Last Chance for Winter Festivities!

Ride Alpine Coaster at Winter on the Mountain

We’re coming up on the last weekend for two festive events in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park: Winter on the Mountain and the Winter Friday Afternoon Club! The last Winter on the Mountain for the season will take place February 26-28, and the final winter FAC is this Friday, February 26.

It’s been a great winter season filled with lights, music and thrills. The second year of Winter on the Mountain brought even more joy to the season, with the addition of holiday music throughout December. Park-goers were dazzled by 500,000 lights and a giant musical tree that performed choreographed light shows. Lighted rides and caves elevated the park experience!

Ride Alpine Coaster at Winter on the Mountain

Lights on the Alpine Coaster make for a magical, zooming ride!

The tram offers spectacular sunset views, the perfect way to end the week!

The Winter FAC brought local favorites to Glenwood Caverns, including soulful guitarist Gerry Goodman, Americana maestro Frank Martin, and accomplished long-time local Chris Bank. The eclectic gypsy-reggae band Painters Stage will close out the 2015-16 season of FAC, which has become a gathering spot for locals and visitors to unwind after the week and watch the incredible mountaintop sunset. The FAC offers a free tram ride to the top after 4pm on Friday, if you bring in the ad in Friday’s paper.

Take advantage of the mild February weather and come up to see us! Find out more information on Glenwood Caverns hours and tickets. Hope to see you for one more weekend of Winter on the Mountain and FAC fun!

Winter on the Mountain at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park

Welcome to Winter on the Mountain at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park! Join us on top of Iron Mountain in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, for a sparkling display of a half million lights, lighted thrill rides, a giant musical Christmas tree, tram rides, fire pits for roasting s’mores, live music, visits from Santa and more.

Evenings at Winter on the Mountain begin as you ride the Iron Mountain Tramway from the floor of the Roaring Fork Valley up to the Adventure Park, rising above the lights of Glenwood Springs. At the top, you’re treated to one of the largest light displays on the Western Slope. Lights on the tracks for the state’s longest Alpine Coaster and on the Soaring Eagle Zip Ride enable you to enjoy these thrill rides at night as well as during the daytime, and holiday-themed lighting inside Glenwood Caverns make the King’s Row Tour even more colorful than usual.

Fire pits in the plaza are a natural gathering place to warm the hands and roast s’mores, with a tempting selection of hot cocoa, cider and winter beverages for kids and adults inside the Lookout Grille. Along with a cozy fireplace and holiday décor, the restaurant offers appetizers, sandwiches, hearty winter specials and desserts. Beer, wine, cocktails and a robust Bloody Mary bar round out the drink options. Throughout the winter, the Lookout Grille will host Friday Afternoon Club from 5 to 8:30 p.m., with free tram rides after 4 p.m., live music and drink specials.

There’s fun indoors, too. The 4D Motion Theater is showing “Winter Wipeout,” which features two jolly snowmen racing down a snowy mountain while trying to avoid troublesome Yeti and penguins, as well as “Rats Race,” “Bamboo Express” and “Pirates Rapids.” The Wild West laser tag arena, located on the top floor, is a great way to burn off a little energy after dinner.

Winter on the Mountain at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday, and closed Monday through Thursday, through Feb. 28, 2016. During the holidays, it will be open daily Dec. 18 to Jan. 3, except for Christmas Day.

More information about the park, including hours of operation and a list of which attractions are open, can be found at GlenwoodCaverns.com or by calling 800-530-1635 or 970-945-4228, ext. 0.

Poser: Not just your average band/synchronized swimming team

Roaring Fork Valley-based band Poser will play at Music on the Mountain this Saturday, June 7th.

Poser is made up of Matt Harrington (lead vocals and rhythm guitar),  Mark Pearson (bass guitar and background vocals), Michael Miller (keyboards and background vocals), Paul Buechler (lead guitar), and Mike Luciano (drums). It’s the band’s first time playing Music on the Mountain, so to get to know them a little better we asked the lead singer, Matt Harrington, for some details about the band.

NJ: How did Poser come into existence?
MH: I formed the band in the late 1980’s when I lived in Aspen. My former wife was working at a flower shop, and the husband of a gal she was working with also played guitar. His name was Steve. We got together with the intentions of learning every Beatles song written and became the best of friends. A band slowly developed over the years and had Steve not passed away 10 years ago, we would have been playing together for over 25 years.

