High Sierra Festival 2013 Preview

Up among the mountains of northern California, outside of Reno, is the High Sierra Music Festival. For over twenty years now over the Fourth of July Weekend, High Sierra has raised the jam-band festival game by expanding both into older sounds and newer ones, while keeping its core. So head to Quincy high up in the Sierra Nevada, Thursday to Sunday, July 4th to 7th:

THURSDAY, JULY 4th

Grandstand Stage Robert Plant presents The Sensational Space Shifters, 9:30 PM – 11:30 PM Headlining the first day of High Sierra is the legendary Robert Plant. While he’ll always be best known as the singer/frontman of Led Zeppelin, he’s also crafted a very successful solo career for over thirty years now, not to mention teams up ‘Page and Plant’ in the nineties (with Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page) and, more recently, with Alison Krauss in Raising Sand, 2011 Grammy winner for Album of the Year. And while he’ll always be best known for virtually giving birth to hard rock, his post-Zeppelin work has allowed him to venture into folk and blues, such as on 2010’s Band of Joy (QRO review) and subsequent tour (QRO live review) – and he comes to High Sierra behind his latest outfit, the new Sensational Space Shifters.

White Denim, 7:15 PM – 8:45 PM Out of the Austin psychedelic rock scene comes White Denim (QRO live review at home in Austin), but they’re more accessible than most psych-rock (QRO photos), if also correspondingly less inspired (QRO photos at a festival). Also Friday at Big Meadow Stage, 7:45 PM – 9:15 PM Also: The Hot 8 Brass Band, 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM Shook Twins, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Big Meadow Stage Troubadour Sessions in Mineral Building with Lebo, Paige, Bo, Nataly, 11:30 PM – 2:00 AM Gramatik, 10:00 PM – 11:30 PM Gramatik comes all the way from Slovenia (the best part of the former Yugoslavia). Also Friday at Funk’n Jam Stage, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Allen Stone, 7:15 PM – 9:15 PM Allen Stone (QRO photos at a festival) began his singing in a church, and his soulful sound has kept that connection.

Minter, 5:15 PM – 6:30 PM The Revivalists, 3:15 PM – 4:30 PM Tumbleweed Wanderers, 1:15 PM – 2:30 PM Scott Pemberton, 11:30 AM – 12:45 PM If you miss this line-up on Thursday at Big Meadow Stage, you can catch the same line-up with same times on Friday at Vaudeville Stage.

Vaudeville Stage North Mississippi Allstars, 11:30 PM – 1:30 AM From Hernando in – you guessed it – northern Mississippi, these Allstars are bringing southern blues & jam into the twenty-first century, fitting for High Sierra. Also Friday at Grandstand Stage, 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM

Also: Fruition, 9:15 PM – 10:45 PM Nataly Dawn, 7:30 PM – 8:45 PM Peter Apfelbaum & Sparkler, 5:30 PM – 6:45 PM Lord Huron, 3:45 PM – 5:00 PM – QRO photos Aoife O’Donovan, 2:00 PM – 3:15 PM The Melodic, 12:15 PM – 1:30 PM

HS Music Hall Leftover Salmon, 1:45 AM – 4:00 AM From Boulder, Colorado comes the “Polyethnic Cajun Stamgrass” of Leftover Salmon (QRO photos at a festival), with their unique blend of bluegrass, rock, country, and Cajun zydeco making them a mainstay on the jam-band festival circuit (QRO photos at a festival). Also Friday at Grandstand Stage, 7:15 PM – 8:45 PM Also: The Melodic, 12:00 AM – 1:15 AM

Funk’n Jam Stage Pimps of Joytime, 2:00 AM – 4:00 AM Take the funky ride with Brooklyn’s Pimps of Joytime (QRO photos at a festival). Also Friday at Grandstand Stage, 3:00 PM – 4:15 PM

Orgone, 12:00 AM – 1:30 AM Los Angeles’ Orgone (QRO photos at a California festival) draw from the funk & soul of the sixties & seventies. Also Friday at Vaudeville Stage, 7:15 PM – 8:30 PM

