The Mountain-Ear Podcast

Send us a textPatrick Dethlefs has always let his instincts guide him. While he found early inspiration as a young musician everywhere from Jimmy Page to The Allman Brothers, the Colorado native put most of his energy into original material.“I don't think I was a big learner of other people's songs, even in the beginning,” Dethlefs says. “First getting the guitar, I think I just learned chords and put them together in a different way.”The current chapter of Joel Van Horne's story begins with a family cabin in Wyoming's Medicine Bow National Forest. The Lakewood native grew up in a musical household, but the memories and moniker of that special retreat, built and named by his grandfather, inspired the defining stage of his artistic journey as Covenhoven.“It's a very meaningful place to me and my family,” Van Horne says. “I wanted to make a record to say thank you to my grandfather.” Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textEarlier this summer, Salto Coffee owners Karina and Marcus Luscher struck a deal to sell their shop to the ownership group at Gold Hill Inn, bringing a slice of the iconic Peak to Peak hangout to Old Town Nederland. That's where the story of Ned General, Nederland's newest coffee shop, bar and community space begins.This episode features a conversation from the archives between Mountain-Ear managing editor Barbara Hardt and the new team at Ned General. They've spent the last few months slowly curating a new, yet familiar, aesthetic, and they have big plans for the future.Also:Last week, the Town of Nederland inched closer to acquiring Eldora Ski Resort after its first public discussion of the purchase since July. The deal is expected to be finalized at its Nov. 18 meeting. You can read the full story from reporter Chris Kelley in this week's paper, or on our website, themtnear.com Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textGuy Frydenlund formed a band through connections, meeting the band's original drummer at an open jam and the bass and guitar players through CU Denver's music program.Eight years on, guitarist Frydenlund, current drummer Zach Bulgarelli, keys player Jack Marty, and bass player Caden Kramer play together as Sqwerv.Frydenlund describes the group as an indie-jam band, with each member bringing their own influences to the table. He comes from an indie-folk singer-songwriter background, Bulgarelli and Kramer come from rock and metal backgrounds, and Marty comes from jam, bluegrass, and country backgrounds.Together, the group performs original jam songs rooted in their mutual love of Phish and The Grateful Dead. From two-minute psych songs to twelve-minute Prague songs, the band is always willing to take musical risks together.The tribute act BreadBox calls itself more than a cover band. Their admiration for the Jerry Garcia Band and their arrangements of the band's songs make the group a lover band.Much like Garcia in his projects, BreadBox focuses on improvisational jam performances, expanding each song beyond its original performances. The group consists of Zac Flynn on bass, Heather Olson and Miranda Rosalie on vocals, Kirk Larson on drums, Pat Harvey on guitar, Phil Cenedella on vocals and guitar, and Tyler Adams on organ. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textThis week, we're featuring an episode of Boulder Valley Frequency, a show from longtime Boulder journalist Shay Castle covering news across the county.In this episode of BVHz, Shay sits down with our very own senior reporter for The Mountain-Ear, Chris Kelley, for an update on Nederland's progress toward acquiring Eldora Ski Resort. Chris gives us a bit of perspective on the potential purchase, and while he's hopeful it will do a lot of good for the town, he reminds us to stay wary of the private group, 303 Ski, who helped structure the bond deal -- and who Nederland will be indebted to after the purchase is finalized.One small note: this episode of BVHz was recorded and published before the Nederland Board of Trustees Nov. 5 meeting, which provided an update and opportunity for public comment on the potential deal. For a complete update, you can read Chris Kelley's story in the Nov. 13 issue of The Mountain-Ear. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textIn this episode, the host reads Some Words for the Week, poems written throughout the month of October 2025 by Alexander Shalom Joseph. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textDenver-based folk-grass musician Mark May first picked up a guitar at nine years old. Since then, he's developed his performance and songwriting, graduating from Fort Lewis College in 2016 with a music business degree.Playing music has helped May personally throughout his life, allowing him to express himself and find solace in his and others' music. He was born hard of hearing in his left ear, but that has never dampened his enthusiasm for music as an art form. He hopes his music can bring comfort to listeners in the same way it brings comfort to him. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textShey is a years-long labor of love.She's a 4-3/4 ton lion sculpture crafted by hand from Lyons Pink sandstone. What better place for her to settle than Bohn Park in Lyons?Sculptor Kimmerjae Macarus found the original 8-ton sandstone block in a stoneyard where she worked during her time in landscape design. The block has been in her life for over a decade, ever since she discovered it before the 2013 Front Range floods.She fell in love with the rock, looking at it and climbing it for years. The block had many significant vertical fissures, or “dry cracks,” and, combined with the enormous cost of purchasing the block, she felt it would be insane to try to bring the stone to her studio in Lafayette to carve it.Her connection to the stone did not break, though. The Front Range floods moved many of the pieces in the stoneyard, and when she initially struggled to find this stone, she panicked and grieved for it.When she finally found the stone again, she knew she had to try to carve something from it, even if the result wasn't successful. