May 1 Bluegrass night with Quicksand Soup- High powered music from one of the Four Corners most legendary bluegrass bands. Free admission. 7pm Moab Backyard Theater. Outside Food and Drink welcome. 56 W. 100 South

May 1 Live Music: Blu Pig- Community Music Night

May 2 Country Night with Juniper Drive- Honky Tonk Fusion with a twist, 7pm, Moab Backyard Theater. Free show! Outside Food and Drink welcome. 56 W. 100 South

May 2 Live Music: Blu Pig- Jon Budd

May 2–3 Live Music at Red Cliffs Lodge- Dustin Burley

May 3 Live Music: Sun Flood- Percussion & saxophone, heavy dance grooves. 7pm. Suggested donation $5–$10. All ages welcome at Moab's Backyard Theater.

May 3 Live Music: Blu Pig- Toni Sicola & the Blackhats

May 4 Free Concert: Sean Gaskell brings us the sublime music of the West African kora- a melodic 21- string harp from the Gambia. Outdoors in the Moab Library Courtyard at 6pm | 257 E. Center St. For more info, call the library at 435-259-1111 or visit www.moablibrary.org

May 4 Live Music: Blu Pig- Alan & Valeri Brown

May 4–5 Live Music at Red Cliffs Lodge- Jamie & The Dreamers

May 5 Live Music: Blu Pig- Jon O

May 6 Live Music: Blu Pig- Lost Buffalo

May 7 Live Music: Blu Pig- Dave Mensch

May 8 Bluegrass Night with Quicksand Soup- High powered music from one of the Four Corners most legendary bluegrass bands. Free admission. 7pm, Moab Backyard Theater Outside Food and Drink welcome. 56 W. 100 South

May 8 Live Music: Blu Pig- Community Music Night

May 9 Country Night with Juniper Drive- 7pm Moab Backyard Theater. Free Admission. Outside Food and Drink welcome. 56 W. 100 South

May 9 Live Music: Blu Pig- Derek Dames Ohl

May 9–10 Live Music at Red Cliffs Lodge- Down in the Roots

May 10 Live Music at Spanish Valley Winery- Jamie and The Dreamers- Relax with us at our local winery and enjoy the incredible view. Live music will take place on our back patio overlooking the vineyard. Jamie and The Dreamers are a fun upbeat couple who travel all over the country playing their music! We are excited to have them returning to the winery. Wine tastings will be available for purchase (21+) and entry for the live music is free. Explore the tastes of desert wine and meet the friendly locals who have crafted it!

May 10 Original Night- Artist to be announced. 7pm at Moab Backyard Theater. Free show! Outside Food and Drink welcome. 56 W. 100 South

May 10 Live Music: Blu Pig- Broken Arrow Band

May 11 Spring Swing Dance- 7pm Beginner Lesson. 8pm Social Dance. In the MARC Dance Room. No partner or experience necessary. Moab Arts & Recreation Center, 111 E 100 N.

May 11 Live Music: Blu Pig- Bob Greenspan & MamaT

May 11–12 Live Music at Red Cliffs Lodge- Clayton Yeazle

May 12 Live Music: Blu Pig- Danny Rose

May 13 Live Music: Blu Pig- Lost Buffalo

May 14 Live Music: Blu Pig- Jon Budd

May 15 Bluegrass night with Quicksand Soup- High powered music from one of the Four Corners most legendary bluegrass bands. Free admission. 7pm, Moab Backyard Theater Outside Food and Drink welcome. 56 W. 100 South

May 15 Live Music: Blu Pig- Community Music Night

May 16 Country Night with Juniper Drive- Honky Tonk with a twist. 7pm at Moab Backyard Theater. Free Admission. Outside Food and Drink welcome. 56 W. 100 South

May 16 Live Music: Blu Pig- Dustin Burley

May 16–17 Live Music at Red Cliffs Lodge- Neal Middleton

May 17 Original Night- The Americana sounds of Sand Sheff w/ Sunnie. 7pm, Moab Backyard Theater. Free show! Outside Food and Drink welcome. 56 W. 100 South