FRIDAY, JULY 5th

Grandstand Stage Primus, 9:30 PM – 11:30 PM Mixing alternative and funk in a Frizzle Fry sauce is Les Claypool’s (QRO interview) Primus (QRO spotlight on). Fronted by one of the most acclaimed bassists out there today, Primus first came to widespread notice in the early nineties thanks to Sailing the Seas of Cheese (QRO live review) and Pork Soda, with songs like “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver”, “Tommy the Cat”, “My Name Is Mud”, and “Mr. Krinkle”, delivering a weird funk-driven rock sound akin to an accessible Residents (QRO live review). Primus went on hiatus at the start of this century/millennium (after composing the theme to South Park), with Claypool working solo (QRO photos at a festival – and composed the theme to Robot Chicken), before reforming, first as nostalgia, but then with 2011’s new Green Naugahyde (QRO review), and have kept on going strong (QRO photos).

Leftover Salmon, 7:15 PM – 8:45 PM From Boulder, Colorado comes the “Polyethnic Cajun Stamgrass” of Leftover Salmon (QRO photos at a festival), with their unique blend of bluegrass, rock, country, and Cajun zydeco making them a mainstay on the jam-band festival circuit (QRO photos at a festival). Also Thursday at HS Music Hall, 1:45 AM – 4:00 AM

North Mississippi Allstars, 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM From Hernando in – you guessed it – northern Mississippi, these Allstars are bringing southern blues & jam into the twenty-first century, fitting for High Sierra. Also Thursday at Vaudeville Stage, 11:30 PM – 1:30 AM

Pimps of Joytime, 3:00 PM – 4:15 PM Take the funky ride with Brooklyn’s Pimps of Joytime (QRO photos at a festival). Also Thursday at Funk’n Jam Stage, 2:00 AM – 4:00 AM Also: The Whiskey Sisters, 1:00 PM – 2:15 PM

Big Meadow Stage Troubadour Sessions in Mineral Building w/ Lech, Bonnie, Daniel, Alice, 11:30 PM – 2:00 AM Lord Huron, 10:00 PM – 11:30 PM Los Angeles label IAMSOUND is best known for electronic acts, but found a nice local indie-folk act in Lord Huron (QRO photos in Los Angeles). Also Thursday at Vaudeville Stage, 3:45 PM – 5:00 PM

White Denim, 7:45 PM – 9:15 PM Out of the Austin psychedelic rock scene comes White Denim (QRO live review at home in Austin), but they’re more accessible than most psych-rock (QRO photos), if also correspondingly less inspired (QRO photos at a festival). Also Thursday at Grandstand Stage, 7:15 PM – 8:45 PM Also: Houndmouth, 5:45 PM – 7:00 PM Nataly Dawn, 3:45 PM – 5:00 PM Aoife O’Donovan, 1:45 PM – 3:00 PM Peter Apfelbaum & Sparkler, 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM

Vaudeville Stage The John Scofield Überjam Band, 11:30 PM – 1:30 AM John Scofield has worked with everyone from Miles Davis & Mavis Staples to Phil Lesh & John Mayer – and brings his ‘Überjam Band’ to High Sierra. Also Saturday at Grandstand Stage, 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM

Emancipator, 9:15 PM – 10:45 PM Portland trip-hop producer Doug Appling comes to High Sierra under his nom-de-guerre, Emancipator (QRO photos at a festival). Also Saturday at Funk’n Jam Stage, 2:00 AM – 3:45 AM

Orgone, 7:15 PM – 8:30 PM Los Angeles’ Orgone (QRO photos at a California festival) draw from the funk & soul of the sixties & seventies. Also Thursday at Funk’n Jam Stage, 12:00 AM – 1:30 AM

Minter, 5:15 PM – 6:30 PM The Revivalists, 3:15 PM – 4:30 PM Tumbleweed Wanderers, 1:15 PM – 2:30 PM Scott Pemberton, 11:30 AM – 12:45 PM If you miss this line-up on Friday at Vaudeville Stage, you can catch the same line-up with same times on Thursday at Big Meadow Stage.

