Ben Rice & The Portland Hustle

The Beartrap Summer Festival marks 25 years+ of music on the mountain this summer with everything that’s kept crowds growing for a quarter-century: sunshine, mountain air, vendors, food and drink … and a great roster of musicians for this milestone celebration, August 7 and 8 in Beartrap Meadow on Casper Mountain. This year brings a wide-ranging line-up of national and regional musicians to the Hilltop Bank Mountaintop Stage, from traditional roots styles to genre-bending acts that aren’t afraid to mix bluegrass with grunge. And we top it off with headliners, Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers on Saturday and Kenny Wayne Shepherd on Sunday. Bruce Hornsby has built one of the most diverse, collaborative and adventurous careers in contemporary music. Drawing from a vast wellspring of American musical traditions, the singer/pianist/composer/bandleader has created a large and accomplished body of work and employed a vast array of stylistic approaches. Throughout this period, Hornsby has maintained the integrity, virtuosity and artistic curiosity that have been hallmarks of his work from the start. Utter the phrase "young blues rock guitarist" within earshot of anyone with even a cursory knowledge of the modern musical vanguard and the first name they are most likely to respond with will be Kenny Wayne Shepherd. The Louisiana born axeman and songsmith has sold millions of albums while throwing singles into the Top 10, shining a light on the rich blues of the past and forging ahead with his own modern twist on a classic sound he has embodied since his teens. There are few artists whose names are synonymous with one instrument and how it's played in service to an entire genre. Beartrap is a weekend-long party with special guests Wylie Jones, Ben Rice, That Damned Sasquatch, Ryan Chris & The Roughcuts, The Lionel Young Band, Felix y Los Gatos and Ghost Town Blues Band. Plus, a meadow full of vendors, open-air food court with something for every taste, beer garden, VIP area, kids’ area with activities and projects, and camping spaces available adjacent to the meadow. Tickets are on sale now – buy online at beartrapsummerfestival.com.