PHOTO COURTESY OF KYLE O’BRIEN[/caption]

Kyle O’Brien grew up playing music. His father was musical, constantly taking his kids to concerts and festivals, enjoying songs from the likes of The Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan. His father was also a songwriter.

When O’Brien was about 10 years old, he started playing in a band with his immediate family, and he’s been performing live ever since. In high school, he, his sister Maura, and two friends created The Bluegrass Quartet, which won their high school’s Battle of the Bands contest in 2009.

Since graduating from college at the University of San Francisco and moving away from the family band, he’s been traveling around the world extensively, joining groups and playing with musicians such as The Earl Brothers, Misisipi Mike, The Easy Leaves, Nikki Bluhm, Lucia Comnes, and the Henhouse Prowlers. He’s visited and even performed in countries and places including Ireland, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and Angkor Wat, but recently, he’s focused on sticking in Colorado to focus on his family. In Evergreen, he’s performed with the bluegrass band The Wrecklunds. Recently, he’s started efforts to start another band, The Kyle O’Brien Band, and is hoping he can convince his mother to join it and perform with him again.

During a tour with the Henhouse Prowlers, O’Brien met Grammy award-winner Chance McCoy, previously of Old Crow Medicine Show. Months after they met, McCoy agreed to produce his second album Country Pie. O’Brien released the album in 2022, twenty years after his first album Kyle’s Big Hits. In general, he says he likes bluegrass, country, Americana, roots, folk, and other acoustic-leaning songs, even though he doesn’t like to pigeonhole himself into one particular style.

O’Brien thinks of himself more or less as a bard, someone who collects songs that resonate with himself and with other people, and for him, performing live shows allows him to get in touch with the roots of tradition, storytelling, and personal identity. To O’Brien, the most important part of music is connecting with his community through it. He hopes that people who come to see his shows will come together even through all of the division and uncertainty that has resulted from the pandemic, and he hopes that those who come to see his shows will be able to enjoy themselves.

Be sure to check out Kyle O’Brien performing live at Canyon Tavern, 32138 Highway 72 in Coal Creek Canyon, on Saturday, February 25 at 6 p.m. For more information about O’Brien, be sure to check out his website at kyleobrienmusic.com. You can stream his albums wherever you listen to music.

Music Listings

Busey Brews

Sunday, February 12 at 2 p.m. - Laura and Bill of The Gael

Sunday, February 19 at 2 p.m. - Ben Hanna

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BuseyBrews/

Website: https://buseybrews.com/

Email: contact@buseybrews.com

Location: 70 E. 1st Street, Nederland.

Phone: 1-855-633-2739

Canyon Tavern

Friday, February 17 at 6 p.m. - Mark Kuban

Saturday, February 18 at 6 p.m. - Derek Hall

Friday, February 24 at 6 p.m. - Karaoke

Saturday, February 25 at 6 p.m. - Kyle O’Brien

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Coalcreekcanyontavern

Location: 32138 Highway 72, Coal Creek Canyon.

Phone: 303-642-3180

Caribou Room

Friday, February 17 at 8 p.m. - The Pamlico Sound and Los Cheesies

Friday, February 24 at 8 p.m. - Spafford

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecaribouroom/

Website: https://www.thecaribouroom.com/

Location: 55 Indian Peaks Drive, Nederland.

Phone: 303-258-3637

Covered Wagon

Every Thursday at 7 p.m. - Karaoke

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coveredwagonrestaurantsaloon/

Website: https://www.coveredwagonrestaurant.com/

Location: 15 East 1st Street, Nederland.

Phone: 303-258-7578

Eldora: Timbers Lodge

Saturday, February 18 at 2 p.m. - Kylie Brock

Sunday, February 19 at 2 p.m. - Nick of Time and Steph Jay

Sunday, February 26 at 2 p.m. - Hunter Stone and Adam Perry

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eldoramountainresort/

Website: https://www.eldora.com/

Email: info@eldora.com

Location: 261 Eldora Ski Road, Nederland.

Phone: 303-440-8700

Eldora: Woodward DJ BoomBox

Friday, February 17 at 1 p.m. - GODLAZER

Saturday, February 18 at 10 a.m. - GODLAZER

Friday, February 24 at 1 p.m. - Pomegranate Sounds (kicking off Subaru WinterFest)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eldoramountainresort/

Website: https://www.eldora.com/

Email: info@eldora.com

Location: 261 Eldora Ski Road, Nederland.

Phone: 303-440-8700

Howlin Wind Brewing

Saturday, February 18 at 4 p.m. - C.P. Meyer

Saturday, February 25 at 4 p.m. - Lunsford-Sproul Duo

Sunday, February 26 at 4 p.m. - Bluegrass Jam

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howlinwindbrewing

Website: https://www.howlinwindbrewing.com/

Location: 51 A Main Street, Rollinsville.

Phone: 309-825-5245

Jamestown Mercantile

Thursday, February 16 at 7 p.m. - Dirty Dogs Roadhouse

Friday, February 17 at 7 p.m. - Kate Farmer Band

Thursday, February 23 at 7 p.m. - Perc Ens

Friday, February 24 at 7 p.m. - Clay Rose and Adam Perry (Gasoline Lollipops)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamestown.mercantile/

Website: https://www.jamestownmercantile.com/

Location: 108 Main Street, Jamestown.

Phone: 303-442-5847

Knotted Root Brewing

Every Sunday at 4 p.m. - Jazz Sundays with Black Dog

Website: https://www.knottedrootbrewing.com/home

Location: 250 N. Caribou Street, Nederland.

Phone: 720-248-7129

Ned’s Cafe

Every Thursday at 10 p.m. - Dam Jam

Every Sunday at 7 p.m. - Karaoke

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eatatneds/

Website: https://www.eatatneds.com/

Location: 121 N. Jefferson Street, Nederland.

Phone: 303-258-0614

Very Nice Brewing Company

Thursday, February 16 at 6 p.m. - Celtic Music with The Gael

Friday, February 17 at 6 p.m. - Jazz by Dan Williams

Saturday, February 18 at 5 p.m. - Rick Lobato

Sunday, February 19 at 4 p.m. - Adam Hunt

Friday, February 24 at 6 p.m. - Dr. Jim’s One Man Band

Saturday, February 25 at 5 p.m. - Tony Crank

Facebook: www.facebook.com/verynicebeer

Website: www.verynicebrewing.com

Location: 20 E. Lakeview Drive, #112, Nederland.

Phone: 303-258-3770

Did we miss you?

Want to submit your music listing in the Peak to Peak area? Do you have updates to your business? Please call 303-810-5409 or email info@themountainear.com to be included in the next edition.