Head to any live music show around town, and you’ll likely find all-around Steamboat musician extraordinaire Randy Kelley up there picking away, whether it’s on a guitar, fiddle, or mandolin. He’s as much a part of the local music scene as the venues he plays in and can mix up genres like bartenders do cocktails. Kelley was born in Philadelphia and raised in St. Louis, Chicago, and Denver before attending high school at Fountain Valley in Colorado Springs (coincidentally, where Bob Weir went). We caught up with him for all things strumming in Steamboat.
Swillin’ & Chillin’: When and how did you first come to Steamboat?
Randy Kelley: I moved here in November 1979 in my 20s, after getting a Geology degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder and working on a geology project in Wyoming. My girlfriend at the time had friends here, and we had visited a few times. I liked it, so I said, ‘Let’s move there.’
S&C: What’s your music background?
RK: I’m pretty much self-taught. I took a month-long jazz guitar and an introduction to theory course in Boulder, but I never really had a formal lesson or any real musical training. I started out on drums at about age 10, but was never really that good at them, and then was self-taught on guitar and bass at about age 15. I learned the banjo, fiddle, and mandolin at age 20. In Boulder, I bought a fiddle for $200 — my neighbors hated cats and had some in their furnace room, and wanted me to play the fiddle to get them out.
S&C: What were some of your early bands in Steamboat?
RK: As soon as I moved here, I got right into playing music. My first band was called Red Shoes with Margot Krimmel, and we played at the Cove in the Harbor Hotel downtown. We were way ahead of our time, playing pretty cool music in what was then pretty much a cowboy town. There are literally too many past bands to list, except some notable ones are Buffalo Commons, an original soul grass band; and Sundog, with Deanna Webb, Chris Koebnick, and Ron Wheeler, and a few other musicians for 26 years at the Western BBQ.
S&C: How many bands are you in now?
RK: A few. I play in The Worried Men, with Jon Gibbs, Willie Samuelson, Ron Wheeler, or Pat Waters — for nearly a decade we played every Friday night at Mahogany Ridge, which were big parties. I also play in The Flattops with Lucas Mouttet and Eric Baker, playing a lot of songs Lucas writes; The Naturals with Joe Ghiglia — we play at Casey’s Pond every Tuesday morning; and new folk and blues with Sarah Kostin. I also sit in with other bands around town like The Little Moon Travelers, Bonfire Dub, Apple Pie, and others.
S&C: How many instruments do you play?
RK: Guitar, both electric and acoustic, mandolin, fiddle, bass, and sometimes Native American flutes on the river, and the kalimba.
S&C: What’s your favorite?
RK: It depends on the day, but the electric guitar is the most fun. But I like acoustic guitar a lot, also. The fiddle is a crowd pleaser, but my favorite is the guitar — it’s home base for me.
S&C: What do you like about teaching music?
RK: I haven’t been teaching as much since my wife Mary died (editor’s note: Randy’s wife, Mary, died in a rafting accident on the Grand Canyon in March 2022), but I love teaching kids and families. I taught Suzuki guitar to kids ages 6-16 for 15 years. They’re such great learners at those ages and are so enthusiastic. They’re just like musical sponges. But kids need a consistent lesson schedule, and I can’t provide that right now. I want to be a little flakier, and I think I’m succeeding.
S&C: What’s your take on Steamboat’s music scene?
RK: It’s great. It’s very vibrant, open, and inclusive. You don’t have to be amazing to be welcomed into the music community here. It’s also low pressure compared to a city. If you’re in a city like Nashville, the pressure is so intense. There’s just so much going on here all the time. There’s also a pretty active bluegrass scene here, with a jam every Sunday night at the Depot and the Press. In Steamboat, you have more freedom and a chance to grow musically. Consequently, people here have grown to become pretty good musicians. Personally, I just want to have fun playing music.
S&C: Other hobbies and interests?
RK: Running rivers, skiing backcountry, music festivals, and travel. I loved raising my two boys — Ryan and David, both in their 30s — here in Steamboat’s Riverside neighborhood with my late wife, Mary; and I love my new life and traveling with my new wife, Aleka Scott.
S&C: Okay, have to ask…would you rather play on stage or around a river trip campfire?
RK: That’s a tough one…I’d have to say both! But I do love campfires. I just like to play for people who want to listen.
