The River Arkansas initially formed when frontman Mike Clark (guitar, banjo, and singer-songwriter) and Macon Terry (bass) met as members of other bands in 2014, and realized soon after that they both lived in Colorado Springs. Clark and Terry ended up performing in the studio together and releasing the band’s debut album, Golden Light.
Terry then brought players from his own band Clouds and Mountains, Robin Chestnut (drums) and Rachel Sliker (violin), and toured the West Coast for a month before releasing the second River Arkansas album, You Animal. They’ve since released a third album, Any Kind of Weather, and three EPs, “Damn Good Dog,” “Waiting on the Rain,” and “Green Bridge”.
Before Clark became a musician, he started as a semi-professional trials bike rider, taking his first big road trip across the West Coast at the age of 27 with a friend of his to ride their bikes and meet other riders to compete with. Clark’s friend, Patrick, would play his guitar many times throughout the trip (Clark didn’t know he had a guitar before this trip), and Patrick’s playing inspired Clark enough that he bought a harmonica during a stop at a Seattle music shop. He practiced during the rest of the trip, and that was his first venture into music.
As a Christmas gift, Patrick gave Clark his first acoustic guitar, and over the next six months, he started playing with other musicians, including his cousin, and learning many more instruments, dedicating his time to learning how to be a musician. Now, for The River Arkansas, Clark writes most of the songs and the band contributes to arrangements. He loves being able to understand himself more through his songwriting, and he ultimately hopes that everyone who comes to the shows likes the music the band provides.
Jack Cloonan’s grandfather and father played accordion, and his father also played tenor banjo. Cloonan started playing accordion at seven years old and violin at nine, focusing on traditional Irish jigs. Around the age of fourteen, he picked up a guitar and started playing more contemporary rock tunes, such as those by Led Zeppelin. He picked up a mandolin for the first time during high school, and eventually, he found bands such as Leftover Salmon and String Cheese Incident, who took Irish tunes and fused them with American stylings. At around nineteen, he started writing his own songs, with some of his guitar influences including Doc Watson, Clarence White, Tony Rice, Larry Keel, and Jake Workman.
Cloonan has also been able to spend time with banjo influence Andy Thorn from Leftover Salmon, as well as perform many times with Silas Herman, son of Vince Herman, founding member of the iconic band. Silas Herman, while also performing many times with his dad, has performed in dozens of music festivals and has shared the stage and recorded with groups and individuals such as Drunken Hearts, Terrapin Family Band with Peter Rowan, Sam Bush, Chris Thile of Nickel Creek and Punch Brothers, and The Kitchen Dwellers (just within the last couple of months).
Along with the inspirations mentioned earlier, Cloonan says that he and Silas have both been heavily inspired by The David Grisman Quintet. Cloonan loves being able to perform with other musicians as well, especially once they’re locked into the feeling of the music and are able to feel like they’re flying.
You can see a two-set performance with The River Arkansas and with Jack Cloonan and Silas Herman as the final show of the Nederland Summer Concert Series 2024, which will take place in Chipeta Park, 158 E 1st St. in Nederland, on Saturday, August 31, 2024, starting at 4 p.m. For more information, head to www.timeservedproductiongroup.com.
