Teton Valley’s Music on Main keeps it fresh: 2016 line up released
Published at | Updated atDRIGGS — If it’s summer in Teton Valley, then you can expect great entertainment from the free Music on Main concert series. The mix of bands changes from year to year, with favorites meeting up-and-comers to bring a new blend of music each season.
The line-up for the series’ 11th year includes returning favorites like rough-edged, working class rocker James McMurtry and the propulsive rhythms of Todo Mundo.
“The key is diversity over time,” said Executive Director of the Teton Valley Foundation Erica Linnell.
That is mixed with the fresh-to-the-valley sounds of the “psychedelic soul” group the Monophonics, who will close out the summer season.
Those who have never seen a Mardi Gras Indian should make sure to mark their calendars as not to miss Cha Wa. Mardi Gras Indians have roots that go back over a century but are often an overlooked part of New Orleans culture.
“Mardi Gras Indians – the parade most white people don’t see,” said Larry Bannock, President, New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian Council. “The ceremonial procession is loose, the parade is not scheduled for a particular time or route…that is up to the Big Chief.”
Linnell said Music on Main has created a tradition of snagging bands as they start to catch fire nationally, like in the case of Los Lobos who played in Victor and are now hugely popular across the U.S.
This year’s lineup includes up-and-comers Kris Lager Band and the season-ending Monophonics.
Music on Main: Full Line Up and info
Date – Headliners Openers
- 6/23 Band of Heathens Screen Door Porch
- 6/30 Kris Lager Band Ethan Tucker
- 7/7 Cha-Wa Wyatt Lowe and the Mayhem Kings
- 7/14 Todo Mundo Canyon Kids
- 7/21 Shook Twins Talia Keys Gemini Mind
- 7/28 Cure for the Common John Wayne’s World
- 8/4 James McMurtry John Craigie
- 8/11 Monophonics The Brian Maw Band
Transportation
Jackson to Victor round trip on the START Bus: $5 round trip.
Grand Targhee Resort to Victor (via Driggs) for a suggested donation of $1 each way (Shuttle provided by Grand Targhee.)
Food
There will again be a food court set up on Birch Street with food from vendors such as Teton Thai, The Momo Shack, Scratch, Tastebuds, Spoons, and new this year, TJ’s Grill and Pizzeria. Beer will be on sale inside the venue. (No outside alcohol is allowed since beer sales are one of the main ways the concert is able to support itself.)
Costs
There is no cover-charge but the series is supported by donations.
“I think people love it,” Linnell said, “and we need their continued support to make it happen.”
The average donation is around a dollar a person, but Linnell said the Teton Valley Foundation hopes to bump that to two dollars.
“Lots of people drop in $5, $10, $20 bills—which is so generous—but it also means there are hundreds of attendees who don’t contribute anything,” she said in a press release. “We are asking the entire community to remember how lucky we are to have a free music series in such a small town, and to help us continue the free Music on Main legacy by throwing a few bucks in the jar.”
This article was originally published in the Teton Valley News. It is used here with permission.