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VAIL, Colorado — Sunday's Grammy Awards put a little more sparkle into Monday's announcement of the first acts booked for the annual Spring Back to Vail concert series in April.
Train, which won this year's Grammy for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals for the song “Hey Soul Sister,” headline a concert at Ford Park April 16. The group has scored other hits with “Meet Virginia,” “Drops of Jupiter” and “Calling All Angels.”
“We strive to bring the best music to Vail, and booking a band like Train is what we've tried to do over the years,” said James Deighan of Highline Sports and Entertainment. That company works with Vail Resorts on both the Spring Back and Vail Snow Daze shows.
Train winning a Grammy was a happy coincidence, of course. Work on bringing bands to Vail is a process that takes time. And booking shows in winter and spring can be tricky, Deighan said. A lot of touring bands are either just finishing winter tours or are still gearing up for summer he said.
“But that's just the nature of the beast,” Deighan said.
Then there's the matter of booking bands into a ski resort. Deighan said some groups — O.A.R., for instance — love coming to Vail. Others, he said, aren't particularly interested in playing outdoor shows at ski resorts when there's still snow on the ground.
That's why the association with Vail Resorts is important, Deighan said.
Most touring musicians don't live lives of luxury on the road, spending a lot of time in tour buses or cheap motels. Stay-and-play packages for the artists can help sweeten a deal.
Deighan said this year's lineup — which isn't yet filled out — is an eclectic mix.
“Vail's incredibly unique,” he said. “We're fortunate to have the acts we get.”
Besides Train, here's a look at the other bands booked so far:
• Stephen Marley, April 23. Marley, the son of reggae legend Bob Marley, has collaborated often with his siblings Damian Marley and Ziggy Marley, and in 2007 released his debut solo album, “Mind Control.”
• Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars, April 24. The Refugee All Stars played at Spring Back to Vail in 2010, and due to the overwhelming positive response, they're back. The group was formed by refugees displaced to Guinea during the Sierra Leone civil war.
• The Greyboy Allstars, April 17. Originally a collaboration between DJ Greyboy and saxophonist Karl Denson, the band over nearly two decades has grown to six members.
• Shpongle, April 22. British electronica group Shpongle will present the Shpongletron Experience. Currently working on their fifth album, Shpongle is known for its unique sound of sampled eastern ethnic instruments mixed with western contemporary synthesizer-based psychedelic music. The group is fresh off a performance at the 2011 Coachella festival.
Train, which won this year's Grammy for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals for the song “Hey Soul Sister,” headline a concert at Ford Park April 16. The group has scored other hits with “Meet Virginia,” “Drops of Jupiter” and “Calling All Angels.”
“We strive to bring the best music to Vail, and booking a band like Train is what we've tried to do over the years,” said James Deighan of Highline Sports and Entertainment. That company works with Vail Resorts on both the Spring Back and Vail Snow Daze shows.
Train winning a Grammy was a happy coincidence, of course. Work on bringing bands to Vail is a process that takes time. And booking shows in winter and spring can be tricky, Deighan said. A lot of touring bands are either just finishing winter tours or are still gearing up for summer he said.
“But that's just the nature of the beast,” Deighan said.
Then there's the matter of booking bands into a ski resort. Deighan said some groups — O.A.R., for instance — love coming to Vail. Others, he said, aren't particularly interested in playing outdoor shows at ski resorts when there's still snow on the ground.
That's why the association with Vail Resorts is important, Deighan said.
Most touring musicians don't live lives of luxury on the road, spending a lot of time in tour buses or cheap motels. Stay-and-play packages for the artists can help sweeten a deal.
Deighan said this year's lineup — which isn't yet filled out — is an eclectic mix.
“Vail's incredibly unique,” he said. “We're fortunate to have the acts we get.”
Besides Train, here's a look at the other bands booked so far:
• Stephen Marley, April 23. Marley, the son of reggae legend Bob Marley, has collaborated often with his siblings Damian Marley and Ziggy Marley, and in 2007 released his debut solo album, “Mind Control.”
• Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars, April 24. The Refugee All Stars played at Spring Back to Vail in 2010, and due to the overwhelming positive response, they're back. The group was formed by refugees displaced to Guinea during the Sierra Leone civil war.
• The Greyboy Allstars, April 17. Originally a collaboration between DJ Greyboy and saxophonist Karl Denson, the band over nearly two decades has grown to six members.
• Shpongle, April 22. British electronica group Shpongle will present the Shpongletron Experience. Currently working on their fifth album, Shpongle is known for its unique sound of sampled eastern ethnic instruments mixed with western contemporary synthesizer-based psychedelic music. The group is fresh off a performance at the 2011 Coachella festival.
