Steamboat-themed bands!
Sure, Steamboat’s band scene may seem incestuous at times, with players jumping around and playing with different acts, but no one can deny that local musicians all love playing here. Wearing their hearts on their sleeves, the following bands even took their names from local sources.
The Flattops Band: Consisting of Randy Kelley, Eric Baker, and Lucas Mouttet, the Flattops Band is named after those flat-topped mountains south of town that comprise the Flat Tops Wilderness Area, the third largest U.S. Wilderness Area in Colorado and home to the headwaters of the Yampa River. Their sound is just as free-flowing as their namesake wilderness, guaranteed to liven your soul.
Little Moon Travelers: Made up of Jeremy Campbell, Von Wilson, Eric Baker, Aaron VanWyk, and Kay McKenzie, Little Moon, which is now working on their first album, got their start in the Covid era by jamming around a firepit outside Jeremy’s house in the cul de sac of Little Moon Trail. Hence the name. Their blend of folk, old time and roots Americana is designed for listeners to put aside their worries and connect with each other more freely.
Morningside String Band: Ever ride the Morningside chairlift? Then you’ll love the Morningside String Band, an acoustic trio formed in 2019 that is often a five-piece, adding percussion and electric guitar. The current lineup includes Craig Thornhill, Paul Geppert, Tim Cunningham, Courtney La Zier and Gabe Hedstrom “on drums and jokes.” The band mixes originals and covers, rooted in blues, reggae, bluegrass, funk, jam and rock.
Yampa Valley Boys: John Fisher and Steve Jones are mainstays in the Steamboat guitar and banjo-pickin’ scene, playing together as the Yampa Valley Boys for decades, entertaining everyone from rodeo crowds to apres revelers at the resort. Their name pays homage to the valley they love and call home.
Rattlin’ 44s: Terry Williams and other local musicians who all live on RCR 44 realized they had enough musicians on the street that they could form a band. So, they borrowed the name of their county road, whose washboards create their own percussion whenever they’re driving to their jams.
Alan Duty and the Lost Rangers: Steamboat-raised Alan Duty got this act together as a garage band during COVID with some of his buddies. The name pays homage to Lost Ranger Peak, the fourth highest in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area, which gets its name from sitting on the boundary of two ranger districts in Routt National Forest, with a ranger from one district once reportedly getting lost on the mountain and having to be rescued by the adjoining district’s rangers.
