The community might feel broke, but the spirit of mountain living is alive and well. This weekend Ketchum will host SolFest, a spring festival with live music, cheap drinks and food and lots of community spirit.
Festivities begin on Friday, March 27, with a welcome party at the Clarion Inn from 3-6 p.m., where attendees can pick up a SolFest "All Access" badge which provides discounts, a schedule of events and $10 off regular lift tickets. Signups for the Bald Mountain poker run will also be available. Teams of two to four members can also sign up before Friday at the Visitors Center in Ketchum.
SolFest participants will receive a lift ticket rate of $30 with a college ID, and season pass holders to other ski resorts in the country will receive a $55 lift ticket. Participants will also receive half off ski and snowboard rentals and demos at PK's Ski & Sports by mentioning SolFest.
A Bald Mountain Poker Run will take place on Saturday, March 28, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sign-up at Apple's Bar and Grill at the Base of Warm Springs will take place on Saturday. Visit five designated Bald Mountain locations and receive a playing card at each. The player with the best hand wins. Cards must be turned in at Apple's at 3:45 p.m. for an awards ceremony.
The three-day event will include club nights at downtown Ketchum bars and restaurants as well as live music, après ski and pool parties, street dances and food and drink specials at participating bars and restaurants including Papa Hemi's Hideaway, the Roosevelt Grille, Grumpy's and Apple's.
Making its Ketchum debut, the Boise indie rock band Low-Fi will travel north to celebrate Sol Fest on Saturday, March 28, at Apple's street party in Warm Springs. Low-Fi is part of a growing indie rock music scene in Boise and has produced a music video, "Where You Are," for the single of the same name, released in September.
"The music video received more love than the CD," said Low-Fi's bassist Josh Gilmore.
The trio of Todd Sloan on guitar and vocals, Gilmore on bass and Mike Rundle on drums have been playing together as Low-Fi for two years but the members have known each other much longer.
"We thought, this weekend why not get out, enjoy the last weeks of Baldy and suffer the recession with the people you love," said Gilmore. "We are excited to play a new area in Idaho and get some more exposure."
Low-Fi has a familiar indie rock sound similar to Modest Mouse and a toned-down Built to Spill. Gilmore said Lo-Fi influences span a number of bands including the Archers of Loaf, Smashing Pumpkins, Heatmiser, Hazel, Pond, The Police, Jerry Sloan, Depeche Mode and Wilco.
Low-Fi will play a few covers, but many of its songs will be original music, mostly written by Sloan. The band is working on new music for its next recording session in September in Boise. It will also have a single on a compilation CD created by the Visual Arts Collective in Boise due out in April.
"We want to play for the community, meet new people and new faces," Gilmore said. "If we get hooked up for lift tickets on Sunday we will be really good."
Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com
Live music schedule
Friday, March 27
· 6:30-9:30 p.m. Hat Trick at Papa Hemi's Hideaway.
· 10 p.m. to close, spring break party at the Roosevelt with free late night munchies and music by DJ Swerve.
· 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Rebecca Scott at the Casino.
Saturday, March 28
· 3:30 p.m. to sundown, street party and awards ceremony at Apples in Warm Springs with Low-Fi and Blacksmith.
· 6:30- 9:30 p.m. The Craig Meyers Blues Band at Papa Hemi's Hideaway.
· 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. DJ Gil Aguilar at the 511 Building (corner of Fifth and Leadville) $5 cover and $5 drinks.
· 10 p.m. to close, spring break party at the Roosevelt with free late night munchies and music by DJ Rincon.
· 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. The Damphools at the Casino.
Sunday, March 29
· All day open stage live music on the Baldy view patio with fire pit at Papa Hemi's Hideaway.
The Boise-based "indie" music band Low-Fi will play for SolFest at Apple’s in Warm Springs street party on Saturday.
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