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textIn a brand-new segment format for The Mountain-Ear Podcast, new team member Tyler Hickman brings us a conversation between Mountain Man's John Thompson and The Mountain-Ear's Chris Kelly about the aftermath of the Lakeview Fire. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textWhen he first bought a house in Colorado, Jim Heekin built a studio in his new basement. Having played in various bands while living in Brooklyn, he wanted to build musical momentum in his new home.From there, he made connections with other musicians in the area. Slowly, a lineup of people developed, and by 2013, the group had cemented itself as the lineup of a new project, Sun Jr.Heekin provides guitar and sings vocals with banjo player Matt Kubis. Nod Norkus provides drums, Jeremiah Streets plays keys and bass, and Jon Schimek performs on pedal steel and guitar.The group frequently jams together, connecting as players but also as friends. For them, playing music and hanging out go hand in hand, and because of how much time they spent playing, the band grew organically. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textA second-generation Boulderite and a resident of Gold Hill for over 40 years, Leslie Finn has a strong connection to Colorado. Her husband, Christopher, owns the Gold Hill Inn with his family, who bought the property in 1962.Christopher serves as the chief of the Gold Hill Fire Department, for which Leslie has volunteered for the Gold Hill Fire Department for over 36 years, and she works as a cleaner for the inn's Bluebird Lodge, which she considers her “little house.”Leslie Finn has written since elementary school, and the history and beauty of Colorado informs her writing. In 2024, she published her novel Oh Them Days on Blue Hoss Mountain, the first novel in what quickly turned into a series.Now, Finn has released the second book, When The Skies Wuz Fair and Blue, which develops the world and characters further. She is currently working on the third book in the series.You can purchase the books at their official website. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textThe nonprofit Advocates for Recovery Colorado has been serving as a Recovery Community Organization since 2001, focusing on recovery solutions rather than addiction challenges.For the last year, they've been developing their latest program for Colorado.In January 2025, Sean Hedden was hired as the regional manager of the new Foothills program, which focuses on Gilpin, Clear Creek, and Jefferson Counties. The organization currently hosts programs in Denver, Boulder, Durango, Sterling, Aurora, and other Colorado communities.The program is heading into its second year of funding, and the organization has brought on Lindsay Gianola as Gilpin's Peer Recovery Coach. As a resident with lived experience in active and sustained recovery, she will meet participants in the program, share her experience, and guide and support them. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textTyler Ballantyne has always loved music, but he didn't start playing seriously until his college years. Around that time, he became obsessed with Dave Matthews, particularly his right hand—the way he played rhythm guitar.Ballentyne bought a guitar, and he says that at the time, he learned about half of one of Matthews' songs and otherwise strummed it to play songs like “Take Me Home, Country Roads” and “Ring of Fire.”Once he arrived in Colorado, he fell in love with bluegrass and folk.A few months into the COVID pandemic, he decided to take guitar more seriously, inspired by acts such as The Grateful Dead, Phish, and Billy Strings. He bought a Martin D-18 and signed up to take lessons from Bryan Sutton. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textIn this Audio Library segment of The Mountain-Ear Podcast, journalist Christopher Kelley reads the fourth and final part of his account of the mining history of Nederland, Colorado! Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textIn this Audio Library segment of The Mountain-Ear Podcast, journalist Christopher Kelley reads the third part of his account of the mining history of Nederland, Colorado! Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textThe Two Tracks has developed its sound as a band for nearly ten years now. The band recorded their self-titled debut in 2016 and is set to release their fifth album in 2026.Julie Huebner, singer, songwriter, and rhythm guitarist, formed the band with drummer Fernando “Fred” Serna in 2013. The band cycled through many players before recording their first album, with Julie's husband Dave joining the group during recording. The husband-and-wife duo now serve as the lead singers and songwriters of the band.Laurie Dameron has been playing music professionally and writing songs for over 35 years. Lorrie Baum has been playing bass since 1967 and trombone for longer. Together, they make up the duo Laurie and Lorrie.The two first met in 1987 as performers in the Moodswing big band. In 1990, they started the all-women's group Sister Swing, and they continued performing in jazz festivals and local breweries. Around this time, Baum also founded Raw Honey, the largest all-women's group in Colorado at the time. