Brett Kretzer grew up in Maryland and lived in a few East Coast states before moving to Colorado.

He’s been playing music since he was six when his mother forced him to take piano lessons. While he gave up after about a year, he decided at the age of nine that he wanted to learn the guitar. When his brother became interested in playing the guitar as well (thanks to his interest in Kretzer’s lessons), Kretzer learned the drums so that the two could play together. They both started various bands in middle and high school, transitioning from rock to more hardcore music like punk and finally to metal.

After college, Kretzer also fell into the world of bluegrass. He started learning the mandolin when he was about 21, and he’s been playing bluegrass ever since.

He remembers Led Zeppelin as the first band that had a major influence on him, as well as The Beatles and bluegrass influences such as Del McCoury, Hot Rize, and The Punch Brothers.

He loves it when the crowd is attentive and invested in the music, as everyone involved can forget about everything but the music for a little bit. Recently, he’s loved arranging public-domain bluegrass songs more than writing them from scratch, and he also teaches mandolin and some guitar.

Scott Slay has also been performing for a large chunk of his life. Starting from the age of eight, he learned and played bluegrass music in bands with his father, Tracy. Because he lived in a Navy town, musicians came and went constantly, so the lineup of his father’s band changed consistently as well.

He says that many factors contributed to his ultimate success, including always learning new songs (or even old songs in new ways), primarily learning them by ear and feel (sometimes because he was so tired in the evenings he would play he could barely keep his eyes open). He is also inspired to travel by the musicians he met along the way.

Slay says that through this process and constant dedication to the craft of music, he learned bluegrass like someone would learn their home language. He loves collaborating through composing, arranging, or interpreting various bluegrass pieces, and he constantly adds something new to his musical repertoire to keep himself interested. Currently, he plays with the bluegrass band SLAY, and in 2019, he released the album The Rail under his name, collaborating with various other bluegrass peers.

You can see Kretzer and Slay perform at Eldora, 2861 Eldora Ski Road in Nederland, as part of the Fireside in Timbers Lodge series, on Saturday, February 10, 2024, at 1 p.m.

Music Events

Busey Brews
Sunday, February 4 at 2 p.m. - Mike Lamitola
Sunday, February 11 at 2 p.m. - Geoff Grayson
Sunday, February 18 at 2 p.m. - Windy Pines
Sunday, February 25 at 2 p.m. - Rollinsvillians
Sunday, March 3 at 2 p.m. - Shawn Cunnane

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BuseyBrews/
Website: https://buseybrews.com/
Location: 70 E. First Street, Nederland.
Phone: 1-855-633-2739

Coal Creek Canyon
Community Center
Friday, February 2 at 7 p.m. - Open Mic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoalCreekCanyonImprovementAssociation
Website: https://www.coalcreekcanyon.org/
Location: Coal Creek Canyon Community Center, 31528 Highway 72

Diner Bar Ned
Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. - Karaoke
Sundays at 6 p.m. - Open Mic Night

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095276740341
Location: 121 N. Jefferson Street, Nederland

