Telluride Kickoff, the Running of Tarps, Sarah Jarosz, and more.

Today’s schedule looks to be an embarrassment of riches. It starts off with Sarah Jarosz and finishes with a huge bang; Dave Rawlings Machine, Del McCoury, AKUS, and Tim O’Brien. With no breaks longer than half an hour between sets, it will be an endurance test when the temps plunge after nightfall.

But first we need to talk tarps. The tarp sprint takes place each morning just as the gates open. Folks who have stayed in line overnight surge onto the field to claim choice spots. The crazed dash for space evokes the frontier land rushes of the late 18oos..

‘ />

Sarah Jarosz is one of the finest new artists in the burgeoning Youth Grass scene. Young talent that has been percolating through the festival circuit, fiddle camps, intense mentoring, and jam sessions has suddenly exploded in a huge number of new young and hungry stringbands. With a solid base in traditional folk and bluegrass forms, Sarah proceeds to tear it all down, then expand and rebuild it in a haunting new way.

‘ />

Sarah performed solo this morning. She sang and played with uncommon poise and confidence but was helplessly gushing about the experience of being on stage at Telluride.

The setlist:
“Red Dog in the Morning”
Patty Griffin tune “Long Ride Home”
“Edge of a Dream”
“Broussards Lament”
“Gypsy Woman” (?)
“Tell You True” w/ Tim O’Brien
“Telluride (Kate Wolf tune)
“Ring them Bells” (Dylan)
“Manzanita”
“Song up in Her Head”