Targhee Bluegrass Fest celebrates #27

(this piece was published by Planet JH Weekly)By my acute calculations, the climax of summer music offerings is this week. Get it while it’s hot! If you’re not juiced for this year’s Targhee Bluegrass Festival lineup, maybe you just need some stronger coffee. It would be difficult to pick just one of the three days, but in case you must, here’s a daily fly-by.Friday opens with hard-driving North Carolina string band Town Mountain at 4 p.m. I caught this quintet at Bear Trap Festival last summer, and they’re traditional goodness with lead singer Robert Greer leading the charge with an IBMA Momentum Award for “Vocalist of the Year.” Jayme Stone's Lomax Project will follow, focused on songs collected by folklorist and field recording pioneer Alan Lomax. Tim O'Brien and Darrell Scott have a terrific new album, We're Usually A Lot Better Than This, and have been hitting the pavement hard this year. They’re tight! Closing the festival stage on Friday night is the triumphant return of ex-child prodigies of the Grammy-winning trio Nickel Creek, who just released their first album in eight years. Americana/roots-rock quartet Screen Door Porch will close the evening at 11 p.m. in the Trap Bar ($5).Saturday features the compositional turns from the twenty-seven year olds of Haas Kowert Tice trio, followed by a the Thomas Sneed-led New Reeltime Travelers, David Bromberg Quartet, Jeff Austin and the Here and Now, the Cajun slamgrass of Leftover Salmon, and the quintessential Saturday closer, Sam Bush Band. The Banjo Killers featuring Tony Furtado and Scott Law will close the evening at 11 p.m. in the Trap Bar ($10).The Banjo Killers will open Sunday followed by traditional quartet Chris Jones & The Night Drivers. The ripping instrumentalists of the Travelin’ McCourys will blow your hair back before one of my favorite bands in the jamgrass subgenre, Greensky Bluegrass, close the festival. The Trap Bar All Star Jam hosted by Tony Furtado and Scott Law will close the evening at 7 p.m. in the Trap Bar ($5). 27th Annual Targhee Bluegrass Festival, Friday through Sunday at Grand Targhee Resort. $55-$65/daily, $159-$175/three-day. GrandTarghee.com for full schedule and ticketing.