JH Underground – news, sports and music blog from Jackson Hole, Wyoming news, sports and music blog from Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Springtime in Wyoming. Photo by David Stubbs.

In Wyoming, a wet, driving snowstorm not only fails to dampen the mood of a music festival but actually enhances it.

At Saturday’s Jackson Hole Mountain Fest, the spirits seemed to rise the more the big, fat flakes rained down from the sky. Performances by the Jay Nash Band and Ozomatli came off without a hitch, even if the musicians found the scene a bit strange.

“We’ve never played a show like this,” a member of the Los Angeles-based Ozomatli declared. “It’s snowing, and everyone’s drinking Pabst!”

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Posted under Music, Ski Resorts

It’s time to shimmy in our puffy down jackets again, although today ought to be 20 or perhaps 30 degrees warmer than last year’s Jackson Hole Mountain Fest. After that icy shindig with Michael Franti and Spearhead, we know that no matter what the weather brings, the show will go on.

The Jay Nash Band takes the stage at 5 p.m., followed by Ozomatli at 6:30.

The schedule allows for plenty of tailgating in the Teton Village parking lots once the lifts close, and ensures that the stage lights should be out in time for tonight’s Earth Hour, when people around the globe are dimming bulbs to reduce energy consumption and call for action against climate change.

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Posted under Music, Ski Resorts

Wild bison are an icon for Wyoming and America. The publicly funded slaughter of these animals by the Park Service is a national disgrace.

Of all the wildlife and land management issues in our region, none is more maddening than the slaughter of bison in Yellowstone National Park.

Try explaining to a group of tourists that half the bison population of Yellowstone died in the winter of 2007-08, and the National Park Service was responsible for killing more than 1,600 animals. And they, the tourists, paid for it with millions of their tax dollars.

Click to enlarge.

And the bison were killed for migrating out of the park onto public land in Montana, and testing positive for a disease, brucellosis, that’s exceedingly rare to transmit to cattle. And there are few, if any, cattle on said public land. And brucellosis is a disease originally introduced to wildlife from domestic livestock. And so on.

Buffalo Field Campaign, a group of rugged and passionate activists based in West Yellowstone, Mont., has done yeoman’s work in fighting to stop this madness.

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Posted under Environment, Politics

The bill will bestow Wild and Scenic distinction on 387 miles of the Snake and its tributaries in Wyoming, including this stretch below Deadman's Bar made famous by Ansel Adams. (National Archives)

The U.S. House voted today to approve a landmark bundle of conservation bills, including legislation to designate the Snake River headwaters as Wild and Scenic and put 1.2 million acres of the Wyoming Range off-limits to oil and gas drilling.

The House voted 285-140 to approve the omnibus lands bill, which now heads to President Barack Obama for signature.

“I’m just delighted,” said Frank Ewing, a Jackson Hole river outfitter who helped push for Wild and Scenic designation. “It’s been a long time coming.”

U.S. Rep. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., voted against the legislation, as expected.

Truly a day for conservation advocates and lovers of the Snake River to savor!

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• Dems set to slam dunk lands bill (March 19, 2009)

• What does Wild and Scenic designation mean? (CFSH)

• Map of streams affected (CFSH)

Posted under Environment

Warren Haynes leads Government Mule back to the west slope of the Tetons.

Grand Targhee has begun assembling the lineup for the first of its two summer music festivals.

Booked so far for the fifth annual Targhee Fest on July 17-19 are Government Mule, Keb Mo’, Jonny Lang and James McMurtry.

The 22nd annual Targhee Bluegrass Festival will be Aug. 21-23.

More artists are to be added for both festivals in the coming weeks.

Government Mule, led by guitarist Warren Haynes, played the inaugural Targhee Fest in July 2005, when the Alta, Wyo., ski resort revived the event formerly known as Rockin’ the Tetons.

The band has a recording of that performance available for download.

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Posted under Music, Ski Resorts

The New Mastersounds unleash the funk for a crowd of rabid ski bums.

With a nod to James Brown, the New Mastersounds played an exhausting, three-hour set Saturday at the Knotty Pine.

The British funk band gave at least three encores, including a cover of Toots and the Maytals’ “54-46, That’s My Number” with members of Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, the opening act.

Keyboardist Joe Tatton was particularly strong on this night, layering electric piano over powerhouse dance grooves churned up by drummer Simon Allen and bassist Pete Shand. The group wore the audience into the ground, and the Knotty had to turn the lights on to get the musicians to stop playing.

Thus ends a banner season of music at the Victor, Idaho, supper club, which also hosted Galactic, Anthony B. and Fishbone this winter. The Knotty takes a spring break before welcoming Soulive on May 7. Tickets are $28.

(Partly inspired by this site, I shot the above image with a camera phone.)

Posted under Music