Charley Crockett Charms the 2024 Telluride Bluegrass Festival
Charley Crockett made his Telluride Bluegrass Festival debut at the 51st gathering Thursday night (6-20), and left a massive impression for himself, for country music, and for Texas. It’s been said before that there’s just something about the inspiring views of the Telluride stage the coaxes the most inspired sets from performers. Charley Crockett certainly suffered this fate, putting on what might be the most animated and impassioned set of his career.
Fresh off the heels of his recent album $10 Cowboy, Crockett started the set off rattling off new tracks from the album. One of the great things about Charley Crockett and his backing band The Blue Drifters is that a familiarity with the songs is unnecessary to have a good time. With the way Crockett seamlessly pulls from all the roots music disciplines, it instigates the limbs to twitching, and the heart to racing, even when it’s 50 degrees in the intermittent high altitude rain like it was Thursday night in Telluride.
After an opening segment of new songs, Charley played an acoustic set, featuring his recent track “Killers of the Flower Moon” that he wrote with T Bone Burnett. The legendary producer happened to be at the fest this year hanging out backstage.
Then Crockett walked off the stage momentarily, his mic stand and guitar were cleared, and he came out singing just with the mic in his hand. Crockett has done this before, but not as uninhibited as he was on Thursday night, moving around the stage like a lion on the prowl circling a gazelle. Though some purists may see all of Crockett’s dancing as performative and silly, this isn’t choreography. This is him finding how to comfortably express himself in a stage presence that feels natural to himself.
Anyone who ever saw Crockett’s “real deal” honky tonk hero James “Slim” Hand perform will attest that Hand also had a way of moving around the stage as he sang. Perhaps Crockett can move a little better than Hand could in his advanced age, but the principle remains the same. If you show the crowd you can have a good time, it allows them to do the same. Crockett’s stage presence at this point is nearly unparalleled in country music.
Charley Crockett’s set took an entirely different approach than the set he played less than two months ago at his $10 Cowboy album release show at The Broken Spoke in Austin. You wondered with all the new wrinkles to the set if he would still pay tribute to James Hand as he has been for years. Sure enough, Crockett played his version of Hand’s “Don’t Tell Me That” off the 2021 tribute album 10 for Slim.
Along with a heavy dose of new songs, Crockett also ran through some of the “hits,” including “Music City USA,” “Man From Waco” (loosely about James Hand), and finished the set with Willie and Waylon’s “Good Hearted Woman.”
Along with putting on a landmark set, Charley Crockett endeared himself to Telluride in another way. The local Telluride radio station, KOTO-FM, broadcasts live from the festival all week. They stream the performances live, and in between they sometimes interview the performers. Being interviewed by KOTO is kind of its own rite of passage, though sometimes the headliners blow it off. Charley Crockett didn’t, and his folksy attitude totally won the audience over.
“I’ve been playing banjo every night for years,” Crockett explained during the interview. “Just a few months back, I stopped doing it for now. I’ve been doing it for so long. I was going to bust it out for y’all tonight, but I’m unlicensed.”
“You need a license to play banjo?” the DJ asked.
“You ask these guys on stage. They’ll tell you you’ve got to have a license,” Charley said, referencing the parade of bluegrass maestros taking the Telluride stage all week.
Charley also said that he never thought he’d have an opportunity to play the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. He talked about being a traveling busker in Telluride and other towns in the San Juan Mountains on Colorado’s Western Slope during his transient days.
“But you can’t have bluegrass without the blues,” Crockett said, justifying his presence at the festival.
The Telluride Bluegrass Festival has always been known over the years for booking the best of music from a wide range of genres, along with the bluegrass greats. Right now, Charley Crockett is some of the best live music in country music you can find. He is on fire right now, while still always trying to remain humble. That’s what his album $10 Cowboy is all about.
– – – – – – – –
All photos Kyle “Trigger” Coroneos. For more live coverage from the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and others events, follow Saving Country Music on Instagram.
June 21, 2024 @ 6:58 pm
$10 Cowboy
June 21, 2024 @ 9:12 pm
that’s a beautiful Emmons
June 22, 2024 @ 4:53 am
There are two types of people in this world…..those who love Charley Crockett and those who haven’t realized they love Charley Crockett yet.
June 22, 2024 @ 9:20 pm
Three types, 3rd being them that can’t figure out why people like the Charley Crockett’s or Zac Bryan’s of the world. Ain’t nothing special or transformative here, but y’all do you.
June 22, 2024 @ 10:02 pm
I think it’s really important to see Charley Crockett live to understand what all of the hubbub is about. I also think it’s important that you have seen him recently. It’s what he’s doing right now that is creating the buzz.
June 23, 2024 @ 8:25 am
Fair enough.
June 23, 2024 @ 5:39 pm
This.
He’s hotter than a Harlem crack pipe right now. Shit just oozes of the stage and creeps up onto yiur leg and before your know it your loosing control of your extremities and speaking in tongues like a Pentecostal preacher.
Charley Boy is the real deal. No two ways about it.
June 25, 2024 @ 7:24 am
I saw him live in Philly before Turnpike and the only noteworthy thing was him constantly name-dropping Davy Crockett.
His albums made a bigger impact.
June 23, 2024 @ 7:42 pm
If Charley Crockett and Zach Bryan are not transformative, who is? Perhaps, D Ray, you have closed the door on musical transformation? I have seen them both live many times and they are incredible performers, songwriters, and stories themselves. I hope they and the Troubadours have many years and albums ahead. Whatever music Trigger is saving on this web site, those guys represent the best of it.
