Michael Schaffer
For those who aren’t hitting the camping trail this Memorial Day weekend, Steve’s Guitars in Carbondale is hosting a weekend full of music.
Visiting artists to Steve’s intimate venue include singer/songwriter Gabrielle Louise Friday night, and on Sunday it’s Austin’s transcendental folk group The Deer.
Both bring a little folk, Americana, bluegrass and indie rock to the lower Roaring Fork Valley.
friday with louise
Paonia based troubadour Gabrielle Louise will kick the weekend off at 8:30 p.m. Friday at Steve’s, located on the Fourth Street side of the Dinkel Building.
“I like to call my music ‘Activist Americana.’ It is socially activated roots music,” Louise said.
The oldest of four children, Louise’s musically inclined parents traveled from show to show sharing their music throughout her childhood.
“Really early on I developed a love for folk and narrative music, songs that carried a message or story,” Louise added.
She carried on those tendencies, telling a story with a message in her songs, and creating a relationship with her audience.
Louise is excited to be back in Carbondale.
“Its been a few years since I played Carbondale. I had the opportunity several years ago to open up for the Infamous Stringdusters, so looking forward to coming back,” Louise said.
She is bringing 11 new songs she has been working on for her next album.
Louise says many of them have a connection to different nonprofit causes that she cares about.
“I just launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund a new studio record,” Louise added. “I’m very excited to be sharing this journey with my audience about fundraising for the project and what the new songs feel like.”
“I’m looking forward to eating at Senor Taco Show,” she added, referring to the eatery located across the street from Steve’s. “They are one of my favorite restaurants every time I pass through.”
sunday is deer day
Finishing off the weekend run, and coming all the way from the Lone Star state, The Deer will bring a taste of the Austin music scene to the Roaring Fork Valley.
For the self-described “Texas folk, cosmic Americana, and stargaze surf-western group,” The Deer had its beginnings as a side project for lead singer Grace Rowland Park.
Park teamed up with core band members and music school friends Jesse Dalton and Michael McLeod in 2012, sparking a natural chemistry that led to touring and performing together as Grace Park & The Deer.
After the death of band member Stephanie Bledsoe, the group of friends changed their focus from a solo effort to a group effort and collaboration, and became The Deer.
“The term represents the cohesive collaboration of all the members of the bad, because deer are herd animals, and because the group especially identifies with deer as a symbol of protective guidance,” Park explained.
“Losing a friend and a band member is just devastating,” Dalton said.
The band released its next album in 2015, which they dedicated to Stephanie Bledsoe.
“Every album since has been released with Stephanie in mind. She is often the subject of lyrics,” Dalton added.
Dalton, who plays the upright bass and sings harmony, describes The Deer as “pretty diverse,” ranging anywhere from indie rock, folk to bluegrass and “all across the board.”
Becoming a regular to the Colorado music scene, band members are looking forward to being in Carbondale again.
“People are very into music in the area, and we’ve been lucky enough to find an audience here,” drummer and harmony singer Alan Eckert said.
“I respect the Colorado music scene, and a lot of the bands we have been able to play with here.”