May 17–18 Live Music: Blu Pig- The Crossroads

May 18–19 Live Music at Red Cliffs Lodge- Valerie & Alan Brown

May 19 Live Music: Blu Pig- Jon O

May 20 Live Music: Blu Pig- Circus Mutt

May 21 Music in the Grapevines- is presenting Stray Grass (bluegrass) in concert at Two Rivers Winery, Grand Junction. Gates open at 6pm, concert at 7pm. Picnics are encouraged. Two Rivers Wine available. Tickets $20 in advance; $25 at gate. Info and tickets at artcenterguild.org

May 21 Live Music: Blu Pig- Wandering Songs

May 22 Bluegrass night with Quicksand Soup- High powered music from one of the Four Corners most legendary bluegrass bands. Free admission. 7pm, Moab Backyard Theater. Outside Food and Drink welcome. 56 W. 100 South

May 22 Live Music: Blu Pig- Community Music Night

May 23 Country Night with Juniper Drive- Honky Tonk Fusion with a twist. 7pm at Moab Backyard Theater. Free Admission. Outside Food and Drink welcome. 56 W. 100 South

May 23 Live Music: Blu Pig- Rick Gerber

May 23–24 Live Music at Red Cliffs Lodge- Dave Mensch

May 24 Live Music at Spanish Valley Winery- Relax with us at our local winery and enjoy the incredible view. Live music will take place on our back patio overlooking the vineyard. Wine tastings will be available for purchase (21+) and entry for the live music is free. Explore the tastes of desert wine and meet the friendly locals who have crafted it!

May 24 Original Night- Artist to be announced. 7pm, Moab Backyard Theater. Free show! Outside Food and Drink welcome. 56 W. 100 South

May 24 Live Music: Blu Pig- Aaron Golay & the Original Sin

May 25 Magic Show with Rick Boretti- The Four Corners most acclaimed magician. The longest running outdoor magic show in the Southwest! Prepare to laugh and be mystified! 7pm at Moab Backyard Theater. Outside Food and Drink welcome. 56 W. 100 South

May 25 Live Music: Blu Pig- Jamie & The Dreamers

May 25–26 Live Music at Red Cliffs Lodge- Dave Steward

May 26 Live Music: Blu Pig- Omar Coleman & Westside Soul

May 27 Live Music: Blu Pig- Bob Greenspan & Mama T

May 28 Live Music: Blu Pig- Lost Buffalo

May 29 Bluegrass Night with Quicksand Soup- High powered music from one of the Four Corners most legendary bluegrass bands. Free admission. 7pm at Moab Backyard Theater. Outside Food and Drink welcome. 56 W. 100 South

May 29 Live Music: Blu Pig- Community Music Night

May 30 Country Night with Juniper Drive- Honky Tonk Fusion with a twist. 7pm at Moab Backyard Theater. Free Admission. Outside Food and Drink welcome. 56 W. 100 South

May 30 Live Music: Blu Pig- The Metropolis Man

May 30–31 Live Music at Red Cliffs Lodge- Alan Snow

May 31 Live Music: Blu Pig- The Nanites

May 31-Jun 2 Canyonlands PRCA Rodeo- Three days of professional rodeo at the Old Spanish Trail Arena. Doors open 6pm on Friday & Saturday. 2pm Sunday. www.moabcanyonlandsrodeo.com See ad on pg 1B

May 31 Hide Out Golf Club- Couples Tournament, shotgun start, mixed scramble. Monticello. Call the Pro Shop for info: 435-298-8120.

May 31 Spanish Valley Winery: Toni Sicola AND The Butch Cassidies- Join us for an incredible show! Live music will take place on our back patio overlooking the vineyard. This event is extra special, we have two of our favorite bands playing TOGETHER for the first time. It is going to be a very fun show, don’t miss it!!! Wine tastings will be available for purchase (21+) and entry for the live music is free. Explore the tastes of desert wine and meet the friendly locals who have crafted it!

May 31 Original Night- Artist to be announced. 7pm at Moab Backyard Theater. Free show! Outside Food and Drink welcome. 56 W. 100 South

If you enjoy listening to live music in beautiful outdoor settings, consider the Palisade Bluegrass and Roots Festival, which takes place in the town of Palisade’s Riverbend Park in western Colorado, June 14-16.

Riverbend Park sits alongside the Colorado River, with views of Grand Mesa and the Book Cliff Mountains, and the shade of majestic, old cottonwood trees.

Saturday’s headliner band is Railroad Earth – a New Jersey-based band with a strong Colorado connection. Railroad Earth performs 75-90 shows per year nationwide, including Colorado’s renowned Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado, and the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.

