JH Rendezvous Fest: Blues Traveler, Spearhead, KDTU and ...

(a portion of this piece was published by Planet JH Weekly)The JH Rendezvous celebrates 10 years of free music in Village. A genuinely cool event for our valley, the reinvented Rendezvous will mark the 10th annual celebratory end of ski season with an even bigger bang. Billed as Jackson Hole Mountain Fest for the last nine years, Rendezvous is aptly touted as a “three-day lifestyle and music festival.” Alongside the Marmot Coombs Classic competition and the legendary Pole Pedal Paddle race, the big stages will feature the return of Blues Traveler, Michael Franti & Spearhead and Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe among a smattering of opening acts, not to mention music Under the Tram.Rendezvous: ThursdayIn case you missed Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe (KDTU) last month at the Knotty Pine, here’s your chance at redemption. A tireless performer and tour hound, Denson has already put his stamp on contemporary funk/jazz saxophone and flute. A former member of Lenny Kravitz’s band and a co-founder of the pioneering, timeless band The Greyboy Allstars, there’s still a fire lit underneath Mr. Denson. KDTU is a super-tight sextet and will roll into town armed with a fresh album released just last month, New Ammo. An acoustically-challenged concert space, its best to position yourself close to the stage for this one. Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe with Mandatory Air, 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Snow King Event Center. Doors at 6:30 p.m. Free, all-ages. JacksonHole.com. Rendezvous: Friday UPDATE 3/25 STEEL PULSE HAS CANCELLED DUE TO ILLNESS. BLUES TRAVELER WILL FILL THE SPOTFormed thirty-nine years ago, England-based Steel Pulse is truly living up to its name. Founded by and still led by vocalist, guitarist and songwriter David Hinds, the eight-piece reggae unti has not lost an ounce of power or urgency that defined them from the outset. Still singing against political and social oppression, Steel Pulse won a Grammy Award for its 1986 album Babylon The Bandit, while 1978’s Handsworth Revolution is considered by many to be their best effort. A classic band to celebrate ten years of slope side concerts. Steel Pulse BLUES TRAVELER with DJ Logic, 5:30 p.m. Friday outside in Teton Village. Free, all-ages. After-party with Maddy & the Groove Spots, 9:30 p.m. Friday at the Mangy Moose ($10). Local hair metal cover band, 86, plays 3 to 5 p.m. Friday Under the Tram. JacksonHole.com.Rendezvous: SaturdayMichael Franti & Spearhead have played the Tetons more times in the last five years than I can count. The ultra-positive, pop-produced hip-hop/funk show is highly entertaining if you haven’t seen it, but who are these Groovetrotters?A family band from Baja, Mexico, the Groovetrotters don’t often play in the U.S. Led by their guitar-player father, four brothers round out the band: Claude (drums, twelve years old), Jerome (keyboards, sixteen), BJ (bass, eighteen), and Pierre (congas, fourteen). They groove a funk/jazz/reggae blend and pulling from their website, it appears this stage will be a little bigger than the “weddings, parties, and restaurants” they frequent.Michael Franti & Spearhead with Groovetrotters, 5:30 p.m. Saturday outside in Teton Village. Free, all-ages. Local country-soul band Bootleg Flyer plays 3 to 5 p.m. After-party with Mandatory Air, 9:30 p.m. Friday at the Mangy Moose ($10). Saturday Under the Tram, and reggae-roots eight-piece Chanman Roots Band 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday Under the Tram. JacksonHole.com.Private Reserve tickets ($50/night, $75/two nights) are available to concertgoers at the Teton Village shows who prefer access to a private viewing area adjacent to the stage as well as complimentary food and beverages. No dogs are allowed in the concert spaces. Enjoy responsibly and utilize the extra START buses that will be running each night.