True Authenticity kicks off their Steamboat Free Summer Concert series this weekend.
Known for their energetic, forthright approach to bluegrass, the Kitchen Dwellers will play at the base of Howelsen Hill on Saturday. Doors open at 5:30pm and music begins at 6pm with Bonfire Dub opening the show.
“I think people are tired of fake stuff,” says Kitchen Dwellers banjo player Thorin Daniels. “Music now isn't as real or raw as it used to be. There's a lot of over-produced stuff.”
The Montana-based group is comprised of Sean Swain on mandolin, Daniels on banjo, Joe Funk on upright bass and Max Davis on acoustic guitar.
Daniels grew up in rural Wyoming and Montana, where he describes his ranch-based culture, and as a result of that upbringing he was exposed to both country and cowboy music from an early age, and his grandfather was a bluegrass enthusiast who introduced him to the genre.
However, Daniels has also branched out into a wide variety of musical genres.
“I was really drawn to punk, metal and grunge music,” Daniels says. “That's what I grew up listening to as an adolescent… a lot of it was self-discovery.”
His love of music led him to play the drums in high school, and his musical tastes expanded to jam bands such as the Grateful Dead, Widespread Panic, Phish, and Yonder Mountain String Band.
“I've always been an audiophile,” Daniels says, “and have listened to all genres of music and enjoyed it all equally.”
He enrolled at Montana State University in Bozeman and on the first day of classes met Sean Swain, a Telluride native who invited Daniels to join a jam session where Joe Funk also played bass, and the two quickly became a group that began playing together at events around Bozeman.
“We stuck with it for a long time and finally decided that this is what we wanted to do professionally,” Daniels says. “We're a little different to our bluegrass peers, even though some people are drawn to bluegrass. We're who we are, and we don't try to hide that.”
Each member of The Dwellers comes from a completely different musical background, which has led them to love the freedom found within bluegrass. Pushing the boundaries of what's possible tests the quartet's creativity and allows them to seamlessly blend different genres.
Daniels acknowledged that bluegrass has seen a surge in popularity, especially in Colorado, and attributes that to a collective shift by punk and metal musicians to acoustic performances in the 1990s.
He further explained that bluegrass is about the relationship between musicians, groups and string instruments, and that it seeks to return to the “old ways” while avoiding the human tendency to “overdo things.”
Their latest tour follows the release of their new album, “Seven Devils.” Their popularity continues to grow, and the tour has taken them to bigger and bigger venues.
“It's a chance to really connect with the fans,” Daniels said, “and show off some new material.”
Kitchen Dwellers has played Steamboat many times before at various venues and events, including Winter Wondergrass. The group has fond memories of playing in the area and sees it as an ideal location for their music and energy level. Daniels reflected on the Dwellers' 2024 Winter Wondergrass main stage performance as the pinnacle of their growth as a group.
But this will be one of their first shows during the warm summer months.
Daniels hopes Kitchen Dwellers will continue the momentum it has built over the past few years.
“I think we have something special and it's nice to be able to showcase it and show who we are.”
For more information about the Steamboat Free Summer Concerts and the Kitchen Dwellers, visit KeepinItFree.com/ and KitchenDwellers.com/.