John Skehan, who performs mandolin, bouzouki, piano, and vocals for the band, describes Railroad Earth as a rock band made up of bluegrass musical instruments. Although they’ve always been “plugged in,” the band has become even more electric since keyboardist Matt Slocum and Mike Robinson, who plays banjo, pedal steel and acoustic guitar, joined the group, Skehan said. Other members include Dave Speranza performing upright and electric bass, Todd Sheaffer on lead vocals and acoustic guitar, Tim Carbone on violins, electric guitar and vocals, and Carey Harmon performing drums, hand percussion and vocals.

Railroad Earth has a fan base that often follows them from town to town, including multiple nights on Colorado’s Front Range this past year, where concertgoers attended a different concert every night. “We always mix it up,” Skehan said. “After all these years, we have a repertoire where we can play four nights in a row and not repeat songs.”

“The Palisade festival has a great lineup,” including banjo player Tony Trischka, whose Sunday “Earl Jam” performance is a tribute to Earl Scruggs, said Skehan.

Skehan is also a huge fan of Rapidgrass, who performs on Friday.
Saturday’s lineup also includes Mild Goose Chase, Two Runner (who’s performed at the Moab Folk Festival), Tray Wellington, and Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley. And on Sunday, in addition to the Earl Jam performance, the Main Stage will feature Good Morning Bedlam, The Last Revival, and Mipso.

The festival kicks off Friday with Grand Valley favorite Stray Grass, followed by The Fretlines, Rebecca Frazier’s Grateful Strings, closing out the day with Rapidgrass.

Between acts the music continues on side stages where that weekend you’ll find Deer Creek Sharp Shooters on Sunday, Still House String Band on Saturday, and Tone Wood String Band performing on Sunday.

While you’re allowed to bring food in, (but no alcohol) why not leave the cooking to someone else? As always, there will be a variety of food trucks onsite as well as, artisan cocktails, crafted with spirits distilled locally at Peach Tree Distillers in Palisade. There will also be locally-brewed beer from Palisade Brewery for sale. Plus, there’s plenty of free water for people to fill up their water bottles.

Kids age 12 and under are free, but must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
For more information, or for tickets, visit: www.palisademusic.com

Yes Moab’s known for being hot! But Moab has some hot entertainment as well, Not only are there plenty of natural wonders to see in Moab, there’s also lots of fun entertainment available right downtown. Moab hosts a thriving music scene. If you’re looking for something totally different, there’s the Moab Backyard Theater, located right in the heart of downtown. It’s open to all ages and great fun for grown-ups and kids alike. In May, shows are every night Wed. to Sat. at 7 pm, offering a nice cool evening summer activity.

The Backyard Theater is one of the only open-air entertainment venues in the west, a throwback to the old west days when traveling shows entertained culture-starved pioneers on the dusty streets of the frontier towns. Located just a half-block off Main street in downtown, The Backyard Theater features Magic and Music four nights a week. The stage sits beneath a giant cottonwood tree that is older than the town itself. In its 12th year of operation, the theater has entertained thousands of people from all over the world. They come to see an old-fashioned type of American entertainment that has all but vanished in the rest of the country.

Every Wednesday, traditional bluegrass music returns to the theater. The band Quicksand Soup performs old-time standards and unique originals starting at 7 pm. The free show has become a downtown fixture over the last few years and it’s common to see both locals and tourists alike tapping their toes.

Thursday, it’s country night with Moab’s own honky-tonk fusion/ Americana outfit, Juniper Drive takes the stage for a free show at 7. Fridays is the new “Original” night, often featuring Sand and Sunnie Sheff. Friday May 3rd has Local funk band Sun Flood.

Saturdays, Moab’s Magic show returns with the award-winning magic of Rick Boretti. Rick’s hilarious routine changes constantly, but always involves lots of wisecracks and mystifying magic tricks. Folks have been known to return year after year for the show. Kids love Rick’s magic, but adults are often amazed at how much they love it too. If you haven’t caught a real magic show in a while, then you might have forgotten how fun they can be. Shows start at 7pm. Music is always free. Magic Prices are 10 dollars for folks over 12 and 5 dollars for kids over 3. 3 and under are free. The El Local food truck is onsite, The theater allows outside food and drink as well. It is located just behind Zax at 56 W. 100 South