Experiencing Song Summit 2026 Through All 5 Senses
Grateful Dead tributes, chef-musician pairings and communal moments defined the sixth edition of the Utah festival.
By Andy Kahn Sep 3, 2026 • 6:06 am PDT
Photos by Amy Harris, Cassilyn Anderson & Maeve Reiss
“We are all in recovery from something” was a common theme expressed throughout this year’s Song Summit, which was held for the sixth time last weekend in the scenic locale of Park City, Utah.
Song Summit defines “recovery” to include not just drug and alcohol treatment, but to embrace a broad spectrum of events that impact our lives, traumatic or otherwise, faced by people from all walks of life.
“Just remember that sitting on either side of you, people are going through something that we cannot possibly imagine,” Song Summit co-founder Ben Anderson said. “We are all connected and we are all alive.”
The all-encompassing sensory experience that unfolded over three days in the mountains brought people together through music, food and conversation. In the majestic setting, all five senses were exposed to heightened elements and experiences.
With that in mind, here’s a look at Song Summit 2026, through the lens of each of the five senses.
Taste
The culinary arts and hospitality industry were extensively featured this year with the Supper Club expanding to feature a chef-musician paired meal each of the three evenings. I was generously invited to attend the three dinners at Le Depot Brasserie, and they were among the most memorable food experiences of my life.
Chef Andrew Zimmern, who prominently participated throughout the weekend and was at every Supper Club dinner, was paired with Sierra Hull for Thursday’s “Nashville In The Mountains” menu. Drawing upon her Tennessee roots, Hull spoke about family traditions and memories of her grandmas making traditional food for her. The smoked trout with green tomato chow chow as my favorite course, but they all tasted a bit brighter with Hull’s curated playlist of songs by fellow Tennessean, Dolly Parton, who passed away last week.
My Morning Jacket drummer Patrick Hallahan, a skilled chef in his own right, was paired with his friend and fellow chef Chef Damaris Phillips for Friday’s “A Celebration Of Kentucky Summers” meal. Each course was inspired by a My Morning Jacket song, though Hallahan revealed a deep dive into MMJ frontman (and fellow Song Summit performer) Jim James' lyrics was slim on food-related mentions.
First course golden tomato panzanella was coupled with My Morning Jacket’s song “Golden.” Second course creamed hand pies with lucifer’s peach chutney was inspired by the song “Holding On To Black Metal” and the third course inspiration “Hopefully” — written as tribute to the Shelbyville, Kentucky, farm where early MMJ recording sessions were held — was played while pork confit (my favorite dish of the night) was served. “Highly Suspicious” could then be heard while the butter banana pudding surprise desert hit the tables.
The rich culinary traditions of New Orleans were explored on Saturday by Chef Stephanie Izard, whose “A Taste Of New Orleans” musical menu pairing was with NOLA native Ivan Neville. Izard had to convince Neville to have an open mind for her risky take on “Jambalaya” (quotes included on the printed menu) that included quinoa. The “Jambalaya” was a success, as was the “Creole Daube” short ribs and heirloom tomatoes, both of which tasted wonderful alongside local brewery Offset Bier’s Dopo IPA.
Southern cuisine was a common thread across the three outstanding meals, which coincidentally all had delicious banana-based desserts. Each of the musicians spoke about family traditions and recalled the influence of prior generations on their own relationships with food.
Of course, taste was not the only sensory element of the Supper Club dining experiences. Along with the curated dinner playlists, cocktail hour performances on the patio by Theoretical Blonde, Youngbusk Brass Band and Shamans filled the pre-meal atmosphere with the sound of live music.
And the smells created by the impeccably prepared courses were essential to the sensory elements of the meals. Aromas that could be smelled from blocks away. Which leads me to the next sense…
Smell
Post-Supper Club, New Orleans-style second line parades were led from Le Depot to the nearby Marquis Theater where Song Summit headliners performed. Even some rain did not deter Saturday’s march down the streets of Park City.
The smell of the fresh mountain air mixed with the petrichor of the freshly fallen rain and the sounds of horns and drums was a recipe for a memorable experience. Judging by the people that stopped to take photos as the Second Line passed by, it was also fun for non-participants to witness as well.
Fresh mountain air was inhaled during morning yoga, meditation and breathwork sessions held at the Summit Village, and Chef Gregory Gourdet led a 5K run/walk as part of the wellness program.