NJ: What does Poser do in their spare time?
MH: When Poser is not performing the hits of rock ‘n’ roll legends, we all participate in a men’s synchronized swimming team. We compete around the world at public swimming pools and have won several competitions.  In honor of Ester Williams, the queen of synchronized swimming, my favorite formation is a Daisy. Mark, Paul, Michael and I form the daisy petals, while my drummer, Mike Luciano, takes the position of the center where he spurts water from his mouth. It truly is an incredible sight to witness.

NJ: Can you describe the band’s style (onstage, not in the pool)?
MH: We’re strictly a rock and roll cover band. To be honest, I couldn’t write a song if my life depended on it and I greatly admire those who can. I love playing the Beatles, probably due to the fact that it’s where it all began with my friend Steve. Although we only do covers, we pride ourselves on playing them our way, and making it ours.

NJ: What type of music do you like to play?
MH: The thing about Poser is our diverse selection of music that everyone is familiar with. From Bruce Springsteen to Hank Williams, if it’s a song we like, we do it. As a younger musician, I focused on songs that I thought people wanted to hear. As time progressed, I learned that if it was a song that I liked, I would play it well for the simple reason that I liked it. The advice I give to up and coming bands is: “Do what you like to do and, if you play what you believe, you will play it well!

NJ: Can you share a funny or memorable moment that has happened to Poser?
MH: We played our first gig around 1986, at the Red Onion in Aspen.  The owner was not at all interested in having live music, but I managed to bully my way in.  He agreed to pay us $200, which was great. The problem was, we invited all of our friends, bought drinks for them all night, and by the end of the evening our bar tab was about $11.00 more than what we were getting paid. A scene right out of the Blues Brothers!

Poser takes the Music on the Mountain stage Saturday, June 7th at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park

I have been blessed over the past 30 years of playing with my best friends, and the “Stories from the Road” would make a good book and an even better movie!

NJ: Who are your musical influences?
MH: I grew up in New Jersey, in a musical family. At the age of 8, I played in my Uncle Billy’s country band.  There I was introduced to songs by Hank Williams, Chet Atkins, Roger Miller and the like. I have always been receptive to all music, but my main musical influences are Ray Charles, Bruce Springsteen, and of course, the Beatles.

NJ: What is your favorite venue in the Roaring Fork Valley so far?
MH: We play for a group of sculptors from all over the world that camp in the woods for a week while they’re learning to sculpt marble. Great people, a magical setting, and after living in a tent for a week, these artists are starved for entertainment to the point where they start dancing while we’re tuning our guitars!

NJ: So are you looking forward to your show this weekend at the Caverns?
MH: We’re very excited to play at Glenwood Caverns. I was hooked last year when I saw the Beatles tribute band Doctor Robert play. Great stage, great food, great fun, and cold beer at a reasonable price: doesn’t get much better!

The music starts at 6pm, and Can for a Tram starts at 4pm. Bring at least one can of food for a free tram ride to the top. The Lookout Grille and Snack Shack will be open for dinner, snacks and refreshments, including drink specials on select wine, beer and well drinks. Rides and attractions will be open until dusk. See you on Saturday!

Night Plane lands at Music on the Mountain on Saturday

Night Plane will take the stage for a third year this Saturday at Music on the Mountain, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park’s ongoing free concert series. Singer-songwriters Jimmy Dykann and Haden Gregg are longtime Roaring Fork Valley locals and, together with John Zajicek, the acoustic trio have become area favorites.

Night Plane has been in existence since 1979. Throughout the decades, the band has played alongside John Denver, Jimmy Buffett, and many other noted musicians who came through the Roaring Fork Valley. Night Plane plays rock and blues classics, but they also write and perform a lot of original material.

The band recorded two albums together. In 2013 Night Plane re-released their debut album, Night Plane, on vinyl. The album includes four new original songs, which concert-goers will hopefully hear them play at the concert on Saturday.

The Park will be open with rides and attractions, including the new Glenwood Canyon Flyer. The Lookout Grille and Snack Shack will be open for dinner, snacks and refreshments, including drink specials on select wine, beer and well drinks. We hope to see you there!

Night Plane performs a free concert this Saturday at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park

Music on the Mountain kick-off party: good times, new thrills

The Canyon Flyer is a ride that swings riders over Glenwood Canyon

On Friday, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park kicked off its summer concert series with Doctor Robert. The energetic band performed a wide selection of Beatles tunes for the crowd, some of whom were dressed up as characters from Beatles songs!