HS Music Hall The Infamous Stringdusters, 1:45 AM – 4:00 AM The Infamous Stringdusters have earned their reputation with relentless bluegrass touring. Also Saturday at Big Meadow Stage, 10:00 PM – 11:30 PM Also: Fruition, 11:45 PM – 1:15 AM Undiscovered Soul, 5:00 PM – 6:15 PM High Sierra Pick Extravaganza, 3:00 PM – 4:15 PM Roots of Led Zeppelin, 1:00 PM – 2:15 PM

Funk’n Jam Stage Gramatik, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM Gramatik comes all the way from Slovenia (the best part of the former Yugoslavia). Also Thursday at Big Meadow Stage, 10:00 PM – 11:30 PM Also: Octopus Nebula, 12:00 AM – 1:30 AM

SATURDAY, JULY 6th

Grandstand Stage Thievery Corporation, 9:30 PM – 11:30 PM D.C.’s multi-cultural electronic all-star duo of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton (QRO live review) bring not just their expansive, chill, globe-trotting signature sound (and some revolutionary ideals often missing in the ‘party time’, apolitical attitude of electronica), most recently with 2011’s Culture of Fear (QRO review), but also an eye-opening live performance with a fifteen-person band and grand light show (QRO photos) – they’re not like other computerized acts that just press ‘Play’ and collect their check.

The Greyboy Allstars, 6:45 PM – 8:45 PM San Diego’s soul/jazz/funk ensemble The Greyboy Allstars includes Karl Denson (though not his Tiny Universe – QRO photos at a festival). Also Sunday at HS Music Hall, 1:45 AM – 3:30 AM

The John Scofield Überjam Band, 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM John Scofield has worked with everyone from Miles Davis & Mavis Staples to Phil Lesh & John Mayer – and brings his ‘Überjam Band’ to High Sierra. Also Friday at Vaudeville Stage, 11:30 PM – 1:30 AM

Rubblebucket, 2:15 PM – 3:45 PM Brooklyn indie-dance outfit Rubblebucket (QRO live review) fit into any line-up, from ultra-hipster to jam (QRO photos at a festival). Known for electric live shows (QRO live review), the group comes to High Sierra behind 2010’s Omega La La (QRO review). Also Sunday at Big Meadow Stage, 10:00 PM – 11:30 PM Also: Moksha featuring Skerik & Jennifer Hartswick, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM

Big Meadow Stage Troubadour Sessions in Mineral Building with Sara, David, Lukas, Mini, 11:30 PM – 2:00 AM The Infamous Stringdusters, 10:00 PM – 11:30 PM The Infamous Stringdusters have earned their reputation with relentless bluegrass touring. Also Friday at HS Music Hall, 1:45 AM – 4:00 AM

The Barr Brothers, 7:55 PM – 9:25 PM Brothers Andrew & Brad Barr have been performing in a variety of bands, including The Slip (QRO live review), Surprise Me Mr. Davis (QRO photos), and Land of Talk (QRO spotlight on), but they’ve since been breaking out all on their own. Also at Saturday at HS Music Hall, 4:45 PM – 6:00 PM, and Sunday at Vaudeville Stage, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Sarah Jarosz, 6:05 PM – 7:20 PM Sweet singer/songwriter Sarah Jarosz (QRO photos at a festival) comes to High Sierra behind 2011’s Follow Me Down, her follow-up to debut Song Up In Her Head and its Grammy-nominated “Mansinneedof”. Also Sunday at Vaudeville Stage, 4:05 PM – 5:20 PM

Carolyn Wonderland, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM Singer/songwriter Carolyn Wonderland has won a slew of Austin Music Awards from her hometown – and her marriage to ex-SNL writer, ex-Daily Show correspondent A. Whitney Brown was officiated by The Monkees’ Michael Nesmith… Also Sunday at Grandstand Stage, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM

Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, 2:05 PM – 3:20 PM Rivaling Sean Lennon and Jakob Dylan (QRO live review) in fatherly shadows to get out of, Willie Nelson’s son Lukas (QRO photos of them together at the elder Wilson’s 80th birthday celebration) has established his own country name with his band, Promise of the Real (QRO photos). Also Sunday at Grandstand Stage, 12:45 PM – 2:15 PM Also: The Whiskey Sisters, 12:15 PM – 1:30 PM American Jubilee, 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM

Vaudeville Stage Lee Fields & The Expressions, 12:15 AM – 1:30 AM Known for their soulful and R&B styled vignettes, Lee Fields and the Expressions is the collective from Brooklyn, NY (QRO photos outdoors in Brooklyn). Drawing inspirations from the likes of Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield, it’s as if taking a trip down memory lane to the Motown Era. They have toured across the world so make sure to catch them at High Sierra. Also Sunday at Grandstand Stage, 5:00 PM – 6:15 PM

Anders Osborne, 10:00 PM – 11:30 PM While he was born in Sweden, Anders Osborne hitchhiked across the world playing Americana music at the tender age of sixteen, and now calls Louisiana home. Also Sunday at Big Meadow Stage, 6:15 PM – 7:30 PM

Also: Octopus Nebula, 7:45 PM – 9:15 PM Houndmouth, 5:45 PM – 7:00 PM Papadosio, 3:45 PM – 5:00 PM – QRO photos at a festival The David Mayfield Parade, 1:45 PM – 3:00 PM Mike Dillon Band, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM

HS Music Hall moe., 1:30 AM – 4:00 AM One of the most-established acts on the jam festival circuit has to be moe. They came up in the nineties with other neo-hippie bands as Phish & Widespread Panic (instead of ‘Dead Heads’, moe. has ‘moe.rons’…), and have kept on going for over twenty years now. Also Sunday at Grandstand Stage, 9:30 PM – 11:30 PM Also: Jelly Bread, 11:45 PM – 1:00 AM On the Pulse with The Barr Brothers, 4:45 PM – 6:00 PM Skerik’s Lab, 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM Jamming on the Brill Building, 1:30 PM – 2:45 PM Elephant In the Room, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Funk’n Jam Stage Emancipator, 2:00 AM – 3:45 AM Portland trip-hop producer Doug Appling comes to High Sierra under his nom-de-guerre, Emancipator (QRO photos at a festival). Also Friday at Vaudeville Stage, 9:15 PM – 10:45 PM

Michal Menert, 12:15 AM – 1:30 AM Michal Menert’s family escaped Cold War Poland for West Germany when he was a boy – and has since exploded on the EDM scene, with help from Pretty Lights (QRO photos at a festival). Also Sunday at Vaudeville Stage, 10:15 PM – 11:30 PM

SUNDAY, JULY 7th

Grandstand Stage moe., 9:30 PM – 11:30 PM One of the most-established acts on the jam festival circuit has to be moe. They came up in the nineties with other neo-hippie bands as Phish & Widespread Panic (instead of ‘Dead Heads’, moe. has ‘moe.rons’…), and have kept on going for over twenty years now. Also Saturday at HS Music Hall Stage, 1:30 AM – 4:00 AM

Steel Pulse, 7:15 PM – 8:45 PM You can’t have a jam festival without a legendary reggae act, and High Sierra got a great one in Steel Pulse – the Birmingham, U.K. act was the first non-Jamaican group to ever win ‘Best Reggae Album’ Grammy.

