Any fan of High Sierra knows that one of the things that makes this festival so special and unique are the Music Playshops that happen beyond the main stages when fans get to see the musicians they love in a novel, intimate and often once-in-a-lifetime musical settings. Thanks to our friends at Teton Filmworks and Croakies, we captured ALL of HSMF 2016’s Music Playshops in their entirety and will be sharing one a week with you leading up to this year’s festival. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel to get notified when a new video is posted!
5.9.17 – Steal Your Poltz with Steve Poltz & Friends Recorded at High Sierra Music Festival, Quincy, CA, 7/3/2016
Steal Your Poltz: In 2015 troubadour Steve Poltz had a stroke while performing on stage. With roots in the more brash side of rock’n’roll he never gravitated to the music of The Dead until after his stroke when it all started to make sense to him. Now, after a miraculous full recovery Poltz has embraced his inner Deadhead and regularly sprinkles Dead tunes into his sets. Join him here in an unforgettable set, keeping the Dead very much alive.
4.27.17 – Digging Into The Roots of Hot Tuna with One Big Guitar High Sierra Music Festival, Quincy, CA, 7/1/2016
Lebo (ALO), Scott Law & Bo Carper (New Monsoon) plus special guests, tap into the roots of living legends, Hot Tuna. Anchored in country-blues fingerpicking, folk, gospel & ragtime, Jorma Kaukonen & Jack Casady continue to perform regularly as Hot Tuna, drawing inspiration from the timeless music of Rev. Gary Davis, Son House, Doc Watson and even Ray Charles.
4.20.17 – Funky Evolution of the Pacific Northwest Sound featuring Industrial Revelation, members of Liz Vice and Scott Pemberton High Sierra Music Festival, Quincy, CA, 7/1/2016
The Pacific Northwest has been a pioneering musical hotbed for generations dating back to the 60’s garage rock of The Sonics and The Kingsmen (“Louie, Louie”) the grunge rock scene of the late 80’s, early 90’s (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden) and the hip-hop scene that blossomed out of the 90’s Sir-Mix-a-Lot days to the present GRAMMY winning rapper/dj duo of Maclemore and Ryan Lewis, who Industrial Revelation have collaborated with on their studio recordings. Join Industrial Revelation and friends as they take you on a fun exploration of the music of Pacific Northwest.
4.13.17 – High Sierra Bluegrass Pick with Horseshoes and Hand Grenades High Sierra Music Festival, Quincy, CA, 7/2/2016
The High Sierra ‘Pick’ continues to be one of more highly anticipated jams of the festival each year. It’s an opportunity for the finest acoustic pickers at the festival to get together and let it rip. The 2016 pick was hosted by Horseshoes and Hand Grenades all the way From Stevens Point, Wisconsin. This versatile five-piece are strongly rooted in bluegrass but bring a wide range of music influences and inspirations to the stage which made for a rousing PICK session.
4.6.17 – Session Americana – A Not-So-Tiny Desk Concert, Recorded at High Sierra Music Festival, Quincy, CA, 7/1/2016
Talk about intimate performances, that’s what Session American is all about. This all-star veteran line-up strips it down to the core, seated either around a not-so-tiny desk/table or in circle, passing the song around in a living room type setting. Come take part in a down-home experience, and enjoy the playful musicality and creative approach of these extraordinary musicians.
3.30.17 – Make Me Laugh, Make Me Cry with Steve Poltz Recorded at High Sierra Music Festival, Quincy, CA 7/1/2016
3.23.17 – Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky: A Celebration of the Music of Allen Toussaint with the California Honeydrops Recorded at High Sierra Music Festival, Quincy, CA 7/2/2016
Allen Toussaint was an incredibly important (if not underappreciated) musician, songwriter (he wrote “Yes We Can Can” for Lee Dorsey, made famous by the Pointer Sisters and “Southern Nights” made famous by Glen Campbell), arranger (horn sections for several Band albums including the Last Waltz), and record producer (Labelle’s “Lady Marmalade”, and countless New Orleans artists from The Meters to Dr. John). He passed away in November 2015 but left a treasure trove of music for all eternity. Here, The California Honeydrops and friends as they celebrate the musical genius of Allen Toussaint at High Sierra Music Festival in 2016.