Festival at Sandpoint announces An Evening with The String Cheese Incident

Iconic jam band to take the stage July 30

By Reader Staff

The Festival at Sandpoint announced its next headliner April 18, further fleshing out the lineup for its 2023 summer concert series. The String Cheese Incident will take the main stage on Sunday, July 30.

The past three decades have written a story packed full of surreal experiences, epic moments, groundbreaking involvement and huge accomplishments for this independent jam band from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The String Cheese Incident has been recognized for their commitment to musical creativity and integrity, for their community spirit, philanthropic endeavors and for innovative approach to the business of music since their formation in 1993.

When the band’s growth first started gaining momentum in the 1990s — and as the internet was just beginning to take hold and the major-label business model was failing — SCI decided to make music on their own terms.

Playing a unique blend of rock, electronica, calypso, country, funk, jazz, Latin, progressive rock, reggae and psychedelia, SCI has always boasted a singular sound. Through 11 albums, seven DVDs and countless live recordings from their blistering tour schedule, SCI continues to forge new fans every show they play.

SCI is renowned for carving out a completely unique approach to the business of music. They are truly pioneers of a new way of “making a band.” With the internet as their tool, SCI was among the first artists to disseminate information online, such as tour dates, release information and other news to their growing fan base.

Early on, the band’s record label, SCI Fidelity Records embraced downloadable music and file sharing, delivering SCI’s “On The Road” series, in which every show the band plays is made available for download. Whether they realized it at the time or not, SCI was inventing grassroots

Courtney & Co., Connie’s, April 22

Courtney Riddle and David Powell make up the duo Courtney & Co., combining Riddle’s honey-sweet voice and Powell’s fingerpicking prowess on the harp guitar. Their songs showcase a shared love of traditional folk, country classics and modern acoustic tunes.

The pair tour around the Pacific Northwest, bringing thoughtful harmonies and intricate covers of old favorites.

— Ben Olson

7 p.m., FREE. Connie’s Lounge, 323 Cedar St., 208-255-2227, conniescafe.net. Listen at courtneyandcompany.net.

band development. Today, literally hundreds of bands are using some version of this same approach to build their brand.

The String Cheese Incident’s commitment goes well beyond their immediate community and even beyond the music community as a whole. Early on, the band took a serious interest in giving back to the communities that they visited, and were among the first performers to encourage “green” shows and tours. SCI’s support has helped give rise to such not-forprofit organizations as Conscious Alliance and HeadCount. All the while, SCI has stayed committed to music as a creative endeavor — not just in their recordings, but also in their live performances.

The list of SCI’s special guests and collaborators is long and diverse. Their annual events, such as Electric Forest and Hulaween, and holiday shows, such as New Year’s Eve, have helped redefine the concert experience and have garnered the band a reputation as live music vibe innovators.

An Evening with The String Cheese Incident on Sunday, July 30, is a standard show, meaning the area in front of the stage is standing room only. Gates will open at 6 p.m. and music will start at 7 p.m. General admission tickets are on sale now for $59.95 at festivalatsandpoint.com.

A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint

Naughty Pine, The Hive, April 21

As reggae four-piece Naughty Pine puts it, this “is not your local Bob Marley cover band, but a band jam-packed with original music.”

That’s the truth, with the Tri-Cities, Wash.-based outfit turning out lyrics-driven, impeccably scored horn-and-organ-heavy grooves — especially on its current album Workin’, whose title track is an excellent introduction to what Naughty Pine’s sound is all about.

Naughty Pine will bring its Northwest flavor of reggae to Sandpoint’s biggest live music stage at The Hive, celebrating the “Season Bender” of this winter’s stoke on

Schweitzer Mountain. Send your pics of the season to The Hive and they might make it into a slideshow to accompany the concert. Sandpoint’s own RFB will open the show from 7:30-8:30 p.m.

— Zach Hagadone

Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8:45 p.m.; $10 (plus taxes and fees) advance, $15 at the door; 21+. The Hive, 207 N. First Ave., 208-9209039, livefromthehive.com. Limited seating, first come first serve. Get tickets at bit.ly/3A6tljM. Listen at naughtypinereggae.com.

One of my most cherished collec tions of books is The Complete Calvin and Hobbes, a four-volume set containing every comic strip by Bill Watterson in its 11-year history, as well as plenty of extras to make your day. When the weight of the world feels especially heavy, or if I just feel like a nostalgic trip back to when life was a bit more fun, I turn off my phone and plop down on the couch with Calvin and Hobbes. Soon, all is well. It’s a spendy purchase, but if you’re a fan of Watterson’s, it’s worth every dang penny.

Read Listen

It’s always a good week when I get to recommend a local musician in these pages. Kevin Dorin has built a following in Sandpoint with his unique mix of blues, indie rock and soul. Dorin released a music video on YouTube featuring a new song he wrote called “I Am Not Afraid.” Not only is it a fantastic song, but Dorin’s animation and editing skills make this video a great way to spend five minutes of your time. Head over to YouTube and search for Kevin Dorin to listen, or if you like typing out links in your browser, here you go: youtu.be/TzN87MxSkZY.

Watch

Widely recognized as one of the best films ever made, The Bridge on the River Kwai is one of those movies that gets better every time you rewatch it. This 1957 epic based on the novel by Pierre Boulle won seven Oscars, including Best Picture, for its portrayal of a prisoner of war camp in Burma. The Japanese captors forced British and American prisoners during World War II to construct a railroad bridge over an important river crossing, at times showing the brutality of war and others the camaraderie of soldiers put in a brutal situation.

From Pend Oreille Review

April 19, 1918