The 2016 Beartrap Summer Festival is set for August 6th and 7th in Beartrap Meadow on Casper Mountain.  This year’s line-up mixes some of the top names in Americana music, including Yonder Mountain String Band, with a host of rising stars plus a second headliner to be announced soon.  Expect to see elements of Folk, Blues, Americana, Bluegrass and Country Music with a kick of Southern Rock on the Hilltop National Bank Stage.

Saturday’s lineup includes three Wyoming-based bands who are getting national attention.  JShogren Shanghai’d has come roaring out of Centennial with an eclectic mix of roots and popular music , and quite possibly the only frontman who can lay claim to having been an adviser to the king of Sweden.  The Libby Creek Original has been described as “boom-chick bluegrass” that insists you start dancing – now.  Screen Door Porch from Jackson Hole is a crowd favorite with their unique “electrified porch music” that landed them on the list of Wyoming’s top bands to watch.

Joining them on Saturday are the Caribou Mountain Collective, a bluegrass powerhouse blending Appalachian and Colorado styles into a unique sound that captured top honors at the 2014 Rockygrass Bluegrass competition.  Ryan Shupe and the RubberBand from Ogden, Utah, have built a solid reputation with nine albums and 20 years of touring.  Described as “a cross between the Dave Matthews Band and the Dixie Chicks without the politics,” their unique sound brings audiences to their feet.  The day wraps up with Yonder Mountain String Band, a group that redefines bluegrass by pushing the envelope into territory usually staked out by rock and improv.

Yonder Mountain String Band has pioneered an original sound of their own, selling out many performances at venues such as Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado.  Band member Dave Johnston points out, “Everyone appreciates good music.  Some people want to go to a recital and some people want to party.”  Yonder Mountain String Band will offer the crowd humor and passion, that live up to their varied and versatile shows for their loyal fanbase at well-known festivals such as The Telluride Bluegrass Festival and Austin City Limits.

Sunday’s music includes SalsaGrass, a Casper band that blends Gospel, bluegrass, salsa, and Colombian music in a soulful blend of sensuous rhythms and skilled picking, with an accent of South American brass.  The Scratchdog Stringband from Portland, Oregon, has often called exuberant and intuitive.  From fierce boot-stompers to rolling ballads, they take American bluegrass to new frontiers.   The Two Tracks, based in Sheridan, Wyoming, are hard to pigeonhole -- they simply call it “Americana with a Wyoming touch.”    Looking to ramp up your energy?  American Aquarium won’t let you down.  This alternative country rock band packs a dangerous punch of rowdy, punky energy.  They hail from North Carolina, as do The Honeycutters, a country-roots band driven by the vocals of singer-songwriter Amanda Anne Platt.   And the headliner for Sunday’s finish?  We will announce that soon, so check in at www.beartrapsummerfestival.com for up-to-date news and information.

Beartrap offers more to do than listen to great music. There’s a family area with loads of activities for kids, a marketplace of vendors showcasing handcrafted items, a fresh-air food court featuring local favorites including products from Budweiser, a VIP area, and tent camping in the meadow, where music fans and musicians can gather to jam out after the sun goes down- continuing the festivities long into the evening.

Thousands of people come to Beartrap every August to soak up the sun while live music rings throughout the meadow.  Don’t miss out – reserve your tickets now and bring your lawn chairs and picnic blankets and join us for a memorable weekend atop Casper Mountain.

The 2016 Beartrap Summer Festival is produced by Townsquare Media in partnership with the McMurry Foundation, and presented by WyoLotto.

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