Andy Reiner plays the fiddle and sings. His wife, Joy Adams, plays the cello and banjo and sings. Together, along with a changing lineup of various friends they’ve made along the way, they form the group Half Pelican. The two have known each other for almost ten years, and near the beginning of this time, they were a part of the Pelican Quartet.

At one point, Reiner visited Adams at graduate school in Miami, and she asked him if he wanted to do a show with her. This show, during which they played the cello and the fiddle, was between many different rock band performances. In the end, this was their first performance as Half Pelican, which now fluctuates between being an acoustic band and a metal band.

The duo is inspired by fiddle tunes across the world, from the Colorado bluegrass scene to the style of the Appalachians to Celtic music. Reiner also considered himself a metalhead growing up, and it seemed natural to him to put distorted guitars, drums, and bass underneath fiddle tunes to make the tunes sound cooler.

Adams came to understand after the pandemic that in essence, the audience makes up an additional member of the band. The duo loves being able to meet people who are just as excited about this music as they are, and they love demonstrating how flexible the fiddle tunes are when it comes to how to play them. In December 2020, the duo released a live album titled Live from the Swamp, which contains 13 songs from the metal personality of the group.

The duo loves skiing and testing their music’s playability in the mountains, as the altitude affects how the band is able to play their music. They love being quirky with the music that they create and they love meeting enthusiastic people that love how the music sounds as much as they do.

If you want to see Half Pelican performing live, you can check them out at the Gold Hill Inn, 401 Main Street in Gold Hill, on Saturday, December 9, 2023, at 7 p.m.

Music Events

Canyon Tavern

Saturday, November 25 at 6 p.m. - Nikki Z

Saturday, December 2 at 6 p.m. - Derek Hall

Saturday, December 9 at 6 p.m. - Rick Lobato

Saturday, December 16 at 6 p.m. - Neil Z

Saturday, December 23 at 6 p.m. - Chris Koltak

Saturday, December 30 at 6 p.m. - Jordan Yewey

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

Website: https://canyontavern.com/

Location: 32138 Highway 72, Coal Creek Canyon

Phone: 303-642-3180

Diner Bar Ned

Tuesdays at 9 p.m. - Damn Jam (Open Jam Night)

Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. - Karaoke

Fridays at 9 p.m. - DJ FRIDAYS

Sundays at 6 p.m. - Open Mic Night (Starting December 10)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095276740341

Location: 121 N. Jefferson Street, Nederland

Gold Dirt Distillery

Wednesday, November 29 at 7 p.m. - Open Mic

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

Location: 41 Main Street, Rollinsville

Gold Hill Inn

Friday, December 1 at 8 p.m. - Bear Hat

Saturday, December 2 at 7:30 p.m. - Sturtz

Sunday, December 3 at 6:30 p.m. - Danny Shafer

Friday, December 8 at 8 p.m. - The Fretliners

Saturday, December 9 at 7 p.m. - Half Pelican

Sunday, December 10 at 7:30 p.m. - Moors and McCumber

Friday, December 15 at 8 p.m. - New Family Dog with Brittney Wager

Saturday, December 16 at 7 p.m. - Montana Sand

Sunday, December 17 at 6:30 p.m. - Fly in the Ointment

Friday, December 22 at 7:30 p.m. - Holiday Mountain Music Party

Saturday, December 23 at 7:30 p.m. - Daniel Rodriguez

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

Website: goldhillinn.com

Location: 401 Main Street, Gold Hill

Phone: 303-443-6461

Gold Hill General Store

Sunday, December 17 at 3 p.m. - Foggy Tops Bluegrass Band

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

Location: 531 Main Street, Gold Hill

Phone: 303-443-7724

Howlin Wind Brewing

Saturday, December 2 at 5 p.m. - FastFloyd

Saturday, December 16 at 6 p.m. - Joy (Big Richard) and Mark (Rapid Grass)

Sunday, December 17 at 12 p.m. - Holiday Market

Sunday, December 31 at 6 p.m. - Steepland String band

Sunday, December 31 at 10 p.m. - Riverspell

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

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

Location: 51 A Main Street, Rollinsville

Phone: 309-825-5245

Jamestown Mercantile

Thursday, November 30 at 7 p.m. - Ashlei Kendall Priest

Friday, December 1 at 7 p.m. - Patrick Dethlefs

Wednesday, December 6 at 5 p.m. - Open Mic Night

Thursday, December 7 at 7 p.m. - Lewis Turner

Friday, December 8 at 7 p.m. - Chuck Sitero (of High Lonesome) and Friends

Thursday, December 14 at 7 p.m. - Danny Shafer

Wednesday, December 20 at 5 p.m. - Open Mic Night

Thursday, December 21 at 7 p.m. - Derek Dames Ohl

Friday, December 22 at 7 p.m. - Jeremy Mohney

Thursday, December 28 at 7 p.m. - Chris Sheldon

Friday, December 29 at 7 p.m. - Hunter Amabile

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

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

Location: 108 Main Street, Jamestown

Phone: 303-442-5847

JKQ BBQ

Friday, December 1 at 6 p.m. - Mark Kuban

Saturday, December 2 at 5 p.m - Mark Kuban

Friday, December 8 at 6 p.m. - Jon Ridnell

Saturday, December 9 at 5 p.m - Jon Ridnell

Friday, December 15 at 6 p.m. - Duey

Saturday, December 16 at 5 p.m - Duey

Friday, December 22 at 6 p.m. - Boys of the Town

Saturday, December 23 at 5 p.m - Boys of the Town

Friday, December 1 at 6 p.m. - Jimmy Lewis

Saturday, December 2 at 5 p.m - Jimmy Lewis

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

Location: 200 Gregory Street, Black Hawk

Phone: 720-316-1361

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

Millsite Inn

Most Sundays at 4 p.m. - Open Jam

Friday, December 8 at 6 p.m. - Foggy Tops Bluegrass Band

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

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

Location: 44365 Highway 72, Ward

Phone: 720-547-9438

The Caribou Room

Saturday, December 2 at 7 p.m. - The Itals with Andrew Bees of Black Uhura, & Harry Mo & The Cru

Saturday, December 16 at 7 p.m. - A Very Hillbilly Caribou Christmas with Vince Herman & Friends

Sunday, December 31 at 7 p.m. - NYE Show-Pimps of Joytime with David Lawrence & The Spoonful

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

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

Location: 55 Indian Peaks Drive, Nederland.

Phone: 303-258-3637

Train Cars Coffee & Kava

Saturday, December 9 at 9 p.m. - Bulas and Beats featuring Some Lucky Dust, Glipish, Worm, Iris and Jelli

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

Location: 101 Highway 119, Nederland

Phone: 303-258-0440

Very Nice Brewing Co.

Friday, November 24 at 6 p.m. - Mad Dog Blues

Saturday, November 25 at 5 p.m. - Stone- Hall

Friday, December 1 at 6 p.m. - Mountain Duo

Saturday, December 2 at 5 p.m. - David Gilman

Friday, December 8 at 6 p.m. - Reservoir Fog

Saturday, December 9 at 5 p.m. - Paul Dyer

Friday, December 15 at 6 p.m. - Jay Stott

Saturday, December 16 at 5 p.m. - Mountain ReVerb

Sunday, December 17 at 4 p.m. - Holiday Music with the Brassaholics

Thursday, December 21 at 6 p.m. - The Gael

Friday, December 22 at 6 p.m. - Strangebyrds

Saturday, December 23 at 5 p.m. - Stone- Hall

Friday, December 29 at 6 p.m. - Windy Pines

Saturday, December 30 at 5 p.m. - Concrete Feedback

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.