As mentioned, the Supper Club meals were loaded with luxurious scents, and Chef Sean Brock also got into the action during the second half of his two-part Vinyl & Vittles session. While showing off his DJ skills by spinning records from his impressive personal collection, Brock filled Library Park with oceanic smells of classic oysters Rockefeller that he prepared simultaneously with records centered on the music of New Orleans.
Catching the whiffs of oysters Rockefeller being prepared, Brock’s carefully chosen authentic music and gorgeous mountain peaks providing a stunning backdrop was a fully enriched sensory experience.
Sight
The sight of the mountains that will be filled with skiers in a few months was much appreciated by this Midwesterner. Skiing permeates many aspects of Park City, where the 2002 Winter Olympics were held, and that history was embraced by a screening of Chris Benchetler’s outdoors sports film Mountains Of The Moon.
Shown as part of the Summit Labs series of panels, the movie was live scored by a band consisting of Eric Krasno on guitar, Ross James on bass, Alex Koford on drums, Holly Bowling on keyboards and Nicki Bluhm and Ben Anderson on vocals. The musicians recreated the film’s soundtrack based entirely on Grateful Dead songs.
The fun and engaging film-viewing setting felt special to see first-hand. The visual elements of Mountains Of The Moon, featuring skiing and other outdoor adventure sports like mountain biking and rock climbing, were striking and captivating as the band rolled through various songs from the Dead’s live repertoire.
Bluhm’s lead vocals on “Morning Dew” were particularly stunning. Benchetler was joined by photographer Jay Blakesberg for a post-screening Q&A.
Jay Blakesberg, who began taking photos of Grateful Dead concerts in the 1970s and later shot portraits of the band, held a visually-driven Summit Lab presentation co-hosted by singer-songwriter Steve Poltz.
Blakesberg led a journey through his life in photos, explaining with humility and humor his path from Deadhead to becoming one of the primary photographers to work with the Dead. Blakesberg shared personal photos leading into his first shots of the Grateful Dead, through his career capturing the band (and others) and up to his current work. Grateful Dead members Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir and Phil Lesh were the focus of extended sequences within the photo show.
Poltz at times interjected with seemingly on-the-point and on-the-spot impromptu songs referencing Blakesberg’s sensational stories. Other musicians also joined Poltz for musical interludes, including Eric Krasno, Ross James, Nicki Bluhm, Mikaela Davis, John Shannon and Holly Bowling. MMJ frontman Jim James also came out for the poignant “Ripple” finale.
Blakesberg is as good behind the lens as he is behind a microphone, and his Summit Lab was outstanding. If given the opportunity to see him present it elsewhere, I highly recommend doing so.
Hearing
The core sense stimulated at Song Summit is the sense of hearing. The sound of music, and that of live music especially, is an essential element of Song Summit.
Led in part by Paige Anderson, the Song Summit Foundation does commendable work raising money to support up-and-coming musicians from around the world through its Summit Rising program. Support of this year’s Rising Artists included performances on the main stage inside Summit Village (though Saturday’s programming was partially rained out). Shamans, August Lee Stevens, Youngbusk Brass Band and Sunstroke Serenaders were among the Rising Artists at Song Summit 2026.
The aforementioned Blakesberg presentation and Mountains Of The Moon screening were far from the only instances when the music of the Grateful Dead was played at Song Summit.
Headlining performances at The Marquis Theater were colored with beloved Dead songs at nearly every turn. On Thursday, Steve Poltz’s wild take on “Wharf Rat” saw him leave the stage and enter the center of the floor to interact with the crowd. Upon returning to the stage, he saw Sierra Hull, who was slated to play after Poltz, picking along and summoned her out to help finish “Wharf Rat.”
Jim James played a solo acoustic set on Friday night at The Marquis. Joined by Mikaela Davis on harp, the set began with a moving tribute to Dolly Parton in the form of her song “Eagle When She Flies.” James would then cap his performance with a stunning solo take on Parton’s classic “I Will Always Love You.”
Davis also accompanied James on a delightful rendering of the Grateful Dead’s “Scarlet Begonias.”
Following Jim James’ solo set, an all-star collective billed as “Mountain Jam” took over the Marquis stage, with Eric Krasno, Ross James, Nicki Bluhm and Alex Koford taking on different configurations, alongside Dumpstaphunk's Ivan Neville on keys and Tony Hall on bass, among others.
