A new quartet in town known as Sweetwater Station has been bringing strong two-part female harmony to the neighborhood this summer and will be on tap twice this week both at the Mancos Farmers Market and at Mancos State Park.
The band has been together only since February and performing since April, but singer and guitarist Marilyn Kroeker knows this group is special.
The group, consisting of Kroeker, singer Chris Rasmussen, bassist Raymond Rose and mandolin player Paul Berkowitz, has a contemporary folk sound with a hints of blue grass, Celtic and some rock. At times, Rasmussen supplements the sound with a djembe, a drum originally from West Africa. But the key is how the music makes you feel.
“You’re going to feel good when you leave,” she said.
Sweetwater Station was branded on upon the idea of a tranquil resting place and inspired partly by the band’s sound.
“With the two female vocalists we sing sweetly you just can’t get around it,” said Kroeker.
This summer, the band has performed at several farmers markets, and they now joke about playing for peanuts, green beans and lettuce. But they have also been at work on original music that they plan to play at their up-coming show at Jackson Lake.
Kroeker is hoping the band will be ready to go on the road for regional shows next summer to places like Flagstaff.
But for now, she is enjoying the Colorado summer and plenty of outdoor shows.
The band is scheduled to play at the farmers market on Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m. in Boyle Park. Saturday, the group will perform at 7 p.m. in Mancos State Park, but will be short their mandolin player. On Aug. 16, the band will play at the Elm Street Tavern in Cortez.
Kroeker also recently released a compilation album in May called Time Tested, which features several other local musicians including Beth Wheeler Peter Brind’Amour and Jim Stump. It is available at the live shows and Raven House Gallery in Mancos.
Mancos State Park is located a few miles northeast of Mancos on 42 Road. The concert is free; entry to the park is $7 per vehicle or $70 for an annual pass.