As I stood in line, the crowd stacked up behind me like freshman in line for a keg. The idea of “people watching” was taken to a whole new level and I couldn’t help myself but to gawk in bewilderment. There were two different crowds who had been drawn together to this event in celebration of the legalization of mary jane. The two bands booked to headline this show couldn’t have been more different; on one stage there was Leftover Salmon, and on the other stood Method Man from Wu-Tang Clan and Redman (Wu-Tang Clan ain’t nothin’ to f*ck with!). Even though this combination of genres sounds like milk and beer, I felt right at home. Don’t worry – the crowd didn’t curdle; everyone was too stoned to care about anything. I consider myself somewhat of a gypsy gangster because I love gettin’ down to bluegrass, but also love spittin’ some rhymes to pass the time. This is the epitome of the Colorado music scene; diversity at its finest. And what a beautiful thing it is.

The whole block where Cervantes Masterpiece is located was shut down for the show; we were literally ‘dancin’ in the streets‘! People roamed from vendor to vendor buying cold beers, delicious munchies, and merchandise memorabilia. They could even stop into the local dispensary to pick up a few pre-rolled joints. At one point I saw Vince Herman (lead singer and guitarist from Leftover Salmon) just chillin’ inside the dispensary chatting with different people. This was a historic event that became more evident to me as the night rolled on. There were people dancing on rooftops surrounding the outdoor stage, and positive vibes were resonating everywhere you turned. Elephant Revival among other bands were enticing us all throughout the day.

Leftover Salmon with Anders Beck (in the bunny suit) from Greensky Bluegrass on the dobro.

Leftover Salmon takes the stage at 4:20pm and opened with the 420 polka. Fitting. Everyone lit up; faces and joints. Smoke filled the sky and ecstatic fans boogied in the streets. So glad I was there to witness this! Vince Herman continually puffed the reefer on stage looking happier and happier each song. They were jammin’ and it was legal, this was history in the making. Bill Payne from Little Feat sat in on the entire show with Leftover Salmon. Karl Denson joined Salmon on stage wailing on the saxophone for most of the first set. Anders Beck from Greensky Bluegrass came on stage during the second set dressed in a full head to toe bunny costume and was still ripping on the dobro. It was hysterical to say the least.

Throughout the second set other guests joined in such as: Alli Kral, Silas Herman (Vince Herman’s son from Gipsy Moon), Bonnie Paine (who plays a mean washboard from Elephant Revival), Daniel Rodriguez (Elephant Revival), and Paul Hoffman (Greensky Bluegrass). For the encore of “Reach” every guest who had been on stage rejoined for one last jam all together; it was a perfect ending to the day.

Set I

1. 420 Polka
2. Down in the Hollow
3. Boo Boo > Gimmie da’ting (with Karl Denson)
4. Easy to Slip (with Karl Denson)
5. Breakin’ Through (with Karl Denson)
6. High Country
7. Bird Call (with Karl Denson)

Set II

1. Zombie Jamboree
2. Atlanta
3. ll Nite Ride
4. Shanty (with Anders Beck)
5. Aquatic Hitchhiker (with Anders Beck)
6. Rag Mama Rag (with Anders Beck and Allie Kral)
7. Willin’ (with Anders Beck and Allie Kral)
8. Viper (with Anders Beck, Allie Kral and Silas Herman)
9. River’s Risin > Marley Medley
10. Everybody Must Get Stoned (with Silas Herman and Paul Hoffman)
11. Pasta on the Mountain (with Anders Beck, Silas Herman, and Paul Hoffman, and Bonnie Paine)
12. Boogie (with Anders Beck, Allie Kral, Silas Herman, Paul Hoffman, and Bonnie Paine)