My Morning Jacket drummer Patrick Hallahan switched from chef duties to keeping-time duties, appearing at various points of the set.
Jim James came out during the “Mountain Jam” performance and completed the “Scarlet Begonias” pairing with “Franklin’s Tower” to commence his contribution to the set. James also led the collective through his solo song, “State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.).”
Krasno also led a romp through the Dead’s “Deal” during the “Mountain Jam,” which elsewhere saw Neville taking the helm of Bob Dylan’s “Like A Rolling Stone” and The Rolling Stones’ “Miss You.”
Kraz also ripped on Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child” backed only by Ross James on guitar, Tony Hall on bass and Patrick Hallahan on drums.
Another significant Grateful Dead tribute occurred on Saturday night when Aiko & Friends (featuring Ben Anderson) opened the festivities at The Marquis with a tribute to the late Bobby Weir. Musicians taking the stage across the set included Holly Bowling, Nicki Bluhm, Eric Krasno, Ross James, Steve Poltz and others playing songs associated with Weir and the Grateful Dead.
Beyond that, Poltz was an MVP of the weekend, adding humor and joy in many places across the event. His set at the Marquis was a riot and musically endearing. Poltz and Hull also teamed up to preview a new song they said was recorded and set for release soon.
Dumpstaphunk closed out the party with flair of NOLA spiciness and the funkiness from which they derive their name.
Touch
The last of the five senses, touch, can be attributed to many of the other sensorial experiences already explained. The touch and texture of food and drinks at Supper Club. The feeling of clean and cool mountain air entering your nose and lungs. The raindrops that fell from the cloudy skies inside Summit Village. The thump in your chest from a funky bassline at The Marquis. Even the cool air-conditioned environment felt while watching the Summit Labs panels left you truly feeling something.
There were handshakes, strangers stopping strangers, if you’ll allow the blatant reference, as introductions were made and old acquaintances reconnected. The level between artist, chef, crew, vendor and attendee was an even playing field. Reminders that everyone here is human first and anything else secondary were made often from the stages of Song Summit.
During one of Poltz’s final interludes, he enthusiastically encouraged everyone in the audience to raise both their hands above their heads. Poltz’s next instruction was for everyone to let their arms drop, but when they fell, to let them land on the shoulders of the people standing next to them.
This resulted in nearly everyone in the room circling together in a warm embrace, singing along with Poltz, whose positivity is positively infectious.
A “what could have been” story Sean Brock told radio DJ Eugenie Jaffe during the Q&A portion of his Vinyl & Vittles lab best falls under the “Touch” sense, though thankfully a dangerous touch being averted. Brock was a chef at the Hermitage in Nashville in the mid-2000s and the late Dolly Parton was a frequent diner. Brock relayed the time he served strawberries with liquid nitrogen, which when eaten produced a “dragon-like” cloud of vapor that Parton loved to blow while eating the frozen treat.
Caught up in the fun of sharing the nitrogen-dipped fruit with Parton and her co-dinners, Brock noticed from across the room that Parton had picked up the spoon from the liquid nitrogen and was bringing it to her mouth. Thankfully, Brock was able to sprint over to Parton and avert the disaster and permanent physical injury to one of country music’s most beloved voices.
While Brock’s story thankfully ended without a fatefully detrimental touch, Steve Poltz went the opposite direction and cleverly incorporated a sense of touch into his Marquis set. The skilled raconteur regaled the audience with fun-filled asides and quirky banter. Through that back-and-forth, Poltz quickly built a strong rapport among the intimate crowd.
The intentionality and commitment to wellness, recovery and building a supportive community around live music and hospitality was obvious in every aspect of Song Summit 2026, which like past took on a different shape and form from previous years, and will likely take what is learned from this year and apply it to the 2027 event.
The growth of the food programming was fantastic, the overlap between the culinary arts and musicians is closely intertwined, and I hope future Song Summits expand on opportunities, like Sean Brock’s oyster shucking DJ set, to closely interact and eat with the participating chefs.
The food was fantastic and the best three-night run of supper menus I have ever encountered, but the one-of-a-kind live music moments fostered in the mountains of Park City was the anchor of it all. A potent reminder of live music’s ability to positively impact all five of our senses.