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textIn this episode, the host reads Some Words for the Week, poems written throughout the month of September 2025 by Alexander Shalom Joseph. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textIn this special segment, regular correspondent Maryann Rosen takes us through the Peak to Peak region to find activities for the month of October to take full advantage of the spooky season! Also included is a mini-segment with Daisza Caldwell, market manager of the Nederland Farmers Market, talking about the upcoming Harvest Festival! Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textAlex Mackenzie-Low first put a band together in 2013, near the end of his time studying music business and recording arts at CU Denver. He put the band together in order to create an album of original songs, and the group grew from there.The group was originally named A-Mac DZ, a nickname Alex received in high school. Ultimately, the band rebranded to A-Mac and The Height, a name more representative of the collaboration of the group and the “elevating, empowering, positive music” they perform.Alex has been writing songs since around the age of six, and has performed in at least ten bands throughout his life. He's performed many different styles of music, from hardcore metal to hip-hop to emo, ultimately landing in reggae rock with A-Mac and The Height. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textFor many, music is a way of coping with difficult feelings. The joy and comfort that music brings is generational, and Jeremy Garrett knows that intimately. That's mainly thanks to his father, Glen, the first president of the Idaho Bluegrass Association.Around the age of 12, Glen's parents bought him a guitar after their dog passed away. He found solace in this guitar, embracing bluegrass music and establishing a reputation on his block for his guitar playing.Later, Glen received an instrument from another grieving neighbor: an older man who lost his wife to cancer. Having played in the local symphony, she owned a violin made in 1914, and her husband simply couldn't get rid of it when she passed.However, as time passed, the older man found it harder to look at the violin without experiencing feelings of grief. He decided to give the fiddle to Glen, telling him that he would know what to do with it.Glen stuck with the guitar and never learned to play fiddle. When he passed it on to his son, Jeremy embraced it.That is the instrument he has played for his entire life. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textJoin regular correspondent Maryann Rosen as she continues her journey through the Peak-to-Peak area! In this segment, she discusses the history and stories of Idaho Springs, Allenspark, Raymond, Lily Lake, and Estes Park! Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textThis segment of The Mountain-Ear Podcast contains a complete audiobook recording of the book Moonsongs, written by Jane Wodening as a way to let her "keep in touch with a big world while living in that narrow canyon" in Fraser, Colorado (quote from a Conversations.org interview). The book is read by Wodening herself in a recording that has never been heard before.Special thanks to Janette Taylor and Desirae Brakhage for making this episode possible.To learn more about Jane and find her books, head to her website or to Blue Owl Books and Boutiques. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textBrent Warren could be considered a modern-day Renaissance man. He's a singer-songwriter, an author, an illustrator, a magician, a comedian, and a filmmaker.One of his projects spawned from a dual love – the shared love between two locals of a historical aircraft. That dual love culminated in Warren's major undertaking as a filmmaker, the hour-long documentary Marvin's Fly'n Boat.Warren and Nederland local Marvin Lewis, owner of the restaurant Marvins Gardens, both loved the history and spectacle of the Hughes H-4 Hercules flying boat, colloquially known as the “Spruce Goose.” Designed by Howard Hughes, the plane, built from birch wood, is the largest flying boat, or seaplane with a hull, ever built.Lewis spent much of his time in Nederland building a 12-foot model of the plane, intended to fly. It didn't fly before his passing, but Colorado locals never gave up on the plane. Will it fly or not? Learn more about the making of the documentary by tuning in to this episode of the podcast! Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textAlex Randall and Theo Snead have been close friends since college. They've always played music together, but they initially didn't perform as a band.That all changed when Randall decided to sell his Fender Deluxe amp after he settled in Boulder. The first person to pick it up was Casey Romeo, and the two started to jam together.Snead moved from living alone in Austin, Texas, to living with Randall in Boulder, and the two of them started jamming with Romeo. At one point, Romeo invited Snead and Randall to perform with him and his band, Elijah Petty and The Part-Times.Preparing for the show, Snead and Randall discussed asking their friend Livingston Brown to jump in and perform with them. They later realized that his involvement in the show was already guaranteed—Brown was also a member of Elijah Petty and The Part-Times.Through this connection, Snead, Randall, Romeo, and Brown formed a band. Snead and Randall provide vocals and acoustic guitar, Randall additionally delivers electric guitar and mandolin, Romeo offers pedal steel, and Brown contributes bass. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a text In this Audio Library segment of The Mountain-Ear Podcast, journalist Christopher Kelley reads the second part of his account of the mining history of Nederland, Colorado!  Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textDuring his time at Colorado State University, now having experience on the bass and on acoustic guitar, Graham Good wrote songs in his dorm room. Meeting a few friends at a local funk jam, they invited him over to jam with them on his bass.Good told his friends he had some acoustic songs and suggested playing them with the group. Once they played the songs together, Good felt an instant connection to the group, realizing how much he wanted to be a singer, songwriter, and band frontman.Good organized practices and booked gigs for this new group, writing lyrics and setlists during his marketing classes to prepare for more performances. He also continued sharpening his skills in songwriting in his final two years of college, attending a songwriter's guild and writing a new song every Wednesday. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textIn this Audio Library segment of The Mountain-Ear Podcast, journalist Christopher Kelley reads the first part of his account of the mining history of Nederland, Colorado! Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textIn this segment of The Mountain-Ear Podcast, host Jamie Lammers brings you Some Words for the Week, written by Alexander Shalom Joseph during the month of August 2025. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textIn the first podcast segment for this September, Maryann Rosen brings us local culture and history to celebrate the upcoming start of Hispanic Heritage Month! Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textLindsey Wall has particularly connected with the dead nettle. Having worked with flowers since she was in high school, she saw a dead nettle growing out of the concrete during a winter walk in Nashville.Fascinated by its fierce and strong yet soft qualities, along with realizing that the name “dead nettle” sounds almost like “death metal,” Wall has since embraced Dead Nettle as her stage name.Paul Dyer has lived in and around the Front Range for 35 years, first falling in love with Colorado on a family vacation at 14 years old. Staying in a motel next to a creek, he loved the sound of the flowing water, and as with many other residents, the mountains and diverse landscape were a major drawing point.Music has been a long-time hobby for Paul. He grew up surrounded by music, his dad singing and playing music from artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole. While jazz ultimately didn't connect with Paul as a performer, it sparked his interest in music.This episode also features special guest Carol Dyer! Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textIn this episode, we celebrate the Nederland Jazz and Wine Festival 2025 by talking to vendor manager Sarah Bishop, Vendor Ken Slaymaker of Slaymaker Cellars Mead, and musician Mark Diamond about their excitement for the festival! Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textJeffrey James Franca started his musical trajectory playing guitar, taking lessons around the age of five. He found himself invested in playing music, although he didn't realize how invested at the time.Joining his band program in elementary school, he started playing the snare drum. Playing a drum set from his uncle, he completely embraced the instrument, finding the transition from guitar to snare natural.He studied with jazz pedagogists at Indiana University Bloomington, and at the age of 20, he found himself in Los Angeles, California. There, he performed with producers, film score composers, and other musicians in the area.He then settled in Washington, D.C., where he says he performed “eight nights a week,” playing with African, jazz, reggae, and funk bands, among many other groups. He's played with Bill Kreutzmann of The Grateful Dead in his group Billy and the Kids, and since 2011, he has been the drummer and musical director for the group Thievery Corporation.Since joining the group, Thievery Corporation has been his primary focus as a drummer. It's been a long time since he led a band, but especially for the 2025 Nederland Jazz and Wine Festival, he has assembled a band dubbed The Shape of Jazz. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textJust before the pandemic started, Bevin Foley of Trout Steak Revival invited Melly Frances and Keenan Leigh to her house to share music and original songs. Both of the latter two had recently left their previous bands and had songs with the same obscure pre-World War II blues sound.Neither of them had ever met anyone else, let alone another female, interested in the same style of music, and the two clicked immediately.Frances plays bass, washboard, and percussion and she sings, and Leigh plays various forms of guitar. Leigh is primarily an instrumentalist and Frances is primarily known for her singing, so the two combined can complement each other perfectly.The two both knew and loved musicians such as Tampa Red, Memphis Minnie, Robert Johnson, Jessie May Hemphill, and Bessie Smith who heavily influenced their individual (and now collective) sound. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textThe Peak to Peak area has a storied history, and among those stories are towns steeped in mystery and filled with legends. In today's episode, regular correspondent Maryann Rosen discusses the ghost towns of this mountain area. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textThe man now known as Chicken Coop Willaye moved from his home state of North Carolina to Atlanta, Georgia, after graduating from Appalachian State University in Boone. During the decade he lived in Atlanta, he was known as Washboard Willaye.In Atlanta, Willaye met local legends who gathered for performances in Northside Tavern, eventually sitting in with Danny “Mudcat” Dudeck on his Wednesday night performances there. Playing piedmont and country blues, Willaye earned his nickname from the instrument he learned to play there – the washboard.On Tuesday nights there, Donnie “Mac” McCormick performed his primary instrument at Northside. He discovered this primary instrument in the early 70s, during a jam session at “The Farm,” a property in Juliette, Georgia, owned by the Allman Brothers.During the session, Mac ran out of objects to drum on, but somebody from the group handed him another object: a chicken coop. The rest, as they say, is history, and Mac continued playing the chicken coop until his death in 2009.Performing with Mac, Willaye found himself inspired, and in a similar turn of events, he found a chicken coop in the barn of an antique store in North Georgia. That day, Chicken Coop Willaye was born. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textThis segment of the podcast is a complete audiobook reading of From the Book of Legends, an out-of-print storybook from artist and writer Jane Wodening, sharing the stories she's heard of three individuals and reflecting on what it means to be a hero and a legend.Special thanks to Janette Taylor and Desirae Brakhage.To learn more about Jane and find her books, head to her website or to Blue Owl Books and Boutiques. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textIn this segment, the host reads the poems published in the It's Your Turn edition of The Mountain-Ear published on July 31, 2025. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textIn this episode of The Mountain-Ear Podcast, the host reads the poems from Some Words for the Week written by Alexander Shalom Joseph for the month of July 2025 (excluding the July 3 poem, read in the previous segment of the series). Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textBorn in Austin and growing up in Dallas, Sarah Minto-Sparks has always been influenced by her Texas roots. Graduating from Highland Park High School, she moved to Boston, Massachusetts, to attend university.After earning a bachelor's in behavioral neuroscience at Northwestern University in 2021, Minto-Sparks took a gap year. At the age of twenty, she grabbed a guitar, and she hasn't stopped playing and singing since.Living in a van during her gap year, she traveled across the country, ultimately settling in Boulder. There, she found her community playing at a weekly open mic and developed her confidence.Her connections through the open mic include Wesley Scott Smith, now a frequent collaborator, and Antonio “Tony” Daniel Reyes, now her manager.Through these two connections, she expanded her performances into Estes Park, and in February 2024, she took the plunge into performing professionally. Continuing to develop her craft, she is one of five mixed-media artists selected for the 2024-25 residency at Boulder's Oakley Art House. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textContinuing in her series spotlighting the Peak to Peak's incredible towns, Maryann Rosen takes listeners on a journey through the history of Gold Hill, Ward, and Jamestown! Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textAJ Montana Keyser has been writing songs since the age of 11 and playing open mikes since the age of 15. They've embraced music throughout their entire life, performing professionally for over eight years.When Keyser first started releasing songs, they did so under their birth name. Their personal and musical journey changed in July 2022 during a trip to Bozeman, Montana, where they completely embraced their identity and came out as non-binary.Keyser now performs under their chosen name, including with their band Montana Sand. The band, formed shortly after (and named as a tribute to) that Bozeman trip, features Keyser on vocals, guitar, and banjo; Beth Kammersgard on bass; Chris Wright on drums; and Phil Broste on pedal steel.The group draws from a diverse range of musical influences, including country, folk, rock, bluegrass, and roots music. In addition to Colorado, the band has performed in Texas, Montana, California, Florida, and New Mexico.Keyser has always loved collaborating with others, frequently gathering other musicians and book authors together to write songs. For them, performing in a group allows them to bounce energy off each other, creating an environment that can't be recreated playing solo. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textOrganizer Stephanie Andelman joins The Mountain-Ear Podcast to talk about the upcoming 2025 celebration of the Nederland Jazz and Wine Festival! Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textGuitarist Brian Blaser jokes that five years ago, he didn't even know how to spell the word “bluegrass.” His music tastes focused primarily on alternative and electric rock, playing in a group that performed songs from artists like the Allman Brothers, Phish, the Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones, Radiohead, and Pearl Jam.One night, at a local bluegrass pick, Blaser met a young banjo player, Sean McFarland, and the two discussed their live performances. The two talked about McFarland sitting in for a gig from Blaser's band, and while Blaser felt unsure if a banjo would fit in that particular band, he invited McFarland to the gig.Within the week, Blaser's band broke up due to internal forces unknown to him. Instead of telling McFarland that the band no longer existed, Blaser assembled a new group of people. From this collection of musicians came the foundations of Smörgåsgrass. To this day, Blaser and McFarland agree to disagree on who asked who about McFarland jumping in.The name came from the band's original bass player, Franziska Zenhäusern, who often brought in a smörgåsbord of food during practices. Not only does the band name apply for that personal reason, but it has also become representative of the band's ever-changing and always flexible lineup. Blaser, McFarland, and harmonica (or “mouth fiddle”) player Alex Medler have been consistent members since its foundation. