The 2014 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival adds Randy Newman, Brandi Carlile and more

For now, the story of Planet Bluegrass is about the floods and the devastation they brought to towns like Lyons. The storied venue sits nestled in the canyon, no small part of its appeal being that it does not have proximity to natural beauty so much as it is actually...

By Kiernan Maletsky

April 29, 2014

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For now, the story of Planet Bluegrass is about the floods and the devastation they brought to towns like Lyons. The storied venue sits nestled in the canyon, no small part of its appeal being that it does not have proximity to natural beauty so much as it is actually a part of the natural beauty. But last September, the river rose and covered the buildings and ripped away the land. I was there in March. Progress is being made. Heavy machinery works the dirt, but the destruction still looks fresh.

So it says plenty that the story of Planet Bluegrass will be the floods only until July, when the venue plans to start hosting its usual run of summer festivals again. The resources and effort that will take are considerable (they're currently laying seven acres of fresh sod) and one of the rewards of that will be a particularly strong lineup for the venue's flagship event, the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival. Today, they've added Brandi Carlile, Randy Newman, Hurray for the Riff Raff and more.

So that's one of the country's greatest songwriters ever and one of its current leading lights in Carlile, who also played the festival in 2011. "It will be a great honor to be a part of the Lyons Folks Festival this year, especially after such a hard season," she said in today's announcement. "The artist community is strong here, and we are looking to have a hand in the recovery and healing of Colorado with the only tool we really know how to use -- music."

Other additions include the Drepung Monks from South India, who will "perform throughout the festival and are extending their stay in Lyons to conduct special healing ceremonies around the town." There was plenty to look at on this lineup to begin with. Here's what has been announced so far:

The 24th Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Lineup * indicates today's additions...

Brandi Carlile* Randy Newman* Dispatch Ani DiFranco Josh Ritter Greg Brown Elephant Revival Lake Street Dive Peter Himmelman Sarah Jarosz Imelda May The Drepung Monks* Hurray for the Riff Raff* John Fullbright* Antje Duvekot Steve Poltz* Caroline Spence And more TBA

This year's Folks Festival will be August 15 to 17. Tickets and camping passes are available now from $135.

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