Eldora Mountain Resort
Friday, February 2 at 11 a.m. - Friday Timbers Taphouse: Eric Richard Stone
Friday, February 2 at noon - DJs in the Woodward Boombox: DJ Drake
Saturday, February 3 at 9 a.m. - DJs in the Woodward Boombox: Bloomurian
Saturday, February 3 at 1 p.m. - Fireside in Timbers Lodge: Colorado Junction Duo
Sunday, February 4 at 9 a.m. - DJs in the Woodward Boombox: DJ Mason
Sunday, February 4 at 1 p.m. - Fireside in Timbers Lodge: Brittney Wagner
Friday, February 9 at 9 a.m. - Park Affair: DJTeagz and Iris Berkeley
Friday, February 9 at 11 a.m. - Friday Timbers Taphouse: Eric Richard Stone
Saturday, February 10 at 9 a.m. - DJs in the Woodward Boombox: Terry Donovan
Saturday, February 10 at 1 p.m. - Fireside in Timbers Lodge: Brett Kretzer/Scott Slay
Sunday, February 11 at 9 a.m. - DJs in the Woodward Boombox: GODLAZER
Sunday, February 11 at 1 p.m. - Second Jazz Sundays: Wellington Bullings
Friday, February 16 at 11 a.m. - Friday Timbers Taphouse: Eric Richard Stone
Friday, February 16 at noon - DJs in the Woodward Boombox: Erin Stereo
Saturday, February 17 at 9 a.m. - DJs in the Woodward Boombox: Short Circuits DJs Garrett and Dirty Dale
Saturday, February 17 at 1 p.m. - Fireside in Timbers Lodge: Will Whalen
Sunday, February 18 at 9 a.m. - DJs in the Woodward Boombox: Short Circuits DJs Garrett and Dirty Dale
Sunday, February 18 at 1 p.m. - Fireside in Timbers Lodge: Gratefully Acoustic
Friday, February 23 at 11 a.m. - Friday Timbers Taphouse: Eric Richard Stone
Friday, February 23 at noon - DJs in the Woodward Boombox: Pomegranate Sounds
Saturday, February 24 at 9 a.m. - DJs in the Woodward Boombox: Yololo
Saturday, February 24 at 1 p.m. - Fireside in Timbers Lodge: Sarah Banker
Sunday, February 25 at 9 a.m. - DJs in the Woodward Boombox: DJ Worm
Sunday, February 25 at 1 p.m. - Fireside in Timbers Lodge: NoGo Two-Billies

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eldoramountainresort
Website: https://www.eldora.com/
Location: 2861 Eldora Ski Road, Nederland

Howlin Wind Brewing
Saturday, February 3 at 4 p.m.- Tumbledown Shack Trio
Saturday, February 10 at 6 p.m. - Melt & The Family Band
Sunday, February 11 at 3 p.m. - We Women Musical Showcase
Wednesday, February 14 at 5:30 p.m. - Singles Mingle
Saturday, February 17 at 5 p.m. - Austin Quattlebam Duo
Saturday, February 24 at 4 p.m. - Goldie & The Grindstones
Sunday, February 25 at 4 p.m. - Open 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 1 at 7 p.m. - Tom Morris
Friday, February 2 at 7 p.m. - Pine Beatles
Wednesday, February 7 at 5 p.m. - Open Mic
Thursday, February 8 at 7 p.m. - Foggy Mountain Spaceship
Friday, February 9 at 7 p.m. - Good Music Medicine
Thursday, February 15 at 7 p.m. - Chris Weist (Wood Belly) and Friends
Sunday, February 18 at noon - Mike Lamitola
Wednesday, February 21 at 5 p.m. - Open Mic
Thursday, February 22 at 7 p.m. - Lucy Moore and Friends
Friday, February 23 at 7 p.m. - Poorfree
Thursday, February 29 at 7 p.m. - Grant Livingston

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamestown.mercantile/
Website: https://www.jamestownmercantile.com/
Location: 108 Main Street, Jamestown
Phone: 303-442-5847

JKQ BBQ
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JkqBbq/
Location: 200 Gregory Street, Black Hawk
Phone: 720-316-1361

Kathmandu
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KathmanduRestaurant/
Website: https://kathmandurestaurant.us/nederland/
Location: 110 N. Jefferson Street, Nederland.
Phone: 303-258-1169

Knotted Root Brewing
Sundays at 5 p.m. - Jazz Sundays

Website: https://www.knottedrootbrewing.com/home
Location: 250 N. Caribou Street, Nederland
Phone: 720-248-7129

The Caribou Room
Saturday, February 3 at 7 p.m. - Chain Station and Wood Belly
Friday, February 16 at 7 p.m. - Dopapod with Sicard Hollow
Saturday, February 24 at 7 p.m. - Big Mountain with Selasee Music and The FaFa Family

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecaribouroom/
Website: https://www.thecaribouroom.com/
Location: 55 Indian Peaks Drive, Nederland.
Phone: 303-258-3637

Very Nice Brewing Co.
Saturday, February 3 at 5 p.m. - Small Kid Band
Friday, February 9 at 6 p.m. - Windy Pines
Saturday, February 10 at 5 p.m. - 4Tell
Friday, February 16 at 6 p.m. - d’Lovelies
Saturday, February 17 at 5 p.m. - Ella Wren
Saturday, February 24 at 5 p.m. - Dan Williams

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.