Friday park-goers were able to be some of the first people to ride the Glenwood Canyon Flyer, a thrill ride that swings you up and around the edge of Glenwood Canyon, high above the Colorado River. A lot of people commented that it felt like they were flying, so the name of the ride is perfect! Check out the video to see what the Flyer is all about.

It was fun for a good cause. Can for a Tram collected a good supply of canned goods and other non-perishable foods to donate to Lift-Up. People who brought at least one can of food got a free tram ride to the top. Guess how many cans were donated and you could win a pair of Funday Passes! Go to the Glenwood Caverns Facebook page and look for the “Tuesday Trivia Contest” to post your guess.

If you were at the kick-off party, share in the comments below your favorite part of the day! For a schedule of the concert series and more information, visit Music on the Mountain.

The Canyon Flyer is a ride that swings riders over Glenwood Canyon

The NEW Glenwood Canyon Flyer

Music on the Mountain returns Friday, May 23 with Doctor Robert

The popular Music on the Mountain series returns this Friday, May 23 to Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park!

The Beatles tribute band Doctor Robert will play the kick-off concert for a second year; their performance last year was a huge hit with audience members of all ages.

The band is based out of Crested Butte and frequently tours around Colorado. “We’ve had a fantastic year since playing the Glenwood Caverns,” says band member Kevin Reinert. “We’ve been invited to play a lot of high profile shows, including summer music concerts in Basalt, Winter Park, Redstone, and Arvada. We’re also headlining the evening entertainment for the Fourth of July in Aspen.

“We’re playing a lot of new venues around the state, such as Dickens Opera House in Longmont, I Bar Ranch in Gunnison, and The Red Room in Manitou Springs.”

Doctor Robert has a huge selection of Beatles songs in their repertoire. “We’re up to 112 Beatles songs in our live catalog. Every song we learn becomes our new favorite, so look for more songs to be added to our live rotation,” says Reinert.  The large selection means the band can tailor every song to the crowd’s mood. Get ready to kick up your heels, as this band got the partiers dancing last year!

“We’ve had nothing but positive feedback since we started this project in 2010, and every year brings new and exciting opportunities. We’re looking forward to kicking off another summer of outdoor music at Glenwood Caverns this weekend!” exclaims Reinert.

Doctor Robert plays free concert at Glenwood Caverns this Friday, May 23

The free show starts at 6pm, and Can for a Tram starts at 4pm. Bring a can (or more) of food to donate to Lift-Up and get a free tram ride.

Rides and attractions will be open, and drink specials are available. Hope to see you there!

Night Plane Re-Release Offers Vintage Tracks and New Live Recordings

Today’s music scene can be disheartening. It’s often populated by electronica, DJs, and overproduced pop. If you’ve ever felt nostalgic for the good ol’ days of rock ‘n’ roll, when bands played self-written songs with real instruments, Night Plane’s recent re-release of their 1982 album (Night Plane) is just the cure (as is their upcoming show Saturday, June 8th, as part of Glenwood Caverns Adventure Parks’ Music on the Mountain concert series).

The album included a whopping ten musicians, and the resulting tunes are robust, diverse, and plain old fun. The title track, “Night Plane” is straight up rock, with Haden Gregg and Jim Dykann’s powerful vocals and bittersweet lyrics  (“At the station, feeling all alone/this is the time for another home”) complemented by vibrant electric guitar and piano.

Night Plane explores other genres too, with the reggae-inspired track “Tried Too Hard” and the bluesy tune “Line of Fire”(highlighting Bryan Savage’s saxaphone).

Where the album really shines, though, is in the last four bonus tracks, recordings from live performances. Mainly acoustic, the master guitar work on songs like “She’s a Runaway” is beautiful. Gregg and Dykann’s voices have aged well; they sound grittier and more soulful than in the earlier recordings. Their live performances showcase the band in their element–and the results are well worth a listen.

Be sure to catch Night Plane this Saturday at Music on the Mountain!

