In the fall of 2017, banjo player Kyra Holt and guitar player Elli Varas first met each other when their young sons had a playdate together. After realizing they both liked to play bluegrass music, they decided they should try and play music together. They started practicing in Holt’s basement, and the duo of Sugar Moon formed. However, they’re now not the only members of the group. In 2020, fiddle player Christie Schneider joined the group, and bass player Matt Malick also often plays with the three moms.

Holt and Varas originally bonded over old traditional bluegrass musicians, along with modern bluegrass musicians like Gillian Welch and Anna and Elizabeth. The band said they felt that they started getting more momentum as musicians right as COVID shut everything down, but they didn’t stop performing together because of that. They played the occasional outdoor show, but they would also rehearse outside in their backyards, bundling up as they played their instruments.

The band says that they are able to appreciate performances in music venues so much more now that they’ve experienced the deprivation of live performances thanks to COVID, and they feel that the live experience is co-creative because the audience helps a lot in helping to make the experience what it is. They really hope that people will be pleasantly surprised by their original work, which can often focus more on singer-songwriter elements than bluegrass elements. They hope to continue working off each other to create music that they are proud of.

You can see Sugar Moon performing at Gold Hill Inn, 401 Main Street in Gold Hill, on Sunday, December 18, 2022, at 7 p.m. You can also visit their website at sugarmoonbluegrass. com to learn more about them and stream their album Special Shade of Blue and single “Snake in the Grass” wherever you listen to music.

Here are the listings of live music! Check it out and support your local musicians.

Canyon Tavern

Friday, December 9 at 6 p.m. - Mark Kuban

Saturday, December 10 at 5 p.m. - Neil Z

Saturday, December 17 at 5 p.m. - Derek Hall

Friday, December 23 at 6 p.m. - Mark Kuban

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

Location: 32138 Highway 72, Coal Creek Canyon.

Phone: 303-642-3180

Caribou Room

Friday, December 9 at 8 p.m. - Toubab Krewe

Thursday, December 15 at 8 p.m. - Keller Williams with Dave Watts and Tye North

Saturday, December 31 at 8 p.m. - Gasoline Lollipops

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

Gold Hill Inn

Friday, December 9 at 8:30 p.m. - Chain Station

Saturday, December 10 at 7 p.m. - Sarah Banker

Sunday, December 11 at 7:30 p.m. - Moors and McCumber

Friday, December 16 at 8:30 p.m. - Nick Dunbar and Sad Cowboy

Sunday, December 18 at 7 p.m. - Sugar Moon

Wednesday, December 21 at 7 p.m. - Bonnie and Taylor Sims

Friday, December 23 at 6 p.m. - Daniel Rodriguez

Wednesday, December 28 at 6 p.m. - Gregory Alan Isakov and Reed Foehl

Thursday, December 29 at 6 p.m. - Gregory Alan Isakov and Reed Foehl

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

Website: goldhillinn.com

Email: cfinn@goldhillinn.com; bfinn@goldhillinn.com

Location: 401 Main Street, Gold Hill.

Phone: 303-443-6461

Gold Hill Store & Pub

Sunday, December 11 at 3 p.m. - The Foggy Tops Bluegrass Band

Website: https://www.goldhillstore.com/

Location: 531 Main Street, Gold Hill. Phone: 303-443-7724

Howlin Wind Brewing

Saturday, December 10 at 4 p.m. - Ben Sproul

Saturday, December 17 at 4 p.m. - Dakota Gray Band

Saturday, December 31 at 7 p.m. - Steepland String Band

Saturday, December 31 at 11 p.m. - Warren Ji

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

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

Location: 51 A Main Street, Rollinsville.

Phone: 309-825-5245

Jamestown Mercantile

Thursday, December 8 at 7 p.m. - Strangebyrds

Friday, December 9 at 7 p.m. - Parkin Lot

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

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

Location: 108 Main Street, Jamestown.

Phone: 303-442-5847

Knotted Root Brewing

Saturday, December 10 at 5 p.m. - Mark Vossler

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

Millsite Inn

Thursday, December 8 at 8 p.m. - Player’s Ball

Friday, December 9 at 8 p.m. - Matt Flaherty and Alexandra Schwan

Saturday, December 10 at 8 p.m. - Lenny Charles and Friends

Friday, December 16 at 8 p.m. - Andy Reiner

Saturday, December 17 at 8 p.m. - Jon “Black Dog” Ridnell

Thursday, December 22 at 8 p.m. - Player’s Ball

Friday, December 30 at 8 p.m. - James Speiser

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/millsiteinn.moyer

Website: https://millsiteinn.wixsite.com/millsiteinn

Email: millsiteinn@gmail.com

Location: 44365 Highway 72, Ward

Phone: 720-547-9438

Ned’s Cafe

Saturday, December 31 at 9 p.m. - Live Music

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

Friday, December 9 at 6 p.m. - Zizania Music

Saturday, December 10 at 5 p.m. - Jay Stott

Thursday, December 15 at 6 p.m. - Celtic with The Gael

Friday, December 16 at 6 p.m. - Mountain ReVerb

Saturday, December 17 at 5 p.m. - Stone-Hall

Sunday, December 18 at 4 p.m. - Brassaholics

Friday, December 23 at 6 p.m. - Strangebyrds

Friday, December 30 at 6 p.m. - C.P. Meyer

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.