Steamboat Springs Music Scene

Steamboat Springs is known for its spectacular location, copious amounts of outdoor activities, world class ski resort, natural hot springs and for its continual supply of live music that is always on the cheap. Whether it is summer, winter or a season in between, the ‘Boat is always rocking. Here is an idea of the music venues Steamboat has for live music.

Most music venues in Steamboat are intimate settings in bars or restaurants.
Mahogany Ridge is a great example of restaurant by evening and concert venue by night. It’s a great place to grab a micro-brew, jam your friends and strangers together on the second level and dance the night away to awesome local or somewhat local (Colorado based) bands
Old Town Pub has a great set up as well with a huge bar area and lots of room to dance to their always different, funky and unique bands they keep coming to Steamboat.

Winter or Summer Free Concerts
Nothing beats seeing a great band with a backdrop of the great outdoors of Steamboat.
During the winter the Steamboat Ski Resort hosts their annual Bud Light Rocks the Boat Free Concert Series. These concerts are based at the bottom of the ski resort in the Gondola Plaza and sunshine or snow you will see famous bands grace the mountain town with killer tunes. Previous year’s performances included Ozomatli, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Donavon Frankeinrieter and more.

The Free Summer Concert Series is a non-profit that keeps the summers light and cheap with their free outdoor concerts set at the base of Howelsen Hill in downtown Steamboat. The locals and visitors alike arrive by the masses to see big headliner bands take the stage in the cool summer afternoons. Big names like Michael Franti, Rusted Root, Susan Tedeschi, the Avett Brothers and more. Grab your bike, put on your walking shoes or take the bus to this venue as parking is not a good option! See the 2010 free summer concert line up.

Ghost Ranch Saloon
The Ghost Ranch has been open now for over a year (see Steamboat Pilot article) and is proving that their swanky music venue is worth the steeper drink prices. The venue is one of the larger venues in steamboat that was catered to making a music specific venue in town. The setup allows for a large bar area with the stage very close by. The stage is set at ground level so you can get up close to the bands playing that night, or you can head up to the second story to watch with a birds eye view. The décor and atmosphere is like stepping into the old Wild West with a ritzy modern twist.

Steamboat Strings
Steamboat Strings brings in a wide range of musical talent to Steamboat with artists like Grammy winners and nominees, major competition winners and principal players from the most renowned orchestras and international soloists. Classical, bluegrass, country, rock and jazz notes fill the air as a nightly events during the summers in Steamboat. This wide range of music delights and entertains with famous musicians playing all summer at the beautiful music pavilion. See the full calendar and performer lineup.

So if you are coming to Steamboat make sure you check out a few or all of the great unique music venues Steamboat has to offer. ResortQuest also offers year round lodging deals and best rates to make your vacation a great value.