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textThe Peak to Peak's very own Scott Harrison recently sat down with Steve Hartman in a segment for his program on CBS Evening News, On the Road. In celebration of the man and his passion project, The Carousel of Happiness, today's Audio Library segment focuses on articles written by or about Harrison and the carousel that has brought joy to thousands. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textGeorge Blevins has called Colorado's Front Range his home for over half his life, moving in the early 1980s. He says the time in his adult life before then “hardly seems to count, especially since I'm 85 and I don't remember all that stuff very well.”Before Colorado, Blevins grew up in rural Louisiana. As a child, he and his parents lay in bed together every Sunday morning to read The Sunday Funnies from The Sunday Times. Those comics, particularly Pogo, instilled a lifelong passion for Blevins. From then on, all he wanted to do was find opportunities as a cartoonist for comic strips. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textJoin us on an artistic journey as correspondent Maryann Rosen discusses local art and artists across the Peak to Peak! Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textHaving grown up in New Jersey, Matthew “Matt” McCloskey moved to Fort Collins in 2020. After five years, he now considers Colorado his home.McCloskey first started playing in his pre-teens, performing in open mics at around 13 years old. His parents, who were also musicians, frequently took him to a local coffee shop for the open mic there, and he's never stopped playing gigs.McCloskey started writing songs by the time he reached his late teens, collaborating with his high school band and writing his own material. Before moving to Colorado, he played in a rock band called The Punch Bowl with Ryan Harford, Chris “Softy” Pertain, and Chris Amato. They released a self-titled album in 2018 before taking an indefinite break, reuniting in 2024 for a three-night local tour.McCloskey changes the balance of originals and covers in his shows depending on how long they last. For much longer gigs that last at least three hours, he'll typically perform more covers, but for gigs that are fewer than or around two hours, he'll balance originals and covers as much as he can. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textSit back and tune in to Some Words for the Week, written by Alexander Shalom Joseph for the July 3, 2025 edition of The Mountain-Ear! Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textIn the continuation of Maryann Rosen's Spotlight series, she focuses on the local history and culture of Central City and Black Hawk!  Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textIn 2011, Connor Dady moved away from his roots in Rochester, New York, and settled down in Denver, Colorado. Around the same time, Dan Williams moved to Denver from Austin, Texas, and both he and Dady happened to land a job as arborists for the same company.As they talked, they realized they shared a similar interest in music, both performing occasionally in local open mics on their own time. Getting to know each other more, they started performing together through open mics and jams among friends, sharing their music tastes with each other.Their chemistry continued to develop as they kept performing together. Around 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the two decided to look for other musicians to flesh out their sound and book more gigs. By the end of 2020, the group had acquired an upright bass player, a fiddle player, and a dobro player, booking gig opportunities in Denver.Since 2021, the band, now named Cottonwood Drifters, has cycled through various lineups to find a group of people who could share their artistic talents individually while also working towards common goals together.Dady and Williams are the consistent core members and songwriters, with Dady playing acoustic guitar, Williams playing mandolin (which he learned online during COVID) and occasionally Irish tenor banjo, and both singing lead vocals. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textConductor Brad Swartzwelter's primary interest has always been trains, even from before he can remember. When he was around two years old, his mother took him on a train ride from Denver to Ottumwa, Iowa. While he does not remember the trip, his mother says he enjoyed it greatly.As a kid, Swartzwelter's interest in trains only grew. As many kids do, he played with a train set and, further encouraging his interest, his parents would stop the car whenever they drove by a train so that he could watch it.Swartzwelter's family often vacationed at Sheriff Ranch in Granby, fishing with a lease on the Colorado River. During these vacations, he watched and waved at the Rio Grande Zephyr rolling through. For him, this fascination has been “a lifelong ailment, [for which] I've tried numerous remedies [and] there is no cure.” Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textFor this segment, the host reads "Some words for the week" written for the June 26, 2025 edition of The Mountain-Ear by Alexander Shalom Joseph. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!