Art Heffron
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 include singer/songwriter Gabrielle Louise tonight while Austin’s transcendental folk group The Deer will take the stage Sunday, both bringing a little folk, Americana, bluegrass and indie rock to the Roaring Fork Valley.
Today
Paonia-based troubadour Gabrielle Louise will kick the weekend off 8:30 p.m. Friday at Steve’s Guitars.
“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 said.
She carried on those tendencies, telling a story with a socially activated message in her songs, creating a relationship with her audience.
Louise is excited to be back in Carbondale and play for the valley.
“It’s been a few years since I played Carbondale. I had the opportunity several years ago to open up for The Infamous Stringdusters, (and I’m) 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; they are one of my favorite restaurants every time I pass through,” Louise added.
SUNDAY
Finishing off the weekend with a group all the way from the Lone Star State, The Deer will bring a taste of the Austin music scene to the Roaring Fork Valley.
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 collaborative effort and became The Deer.
“The term represents the cohesive collaboration of all the members of the band, because deer are herd animals and because the group especially identifies with deer as symbol of protective guidance,” Park said of the naming of the band.
“Losing a friend and a band member is just devastating,” Dalton said.
The band released their album in 2015, which they dedicated to 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 an Austin band, where the music scene is pretty diverse, ranging from anywhere from indie rock, folk, bluegrass and all across the board.
Becoming a regular to the Colorado music scene, the band members are looking forward to being in Carbondale again.
“People are very into music in the area. 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.”