Bonnie and The Clydes – The Stone Cup, Lyons, CO – July 30, 2010
Jeanne Wilkinson
Posted On August 9, 2010
Find more photos like this on Americana and roots music – No Depression
After attending the 38th RockyGrass Music Festival in Lyons Colorado, Jack and I were lucky enough to spend another week in the area. On Friday night we headed over to Lyons’ “community center”, The Stone Cup Coffee Shop, and heard Bonnie and The Clydes for a rollicking show in the beer garden area. It was another perfect night, in a great setting provided by owners Sam and Mindy Tallent.
We quickly determined Bonnie Sims was from Texas, and learned she spent a great many years just south of Austin in nearby Kyle. She also attended South Plains College in Levelland, Texas.
Bonnie currently calls Longmont, Colorado home, and music is her full-time job — which didn’t come as a surprise at all.
We sang and danced to their original songs, and well-chosen cover songs like the Band of Heathens’ “LA County” and Robert Earl Keen’s “Feeling Good Again”. Of special interest to me was the original “Make Up Your Mind”, a love song related to her husband, Taylor Sims, (who is another local, well-regarded musician with the band Spring Creek).
Bonnie is the main songwriter for the group, and she has been in the music business since a child. She originally started playing the mandolin at 14 years of age. This is her first real country band, however. And yodeling was even involved – loved it!
Other band members included Lyons native Aaron McClosky on guitar (also a graduate of South Plains), Christie Schneider on fiddle, Jason Pawlina on percussion, and newcomer Caitlin Fraintz on vocals. Right about now (August, 2010) a first CD should be coming available – we’re looking forward to it. Onward to Nashville!
