5 reasons to see Robby Peoples Band, opening ShowDown Town free concert series

EAGLE — When he relocated to Colorado from Mississippi, Robby Peoples brought with him the harmonica that he played on the back porch of his childhood home, the guitar he taught himself to play and the characteristic Southern stylings of the Jackson music scene.

In Denver, he added blues and rock ’n’ roll sounds to his repertoire. The result is a passionate, soulful, high-energy performance that is coming to kick off the ShowDown Town free concert series, which takes place Thursday nights at 6:30 p.m. through Aug. 9 at the Eagle Town Park.

Here’s a look at five reasons to see the Robby Peoples Band in Eagle.

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1. Free family fun

Robby Peoples Band is the first in a series of seven free shows in the ShowDown Town concert series, which is a project of the Vail Valley Foundation. The music ranges from bluegrass to funk to rock ’n’ roll. The shows are suitable for all ages and YouthPower365 will be on site providing free activities for kids. Community involvement is the goal for title sponsor Kaiser Permanente, who looks forward to providing a fun event that residents can look forward to.

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“Free concerts in the park are a wonderful aspect of living in Eagle County, and there’s no doubt they improve quality of life here,” said Brent Bowman, of Kaiser Permanente. “We are extremely pleased to be supporting the Vail Valley Foundation’s mission to raise the quality of life in the Vail Valley through arts, athletics and education, and we think the concerts are a great fit for Kaiser Permanente.”

Bring the whole family down to the Eagle Town Park for an evening of music and dancing.

2. Good ol’ American music

Robby Peoples Band is bringing rich, gritty Southern spirit to the Rocky Mountains with their music. The prevalent guitar and harmonica riffs in their songs invoke feelings of the easy days and vibrant nights that come with the summer season. Robby Peoples’ rough, raspy voice will please fans of classic country rock, and his energetic performance style will excite new listeners with contemporary twists on the genre.

3. Robby Peoples is a people person

What makes Robby Peoples such an engaging performer is the way he interacts with both the crowd and the music itself. Peoples started playing music when he was 19 years old, making it a crucial part of his life in his most defining years that followed him to adulthood. Peoples uses raw, candid lyrics combined with high tempo rhythms for a show that speaks to audiences both literally and emotionally.

4. He’s just getting started

Peoples’ presence across the Colorado and Mississippi music scenes has been steadily rising over the years. He’s toured the East and West coasts with Denver favorite The Congress, and recruited them to join him in the studio. He’s shared the stage with musicians of all genres, including the jazz-Americana singer Sam Holt, rock band Polytoxic, and opening for the renowned songwriter Leon Russel. It will all soon culminate in a full-length album, which Peoples is self-producing along with his bandmates Ben Walligoskie, James Dunn, Kramer Kelling and Scott Rouch.

5. Food and more

Along with good music, the ShowDown Town concerts offer vendor and food booths from Pazzo’s Pizzeria, Ekahi Grill, Baked and Loaded Potatoes Food Truck, Los Torres and Thai Kitchen. For drinks, there’s Bonfire Brewing getting in the action before or after the show. Under Colorado state law, only non-alcoholic beverages or 3.2 beer are allowed in public parks — including Eagle Town Park for ShowDown Town events.