Lee Fields & The Expressions, 5:00 PM – 6:15 PM Known for their soulful and R&B styled vignettes, Lee Fields and the Expressions is the collective from Brooklyn, NY (QRO photos outdoors in Brooklyn). Drawing inspirations from the likes of Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield, it’s as if taking a trip down memory lane to the Motown Era. They have toured across the world so make sure to catch them at High Sierra. Also Saturday at Vaudeville Stage, 12:15 AM – 1:30 AM

Carolyn Wonderland, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM Singer/songwriter Carolyn Wonderland has won a slew of Austin Music Awards from her hometown – and her marriage to ex-SNL writer, ex-Daily Show correspondent A. Whitney Brown was officiated by The Monkees’ Michael Nesmith… Also Saturday at Big Meadow Stage, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM

Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, 12:45 PM – 2:15 PM Rivaling Sean Lennon and Jakob Dylan (QRO live review) in fatherly shadows to get out of, Willie Nelson’s son Lukas (QRO photos of them together at the elder Wilson’s 80th birthday celebration) has established his own country name with his band, Promise of the Real (QRO photos). Also Saturday at Big Meadow Stage, 2:05 PM – 3:20 PM

Big Meadow Stage Troubadour Sessions in Mineral Building with Jonathan, Jay, Naia, Kellen, 11:30 PM – 2:00 AM Rubblebucket, 10:00 PM – 11:30 PM Brooklyn indie-dance outfit Rubblebucket (QRO live review) fit into any line-up, from ultra-hipster to jam (QRO photos at a festival). Known for electric live shows (QRO live review), the group comes to High Sierra behind 2010’s Omega La La (QRO review). Also Saturday at Grandstand Stage, 2:15 PM – 3:45 PM

Futurebirds, 8:15 PM – 9:30 PM Giving High Sierra a slice of indie is Athens, Georgia’s Futurebirds (though they still use instruments like pedal steel guitar, banjo, and mandolin).

Anders Osborne, 6:15 PM – 7:30 PM While he was born in Sweden, Anders Osborne hitchhiked across the world playing Americana music at the tender age of sixteen, and now calls Louisiana home. Also Saturday at Vaudeville Stage, 10:00 PM – 11:30 PM Also: The David Mayfield Parade, 4:30 PM – 5:45 PM Materialized, 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM Mike Dillon Band, 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM Jelly Bread, 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM

Vaudeville Stage Michal Menert, 10:15 PM – 11:30 PM Michal Menert’s family escaped Cold War Poland for West Germany when he was a boy – and has since exploded on the EDM scene, with help from Pretty Lights (QRO photos at a festival). Also Saturday at Funk’n Jam Stage, 12:15 AM – 1:30 AM

The Barr Brothers, 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM Brothers Andrew & Brad Barr have been performing in a variety of bands, including The Slip (QRO live review), Surprise Me Mr. Davis (QRO photos), and Land of Talk (QRO spotlight on), but they’ve since been breaking out all on their own. Also at Saturday at HS Music Hall, 4:45 PM – 6:00 PM, and Big Meadow Stage, 7:55 PM – 9:25 PM

Also: Jelly Bread, 6:00 PM – 7:15 PM Sarah Jarosz, 4:05 PM – 5:20 PM – QRO photos at a festival The California Honeydrops, 2:05 PM – 3:25 PM – QRO photos Naia Kete, 12:15 PM – 1:30 PM

HS Music Hall The Greyboy Allstars, 1:45 AM – 3:30 AM San Diego’s soul/jazz/funk ensemble The Greyboy Allstars includes Karl Denson (though not his Tiny Universe – QRO photos at a festival). Also Saturday at Grandstand Stage, 6:45 PM – 8:45 PM Also: Moksha featuring Skerik & Jennifer Hartswick, 12:00 AM – 1:15 AM Guitarmaggedon: Stadium Rock!, 4:00 PM – 5:15 PM UNPLUGGED: The David Mayfield Parade, 2:00 PM – 3:15 PM Bloody Mary Ball with The California Honeydrops, 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM – QRO photos

Funk’n Jam Stage Papadosio, 1:45 AM – 3:30 AM Papadosio (QRO photos at a festival) expands minds with genre-defying music. Also Saturday at Vaudeville Stage, 3:45 PM – 5:00 PM Also: Materialized, 12:00 AM – 1:15 AM