Aspen Snowmass has announced the free Bud Light Hi-Fi Concert Series line-up for the 2017/18 winter season. This is the 15th consecutive year Aspen Snowmass has presented a season-long series of free concerts in partnership with Bud Light. Throughout the long tenure of the Concert Series, each act has been new with not one repeat performer. The 2017/18 season will include five concerts over the dates of Jan. 12, Feb. 17, Mar. 24, 30 and 31 which will mark concert numbers 89 through 93 since the inception of this extensive series. Each show will feature a Bud Light beer garden plus prize giveaways.
DJ Z-Trip
Jan. 12, 2018
Snowmass
The first Bud Light Hi-Fi Concert will take place in Snowmass Base Village during the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix Olympic qualifier halfpipe and slopestyle event Saturday, Jan. 12 at 4 p.m. and will feature DJ Z-Trip. With roots based in hip-hop and considered by many as the godfather of mash-ups, Z-Trip’s style of mixing and producing incorporates and covers all styles of music. Z-Trip received the award for America’s Best DJ and still remains on the top 10 list year-after-year.
Cold War Kids
Feb. 17, 2018
Gondola Plaza, Aspen Mountain
Taking place Presidents Day Weekend, Cold War Kids will go live at 6 p.m. at the base of Aspen Mountain in Gondola Plaza. Based in Los Angeles for more than a decade, Cold War Kids formed in 2004, soon after singer/guitarist/pianist Nathan Willett and bassist Matt Maust met in college and bonded over their obsession with the Blur album “13.” After making their way through their homegrown Southern California scene, the band released “Robbers & Cowards” to major critical praise and much adoration from the mid-2000s blogosphere. In 2013, they debuted “Dear Miss Lonelyhearts,” which returned to their fierce live sound and offered up their hit single “Miracle Mile.” In addition to yielding the smash hit “First” (a track that shot to No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart, where it spent six weeks in the top spot), “Hold My Home” debuted at No. 8 on Billboard’s Top Alternative Albums chart and reached the top 20 of the Top Rock Albums chart. Their most recent album is titled “LA Divine” and pays tribute to Los Angeles and all its strange glory.
Rebirth Brass Band
Mar. 24, 2018
Snowmass
Kicking-off the first weekend of the 18th annual Bud Light Spring Jam, Rebirth Brass Band will hit the stage in Snowmass Base Village at 4 p.m. Simply put, The Rebirth Brass Band is a New Orleans institution. Formed in 1983 by the now infamous Frazier brothers, the band has evolved from playing the streets of the French Quarter to playing festivals and stages all over the world. Their persistent production of the rich, New Orleans Brass Band sound won the band a Grammy on their 2011 release, “Rebirth of New Orleans.” Rebirth is committed to upholding the tradition of brass bands while at the same time incorporating modern music into their show. Their signature brand of brass funk has won over several generations of music lovers, and in a post-Katrina world, their name and music have become the soundtrack to their musically rich hometown. In the wake of the sometimes-stringent competition amongst brass bands, Rebirth is the undisputed leader of the pack, and they show no signs of slowing down.
Bud Light Hi-Fi CORE Party
Antibalas
Mar. 30 and 31, 2018
Downtown Aspen
New this year, the CORE party, the most anticipated outdoor concert of the season and the pinnacle of the Bud Light Spring Jam, will span two days, Friday, Mar. 30 and Saturday, Mar. 31, with musical performances taking place in the heart of downtown Aspen, Colo. at the corner of Cooper and Galena.
The final Hi-Fi Concert of the season, Saturday, Mar. 31, will feature Antibalas who will perform at 8 p.m. Formed in Brooklyn, the musical collective known as Antibalas is an afro-western trilogy searching for solace from American political opportunism, greed and vengeance. Antibalas has long been revered for re-popularizing the classic afrobeat sound while adding their distinct New York City grit to the mix. Influences of punk rock, free jazz, and hip-hop seep into their expansive works and define a truly 21st century translation of the afrobeat genre. Antibalas has served as the backing band for high profile tribute shows at Carnegie Hall, including the music of Paul Simon (2014) and Aretha Franklin (2017), in addition to the band’s members appearing alongside some of today’s biggest stars, such as Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Arcade Fire, Lady Antebellum and many others.
The Core Party will feature a beer garden with proceeds benefitting the Aspen Environment Foundation and event sponsor prize giveaways prior to the show.
The Hi-Fi Concert that is scheduled to take place Friday, Mar. 30 will be announced in the coming weeks.
The Bud Light Hi-Fi Concert Series is sponsored by Bud Light, Perky Jerky, Head, Helly Hansen, GoPro, Audi, Frias Property Management, Belly Up Aspen and the Town of Snowmass Village.
