High Sierra Music Festival Details 2019 Artist Playshops & Troubadour Sessions
By Scott Bernstein Jun 11, 2019 • 12:00 pm PDT

Artist Playshops and Troubadour Sessions for this year’s High Sierra Music Festival have been announced as have a few schedule changes involving Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe. The 29th annual High Sierra Music Festival will take place at Plumas-Sierra County Fairgrounds in Quincy, California July 4 – 7.
KDTU will still perform at High Sierra despite Denson’s participation in The Rolling Stones‘ upcoming tour. Changes have been made to accommodate Karl’s schedule as the Karl Denson’s Eat A Bunch Of Peaches set will now take place on the Grandstand Stage on Thursday, July 4 between 7:15 – 8:45 p.m. Then, KDTU will play a late night in the Funk’n Jamhouse on Thursday night followed by Star Kitchen. Due to the changes, The New Mastersounds are now slated to play the Late Night Music Hall on Saturday night, while The Marcus King Band will perform on the Grandstand Stage Sunday, July 7 at 7:15 p.m.
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Those holding tickets for KDTU’s Saturday Late Night can use their tickets for Thursday’s KDTU Late Night concert. The same applies for those who purchased tickets for The New Mastersounds’ Thursday Late Night show, which can now be used on Saturday. For those who purchased tickets to either show and would like a refund, send an email with your request to ticketing@highsierramusic.com before June 14. Refund requests sent after June 14 will not be accepted.
High Sierra’s one-of-a-kind Troubadour Sessions are intimate, in-the-round performances featuring songwriters. The sets give fans an unplugged alternative to the more raucous late nights. Each night will feature HSMF artists telling tales and trading songs. Thursday’s lineup includes Marty O’Reilly, Caitlin Gowdey (Rainbow Girls), Clay Finch & Sam Blasucci (Mapache) and Lauren Bjelde, Jesse Lemme Adams & Robby Elfman (Royal Jelly Jive). On Friday, Cris Jacobs, Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz, (ALO) Zach Gill (ALO) and Reid Genauer are aboard. Then, Saturday’s Troubadour Sessions features Grahame Lesh (Midnight North), Elliott Peck (Midnight North), Matt “The Rev” Rieger (The Lil Smokies) and John Kadlecik. Finally, Maggie Forti, Eric Long, Ezra Lipp (ALO) and Erin Chapin (Rainbow Girls) close out the Troubadour Sessions on Sunday.
Another only-at-HSMF feature are the Artist Playshops. These sets, held in the air-conditioned comfort of the High Sierra Music Hall, find performers teaming up in one-of-a-kind configurations for special tributes and celebrations. Friday’s Playshops include High Sierra Funk Jam led by Sean Leahy and Eric DiBerardino; By The Time We Got To Woodstock featuring Leahy, DiBerardino and the High Sierra All-Stars; Celebrating The Music Of Creedence Clearwater Revival starring the Cris Jacobs Band; Return Of The Skerik Improv Session hosted by Skerik and Marty O’Reilly and the Old Soul Orchestra Take It To The Floor!.
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Saturday’s action starts with Leahy and DiBerardino leading the participatory High Sierra Blues Jam and continues with drēmo featuring Paul Hoffman and Mike Devol of Greensky Bluegrass; Lebo’s High Sierra Ramble: 50 In The Rearview – Songs from 1969 featuring Lebo, ALO, Jay Lane, Reed Mathis, Reid Genauer, Jennifer Hartswick, Natalie Cressman, Jeremy Schon (Pigeons Playing Ping Pong) and more; Classic Album Hour: The Rolling Stones Let It Bleed featuring Simon Kurth & Mescalito, Jen Hartswick, Cris Jacobs Band, Jeremy Schon, Shook Twins, Joe and Hattie Craven, the Rainbow Girls, Bo Carper and more as well as Bean Night hosted by the Rainbow Girls.
Then, on Sunday, the first Playshop will be a participatory one focusing on the music of the Grateful Dead. Next comes Gospel In The Hall featuring Carper, Lebo, Joe & Hattie Craven, Ron Artis & The Truth, Marty O’Reilly & The Old Soul Orchestra and more. From there, Royal Jelly Jive hosts Soul Queen Sunday: A Tribute To Aretha and other Ladies of Soul ahead of Masters Of Slide featuring Simon Kurth & Mescalito along with Luther Dickinson, Lebo, The Lil Smokies, Jonathan Sloane, Leahy and Rainbow Girls. This year’s Guitarmageddon festival-closing Playshop will focus on the music of Led Zeppelin.
Tickets for the festival are on sale now via Eventbrite.
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2019 Lineup

2019 Troubadour Sessions

2019 Late Night Shows

2019 Playshop Lineup
Friday
- 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. / High Sierra Funk Jam (participatory playshop)
- 12:00 – 1:15 p.m. / By The Time We Got To Woodstock
- 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. / Celebrating the Music of Creedence Clearwater Revival (Cris Jacobs Band)
- 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. / Return Of The Skerik Improv Session (Skerik and friends)
- 5:15 – 6:30 p.m. / Marty O’Reilly and the Old Soul Orchestra Take It To The Floor!
Saturday
- 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. / High Sierra Blues Jam (participatory playshop)
- 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. / drēmo : phoffman and Devol (Paul Hoffman and Mike Devol of Greensky Bluegrass)
- 1:30 – 2:45 p.m. / Lebo’s High Sierra Ramble: 50 In The Rearview – Songs from 1969 (Lebo, ALO, Jay Lane, Reed Mathis, Reid Genauer, Jen Hartswick, Natalie Cressman, Jeremy Schon of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and more)
- 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. / Classic Album Hour: The Rolling Stones “Let It Bleed” (Simon Kurth & Mescalito, Jen Hartswick, Cris Jacobs Band, Jeremy Schon of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Shook Twins, Joe and Hattie Craven, the Rainbow Girls, Bo Carper and more)
- 5:15 – 6:30 p.m. / Bean Night: Hosted by the Rainbow Girls
Sunday
- 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. / Grateful Dead (participatory playshop)
- 11:30am – 12:45 p.m. / Gospel In The Hall (Bo Carper, Lebo, Joe & Hattie Craven, Ron Artis & The Truth, Marty O’Reilly & The Old Soul Orchestra and more)
- 1:30 – 2:45 p.m. / Soul Queen Sunday: A Tribute To Aretha and other Ladies of Soul (Hosted by Royal Jelly Jive)
- 3:30 – 4:45 p.m. / Masters of Slide (Simon Kurth and Mescalito with special guests Luther Dickinson, Lebo, Lil Smokies, Jonathan Sloane, Sean Leahy, Rainbow Girls and more)
- 5:30 – 6:45 p.m. / Guitarmageddon plays Led Zeppelin