Night Plane Descends on Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park this Saturday

Get ready for longtime local favorites Night Plane, who will be playing originals and classic hits at Music on the Mountain this weekend. Although they are often joined by additional musicians, this weekend’s Night Plane will be an acoustic trio comprised of Jimmy Dykann, Haden Gregg, and John Zajicek. Night Plane has been in existence since 1979, and they have been all over the country together: they recorded their debut album Night Plane in Los Angeles in 1982 and completed another album in New York in the 1990s. They are currently promoting a re-release of their first album on vinyl, which features four new original songs.

Veteran local band Night Plane to play free concert Saturday, June 8

“We mix it up, we like to play old rock and blues classics, maybe throw some reggae in there, but we also write a lot of our own material,” says Dykann. Dykann and Gregg are the primary songwriters, and they have been writing together since before they even had a band, in the 1970s. “We mainly just like to write about what’s going on in our lives,” added Dykann.

Night Plane has been out in California doing shows to promote the re-release, but they are back in the Valley for the summer. They play mostly private parties, but they will be appearing July 3rd in the park in Basalt and also at a benefit for the Aspen Deaf Camp with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band this summer.

The band has played with the likes of John Denver, Jimmy Buffett, and a ton of other musicians who passed through the Roaring Fork Valley throughout the decades. “We played with just about everybody that came through in the ‘70s and ‘80s. We opened a lot of shows. There’s been a good group of local players here for 40 years and we’ve had a lot of great shows around here.”

This will be Night Plane’s second appearance at Music on the Mountain. “We’re looking forward to going up on the mountain and playing. It’s always fun,” says Dykann. “The views, the people…it’s a great concert venue. We love it; outdoor shows are what we love. We were well-received last year, a lot of our friends came up. It’s always nice to have locals come to our shows.”

Don’t miss the chance to see these Colorado legends in their element, mountaintop this Saturday, June 8 for a free concert.  Bring at least one can of food for a free tram ride to the top, where you can enjoy rides, drink specials, and much more. It will also be the last Music on the Mountain concert until August, so make sure to follow Dykann’s advice and “Come see us!”

For ticket information, go to Glenwood Caverns’ Music on the Mountain

Already Gone is All Ready to Go at Glenwood Caverns

After a successful kick-off concert with Doctor Robert on Friday, the Music on the Mountain series continues with Already Gone performing this Saturday, June 1st at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park!

The popular local band, known for covering a wide variety of musical genres, is a Glenwood Caverns favorite: this will be their third year playing Music on the Mountain. “We look forward to it every year!” says Lisa Poplish, lead singer of the group that also includes Eddie Muniz on drums, Mark Chenoweth on lead guitar, Randy DeHerrera on saxophone and keyboards, and Billy Conn on bass. Poplish’s powerful, spirited female voice is perfectly complimented by the male band members. “The guys pull off some pretty impressive back up vocal harmonies!” says Poplish.

Already Gone performs this Saturday at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park

“We strive to play a little something for everyone in the crowd,” Poplish says. “As individuals, we have quite different tastes in music, which accounts for our extraordinarily diverse song list.” Poplish cites Grace Potter as a favorite artist to cover, but the band enjoys playing a range of everything including funk, R&B, and straight up rock ‘n’ roll. “Audiences can expect high energy brought by talented musicians, a wide variety of music, and just an all-around good time!” Poplish added.

As far as the band’s name, Poplish admits that “coming up with a name, I would say, was one of our most difficult feats thus far. We spent hours in the band’s infancy in Mark’s basement studio racking our brains for band names. We had several viable options written down, and then the Eagles song (“Already Gone”) came on. We were all singing it, and I said ‘How about Already Gone?’ The name ended up sticking.”

The band has been together for about four years (and many of the band members played together in a previous group called In the Pocket). Their time together has created close bonds. “We are truly like family,” says Poplish. These guys are some of my best friends, and I think that shows when we are on stage. We really enjoy playing music together.”

They’ve also had some interesting experiences along the way. “Once, out on the road, we were all crammed into a big Dodge truck headed out of town to play a wedding. The driver, who shall remain nameless, drove almost an hour in the wrong direction, insisting the whole time that we were on the right track. Thankfully we had given ourselves plenty of time to get there and the wedding went off without a hitch!”

Already Gone travels extensively around the state, playing tons of festivals, outdoor concerts, weddings, and private parties. They will be opening the July 10th Glenwood Summer of Music concert in Two Rivers Park.

Come check out Already Gone’s robust sound for yourself this Saturday. They’ll be ready for you! “Come party with us! We can’t wait to see you all there!” says Poplish.