first studio album int three years) and are set to play  from 8:00 pm – 10:30 pm. If you havent experienced a Govt Mule show yet well I can think of no place better. A video of where theyre coming from:

Now on Monday…… Pretty much every restaurant in the valley is having a Bloody Mary breakfast and brunch. Im just saying. Good stuff.