June 22, 2024 @ 6:12 am
Charley, Charley Crockett, King of the Road Bus Tour !!
June 22, 2024 @ 6:53 am
Trig, did I ever tell you I think you’re one of the best music photographers in the world? Well if I didn’t I’m telling you now. These Telluride pics are amazing!!! I wish you were here today for the Summer Solstice Festival day 2. I’ve got a great guy here @jasonkalish, but I doubt he’ll make the drive. Oh well I guess I’ll have to scrounge around for some Silverada pics from local folks’ phones etc……. sigh…
June 22, 2024 @ 8:21 am
Having seen his show at the Ryman, he is definitely an act to see. One day, I hope! In the meantime I will again listen to his live at the Ryman album.
June 22, 2024 @ 8:42 am
I fell in love with Charlie and his band in Denver on January 2024. His old school, countey, jazz, blues, Cajon music is amazing. I listen to him every day. Can’t wait to see him again. Keep it up Charlie. You are amazing!!!
June 22, 2024 @ 1:13 pm
Still looking forward to seeing him down the road. Nice write up.
June 22, 2024 @ 9:40 pm
Love Charley but underwhelmed live last year in PNW. Hope it was a fluke. Look forward to his next stop in town.
June 22, 2024 @ 11:13 pm
Not sure where you saw him in the PNW last year. But I saw him at FairWell Fest, and it was literally the last show on a very long tour for him, and he seemed to be uncharacteristically low energy. I wouldn’t be surprised if the shows leading up to it were similar. He also played midday as opposed to headlining, which can be a different experience.
I can’t speak of every show. I can only speak for this one, and when I saw him in April at the Broken Spoke in Austin. Both were incredible shows.
June 25, 2024 @ 12:02 am
Seattle last November. He had no presence and while his band was tight, they seemed like puppets. Very withdrawn and weird after having just seen Corb Lund and Moonpies not long before, both much, much better.
June 24, 2024 @ 4:24 pm
I saw him in Spokane WA in Nov of 2019 and it was one of my least favorite shows I have ever seen. It really seemed like he would have like to be somewhere else. Saying he “phoned it in” would be a compliment…..
June 22, 2024 @ 11:56 pm
For what it is worth from my very lowly opinion, there is a difference in artists who have a projected stage persona and those who really practice what they preach. In the beginning I wanted to not like Charley, but after seeing many shows and having had the opportunity to meet him several times, I will say Charley may be one of the real few who live the songs they sing. Sure, sometimes there is a kind of character at play, but unlike almost anyone in the scene, Charley has continually shown his love of country music and his dedication to his craft. Plus his band are all fucking heavy hitters.
June 23, 2024 @ 5:51 am
Just saw him for first time at BCS yesterday after CWG and before Turnpike. Crowd was definitely more familiar with CWG, but less so Crocket and Turnpike. Billy and the band just went wild. Their jamming was way more intense than what they doing on headlining shows (at least from my limited experience).
Anyway, looking forward to seeing CC on his tour in August in a smaller venue for the full show.
June 24, 2024 @ 7:22 am
I went on Sunday to BCS. Charley’s set seemed to resonate pretty well. He puts a lot into his live performances. This wasn’t my first time seeing him, but I will say he’s showing marked improvement these days. Thought he was pretty entertaining. Crowd seemed to like him.
Turnpike Troubadors played mostly mid- tempo songs and in the hot sun, the crowd wasn’t into them…at all. They were just flat on that stage, comparatively. A pity, because I really like what they do. 60k plus crowd, and most were only there to see Zac Bryan. Even Billy Strings, who went full on jam band rock show, didn’t get the response from the crowd that Bryan elicited. Tons of teenage girls , who just didnt get it. My conclusion is that Zac Bryan has a fan base that’s very large and supportive, but not necessarily interested in the other indie country acts.
June 24, 2024 @ 7:56 am
Ya, much the same on Saturday regarding Turnpike. However I feel that the response to Billy was pretty impressive, but I was in an area with a lot of dead heads, so may have been the microenvironment I was in.
The rising popularity of Zach Bryan is something I continue to ponder. More of a social contagion than the seeking of good music. Nothing new. However I think he deserves a ton of credit for trying to boost all these other artists that have paid way more dues (wears a CWG shirt during set) Plus he is always downplaying his abilities to play guitar, etc while on stage. I think Zach is just as baffled at his success as the rest of us.
Will be interested to see what BCS does for next year. Probably back to a more mainstream format with Combs or Wallen. Probably Lainey in there too.
June 24, 2024 @ 9:37 am
A familiarity with their songs is required to really appreciate the Turnpike Troubadours, because ultimately it’s the songs that people connect with, not the “show.” This is the reason some people find their festival appearances “flat,” while to the right audience, nobody else can hold a candle to them because they can connect more deeply.
You can put Charley Crockett in front of virtually anyone, and they’ll get into it.
Kind of not surprised to hear Strings went full jam band mode. After all, he’s playing a stadium.
Of course the majority of the people there were Zach Bryan fans. He’s the stadium draw. It also makes sense to me they were most familiar with Charles Wesley Godwin, since he has such a big connection with Zach.
June 24, 2024 @ 6:32 am
The most animated and impassioned set of their career for Charley Crockett is saying something. It’s been said before but don’t write off his music until you see him live.
June 30, 2024 @ 6:55 pm
All of the still photos with this review are like little postcards to what I saw and heard when CC toured Australia. It was such a good show (at the Eatons Hill Tavern, Brisbane).
Many thanks for the photos and for picking out the band member names!
Great band!