Horseshoes & Hand Grenades

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DeWook Photography

Wisconsin roots band Horseshoes & Hand Grenades.

The concert season at this idyllic Richland County spot begins with a trio of drive-in style shows, happening rain or shine. Camping spots are sold out, but limited admission tickets (four people per vehicle) were still available as of Tuesday. The lineup will make fans of jam-friendly bluegrass very happy: Friday is Leftover Salmon, kicking off a tour for new album Brand New Good Old Days; Saturday brings northern Wisconsin favorites Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, and Sunday is Infamous Stringdusters, touring behind A Tribute to Bill Monroe, released on the band's new Americana Vibes label.

media release: We all need something to look forward to.

Life is strange. As artists, we’ve had no choice but to roll with the changes brought on by COVID-19. Driftless Music Gardens is adapting to the new normal by getting bands and music fans together in a more intimate setting. Next year, we’ll bring you the 2021 “Micro Fest” Summer Concert Series including both drive-In tailgate shows and very intimate socially distanced limited capacity festivals. Driftless Music Gardens was an industry leader in hosting a safe concert experience during the summer of 2020. Heading into the future, we have the experience needed to throw a safe show and the space to spread out in an absolutely gorgeous natural amphitheater.

Our first announcement for 2021 is a full weekend of bluegrass. It’s three individual days of music, kicking off with Leftover Salmon playing Friday, May 28, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades playing on Saturday, May 29, and Grammy award-winning act The Infamous Stringdusters capping off the weekend Sunday, May 30. These Memorial Day weekend shows will be set up as a drive-in tailgate concert. Each night’s show is sold separately and tickets are on sale now.

A very limited number of on-site private group campsites are available and will be sold in advance. You must hold tickets to all 3-shows in order to camp. After those sell out, there are nearby off-site camping options that people can find listed on DMG’s website. Also new in 2021, kids will be allowed at shows if they are accompanied by an adult.

How do you throw a concert in a time of social distancing? We will be doing everything we can to ensure musicians and fans have the safest possible experience. We’ve dramatically cut capacity. Four people are allowed per vehicle. Each car will have a 15-20 foot personal tailgating area to enjoy music from while remaining socially distant. Guests will be asked to wear masks in all common areas, (check-in, merch, vendors, bathrooms, etc.). People must practice social distancing and proper hand washing. We will be operating cautiously as we proceed with the future of live music. A *complete* set of rules can be found below. We want to set a good example for the future of live music in our beautiful, natural amphitheater.

$125 * This is a vehicle pass, valid for up to four people in vehicle, also no pets **

More on H&HG:

In 2010, the five Wisconsinites that make up Horseshoes & Hand Grenades found themselves in a living room in the college town of Stevens Point, WI, holding acoustic instruments and enjoying a hodgepodge of fermented beverages. Music and revelry ensued that evening and, while many of the party guests eventually bid their goodbye well into the morning hours, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades wasn't ready to let the get-together fade. Many years later, the music still hasn't stopped and the party is still going strong, from the mountain west to the river towns of the Midwest that the quintet calls home, and all across America.

While strongly rooted in bluegrass, old-time, and folk music, the band produces a sound that draws on the vaults of music collectively and individually enjoyed throughout the course of their lives thus far. The music doesn't lend itself well to categories or boundaries. One could possibly be formed, but the boys seem to generally prefer fishing a river, or enjoying the company of friends and barley beers.

With their music well-defined or not, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades has begun to form a place in the American music scene, gaining recognition on both a regional and national scale. The band took 3rd place at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival's Band Competition in 2012 and has since shared the stage with Trampled By Turtles, The Travelin' McCourys, Railroad Earth, Merle Haggard, The Infamous Stringdusters, Yonder Mountain String Band, Marty Stuart, and many more. The group's third full-length Middle Western was released in March of 2015 and another record is expected in 2017. Being mostly inspired by rivers, valleys, good friends, and good drink, this five-piece is as sturdy as any Midwest riverbed and will make your toes tap from sundown to sunrise