Known for its panoramic views of Colorado's Roaring Fork Valley, Smuggler Mountain was conveniently a couple of miles from the Aspen Ideas Festival campus. The band Lucius and our crew took a short trek up a dirt road to arrive at the historic Smugger Mine. Once inside, we walked through the cold and damp Clark Tunnel and arrived at a man-made cavern. There Lucius played "Dusty Trails," perhaps appropriate for the fossilized surroundings.
The subsequent songs come from its latest self-titled album. Performed just outside of the mine entrance, the audience had the good fortune to take in catchy tunes and a gorgeous background overlooking the town. "Final Days" is a reminder that the human experience is filled with unknowns. The sugary "Gold Rush" highlights lead singers Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig's solid vocal connection. The set ends with "Mad Love," a beautiful ballad that inspired some grasshoppers to sing along.
SET LIST
- "Dusty Trails"
- "Final Days"
- "Gold Rush"
- "Mad Love"
MUSICIANS
- Jess Wolfe: vocals
- Holly Laessig: vocals
- Dan Molad: percussion, background vocals
- Peter Lalish: guitar
- Jacob Peters: bass
PRODUCTION TEAM
- Director: Mito Habe-Evans
- Editor: Nickolai Hammar
- Videographers: Mito Habe-Evans, Nickolai Hammar, Ryan Lohr, Will Sardinsky
- Audio Engineer: Neil Tevault
- Post-Production Coordinator: Tsering Bista
- Senior Producer, Aspen Institute: Ava Hartmann
- Program Associate, Aspen Institute: Jacqueline Olivas-Sison
- Festival Director: Graham Veysey
- Supervising Editor: Becky Lettenberger
- Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
SPECIAL THANKS
- Sean Duty
- Ben James
- Samuel Lasater
- Jay Parker
- Chris Preusch
- Smuggler Consolidated Mines, LLC.
- Fred Wilson
- Matt Windholz
- Keith Jenkins
Copyright 2025 NPR