Always Sold Out Telluride Americana Music Fest/Songwriter Showcase, 7/18-7/21

30 Jun Always Sold Out Telluride Americana Music Fest/Songwriter Showcase, 7/18-7/21

The Telluride Americana Music Fest & Songwriter Showcase is somewhat unique among Telluride festivals with its craft-like focus on singer-songwriters. All shows are seated and listening. The event is a joint production of the Sheridan Arts Foundation and Austin-based Barbed Wire Productions and has sold out in the Opera House for its four-night run for the past four years.

The music happening is headlined by the iconic Americana songwriters Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore. The musical happening takes place July 18-21, 2018.

Tickets are now available on the Sheridan Opera House website for $200 with reserved seating for all four nights. Single night tickets are also available at SheridanOperaHouse.com.

Scroll down for further details and to hear the talent in action.

The Telluride Americana Music Festival & Songwriter Showcase, a four-night event, opens with a Summer Night Song Swap, which features a group of Texas artists – Drew Kennedy, Josh Grider, Kelley Mickwee, and Walt Wilkins. All four are part of a collective called the Red River Songwriters and perform frequently together doing their own and each other’s songs.

Thursday kicks off with the Nashville artist Sean McConnell, who recently released a powerful set of acoustic recordings titled Undone, which will no doubt be featured in this show.

The Ruth Moody Band follows McConnell.

Moody is an Australian-born, two-time Juno Award-winner, who currently resides in Winnipeg, Canada. She is a member of the internationally renowned trio The Wailin’ Jennies and an artist of exceptional depth and grace.

Friday night features powerful guitar playing, starting with Austin’s ever-soulful Carolyn Wonderland.

The East Coast folk-blues legend Chris Smither follows, accompanied by his long-time producer and sideman David Goodrich. Both are impeccable guitar players.

Chris Smither

Alvin and Gilmore have been friends for 30 years, but had never played music together before they teamed for a run of acoustic shows in 2017 that will continue into this year, with a duo record rumored.

Jimmy Dale Gilmore & Dave Alvin

Alvin formed The Blasters with his brother Phil in 1979 and made a career as a roots/rockabilly performer and a songwriter of distinction.

Gilmore is a long-time member of The Flatlanders with Joe Ely and Butch Hancock and has twice been named Country Artist of the Year by Rolling Stone magazine.

The Saturday show will be opened by a relatively unknown, but extraordinary singer-songwriter named simply Callaghan. A British citizen who has relocated to the U.S., she has is remarkable singer who is not to be missed.