Lake Tahoe’s Dead Winter Carpenters play July 11 at the inaugural Bluegrass Festival at Lake Tahoe Hard Rock. Photos/Terra Breeden

By Terra Breeden

STATELINE – It was all fun and fiddles Saturday at the inaugural Bluegrass Festival on the South Shore, part of the Hard Rock’s summer concert series.

Thousands of people came to enjoy the all-day event and dance to the twanging tunes of an all-star lineup of bluegrass bands, which included New Monsoon, Dead Winter Carpenters, Del McCoury Band, Greensky, David Grisman Sextet, and Earls of Leicester.

New Monsoon kicked off the show with upbeat jam music and tons of vitality.

Dead Winter Carpenters from North Lake Tahoe played next, bringing heavy bluegrass music to the stage. The Dead Winter Carpenters have had a busy year touring throughout the United States and Brian Houston, a member of the band and Tahoe native said, “We are very excited for the show, it’s nice to be back in Tahoe after so much time on the road.”

Later in the afternoon, big-name bluegrass groups such as Earls of Leicester, which won the 2015 Grammy Award for best bluegrass band, dominated the stage and crooned to the audience. Earls of Leicester showcased a traditional bluegrass sound defined by banjo fingerpicking and soaring fiddles. Their music is inspired by the classic songs by Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt, and the Foggy Mountain Boys.

“The Earls of Leicester is the band we came to the festival to see,” said concert-goer and fan Robert Glover. “Their music is good ol’ honky-tonk twang and it’s the original bluegrass sound.”

Many people came to the outdoor festival for the atmosphere.

High-stepping energy and good vibes abounded at this event as the sound of bluegrass filled the air.  Families and friends spread their blankets out in front of the stage and joined in conversation and laughter, sipping drinks and munching on good food. Laughing children darted around their legs, hula-hooping and dancing to the tunes at this family-friendly concert.

Hundreds of people congregate at Hard Rock to listen to bluegrass.

The Bluegrass Festival is the brainchild of PR Entertainment, a company that puts on other bluegrass events like Hangtown Halloween in Placerville and Winter Wondergrass in North Lake Tahoe.

Ryan Kronenberg of PR Entertainment said that, “I had the thought that we should just get a Tahoe bluegrass show going that’s more of a summer event, something that would bring bluegrass music to South Lake.”

The plan is for it to be an annual event.

“It’s fun to get outside and listen to music,” Kronenberg said, “and I am glad the weather worked out.”

After a week of gray skies and rain, July 11 was the first clear, blue-sky day Tahoe has seen in a while. Concert-goers lazed on blankets, soaking up the sun and jamming to the music.

“This is a great venue and the Hard Rock staff has been amazing,” Bluegrass Festival attendee from North Lake Tahoe Samantha Gruetcemach said. “I think this festival is great. Everyone is super nice, the food is good, everyone is having fun, and the weather is perfect after all that rain.”