Leftover Salmon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leftover Salmon
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Leftover Salmon at Red Rocks 2016
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Boulder, Colorado, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1989–present |
| Labels | Hollywood, Compass, Compendia, Los Records, Whirled Beats |
| Associated acts | Left Hand String Band, Salmon Heads, Great American Taxi, Drew Emmitt Band, String Cheese Incident, Yonder Mountain String Band, Punch Brothers, Emmitt-Nershi Band |
| Members |
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| Past members |
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Leftover Salmon is a cool American band from Boulder, Colorado. They started playing music together in 1989. Their sound is a fun mix of different styles like bluegrass, rock, country, and Cajun music. This unique blend is sometimes called "Polyethnic Slamgrass." Over their many years, Leftover Salmon has released several studio albums and live recordings. They even celebrated their 30-year career with a special book about their journey.
Contents
The Band's Story
How Leftover Salmon Began
The band Leftover Salmon first formed in 1989. It happened when musicians from two different bands, the Salmon Heads and the Left Hand String Band, decided to play a show together. This special performance was for New Year's Eve in a town called Crested Butte, Colorado.
Vince Herman from the Salmon Heads asked his old bandmates, Drew Emmitt and Glenn Keefe, to join in. They needed extra players for the New Year's show. On the way to the concert, they picked the name Leftover Salmon. Everyone liked the way their music sounded together.
Early Years and Growth
The band's lineup changed a lot over time. But three main members, Drew Emmitt, Vince Herman, and Mark Vann, were the core of the band for many years.
After releasing their first albums, Bridges to Bert in 1993 and Ask the Fish in 1995, Leftover Salmon became more popular. They even got to play on the big H.O.R.D.E. festival tour. This led to them signing a record deal with Hollywood Records.
Their album Euphoria helped define their unique sound. It featured guest keyboardist Pete Sears. In 1999, they released The Nashville Sessions. This album had many famous guest musicians like Waylon Jennings, Jerry Douglas, and Béla Fleck.
Changes and Comebacks
Sadly, in 2002, founding member and banjo player Mark Vann passed away. Other talented banjo players like Matt Flinner and Noam Pikelny later joined the band.
In 2003, Leftover Salmon worked with David Lowery and Johnny Hickman from the band Cracker. They released an album called "O' Cracker Where Art Thou?". It featured Cracker's songs played in Leftover Salmon's style.
The band took a break in 2004. But they reunited in 2007 and played several shows. They even performed at the High Sierra Music Festival. They continued to play shows in 2008 and 2009. For their 20th anniversary, they returned to the very first place they played in Crested Butte.
New Music and Recent Times
On May 22, 2012, Leftover Salmon released their first new album since their break. It was called Aquatic Hitchhiker. They went on a big tour to promote it, playing at festivals like the Summer Camp Music Festival.
In 2015, they released another studio album called High Country. The next year, they put out a collection of live performances called 25. Their album Something Higher came out in 2018.
As they approached their 30th anniversary, a book called Leftover Salmon: Thirty Years of Festival! was written about them. This book shared their long history and how they helped shape the "jam band" music scene.
Meet the Band Members
Current Members
- Vince Herman – He sings and plays Guitar and Washboard. He has been with the band since the beginning in 1989.
- Drew Emmitt – He sings and plays Mandolin, Fiddle, and Electric Guitar. He also started with the band in 1989.
- Greg Garrison – He plays Bass and sings. He joined in 2000.
- Andy Thorn – He plays Banjo and Electric Banjo, and sings. He joined the band in 2010.
- Alwyn Robinson – He plays the Drums and sings. He joined in 2013.
- Jay Starling - He plays keyboard and dobro. He joined in 2022.
Past Members
Many talented musicians have been part of Leftover Salmon over the years. Some notable past members include:
- Mark Vann – Banjo (1989–2002)
- Noam Pikelny – Banjo (2002–2008)
- Bill McKay – Keyboards, Vocals (2000–2011)
- Erik Deutsch – Keyboards (2016–2020)
Selected Albums
Leftover Salmon has released many albums throughout their career. Here are some of their studio and live albums:
- Bridges to Bert (1993)
- Ask the Fish (1995)
- Euphoria (1997)
- The Nashville Sessions (1999)
- Live (2002)
- Leftover Salmon (2004)
- Aquatic Hitchhiker (2012)
- High Country (2014)
- 25 (2016)
- Something Higher (2018)
- Brand New Good Old Days (2021)
- Grass Roots (2023)