Music Events
Busey Brews
Sunday, August 25 at 2 p.m. - Melt and the Family Band Duo - Darin and Ryan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BuseyBrews/
Website: https://buseybrews.com/
Location: 70 E. 1st Street, Nederland
Phone: 1-855-633-2739
Gold Hill Inn
Friday, August 23 at 8 p.m. - Pass the Snakes
Sunday, August 25 at 5:30 p.m. - Ojo de Luna
Wednesday, August 28 at 5:30 p.m. - Ostevetto
Friday, August 30 at 8 p.m. - Stomp Street Heist
Saturday, August 31 at 5:30 p.m. - Kate Farmer Band
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoldHillInn/
Website: goldhillinn.com
Location: 401 Main Street, Gold Hill
Phone: 303-443-6461
Gold Hill Store
Friday, August 30 at 6:30 p.m. - Young and the Dead
Saturday, August 31 at 6 p.m. - Hundred Pound Housecat (with Special Guest)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gold-Hill-General-Store/
Website: https://www.goldhillstore.com/
Location: 531 Main Street, Gold Hill
Gregory Plaza
Saturday, August 31 at 5 p.m. - The Kind Mountain Band
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackhawksharddistrict/
Website: https://blackhawkharddistrict.com/
Location: 317 Gregory Street,
Black Hawk (Mountain Poppy Boutique)
Phone: 720-669-0665
Howlin Wind Brewing
Saturday, August 24 at 5 p.m. - Solvera
Saturday, August 31 at 5 p.m. - Stone-Hall
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howlinwindbrewing
Website: https://www.howlinwindbrewing.com/
Location: 51 A Main Street, Rollinsville
Phone: 309-825-5245
Jamestown Mercantile
Thursday, August 22 at 7 p.m. - Mighty Holler
Friday, August 23 at 7 p.m. - Gas Pops Duo
Sunday, August 25 at 12:15 p.m. - Lost Penny
Wednesday, August 28 at 5 p.m. - Open Mic
Thursday, August 29 at 7 p.m. - Lost Bobcat
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamestown.mercantile/
Website: https://www.jamestownmercantile.com/
Location: 108 Main Street, Jamestown
Phone: 303-442-5847
JKQ BBQ
Friday, August 23 at 6 p.m. - Robby Wicks
Saturday, August 24 at 5 p.m. - Robby Wicks
Friday, August 30 at 6 p.m. - Jon Ridnell
Saturday, August 31 at 5 p.m. - Jon Ridnell
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JkqBbq/
Location: 200 Gregory Street, Black Hawk
Phone: 720-316-1361
Knotted Root Brewing
Saturday, August 24 at 5 p.m. - Sophia Eliana
Saturday, August 31 at 2 p.m. - Tober and the Sound Ideal
Fridays at 7 p.m. - DJ Night Every Second Friday at 7:30 p.m. - Reggae DJ Night
Sundays at 5 p.m. - Jazz Sundays
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/knottedrootbrewing/
Website: https://www.knottedrootbrewing.com/home
Location: 250 N. Caribou Street, Nederland
Phone: 720-248-7129
Nederland Farmers Market
Sunday, September 1 at 10:30 a.m. - Gratefully Acoustic
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NederlandFarmersMarket/
Website: https://www.nederlandfarmersmarket.org/
Email: nederlandfarmersmarket@gmail.com
Location: 85 E. 1st Street, Nederland and 80 E. 2nd Street, Nederland
Nederland Jazz and Wine Festival 2024
Saturday, August 24 at 11 a.m. - Jeremy Mohney Trio
Saturday, August 24 at noon - Halle Tomlinson Band
Saturday, August 24 at 2 p.m. - Jeremy Mohney Trio
Saturday, August 24 at 3 p.m. - Medianoche Honorado with Special Guest Steve Wilson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nedjazzwine
Website: https://nedjazzwine.com/
Location: Chipeta Park, 158 E 1st St, Nederland
Nederland Summer Concert Series
Saturday, August 31 at 4 p.m. - The River Arkansas/Silas Herman and Jack Cloonan
Website: https://www.timeservedproductiongroup.com/
Location: Chipeta Park, 158 E 1st St, Nederland
Old Gallery at Allenspark
Saturday, August 24 at 6 p.m. - Beth Gadbaw Trio
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheAPOldGallery
Website: https://www.theoldgallery.org/
Location: 14863 Highway 7, Allenspark
Phone: 303-747-2906
Very Nice Brewing Co. (Gilpin County)
Friday, August 23 at 6 p.m. - Eric Stone
Saturday, August 24 at 5 p.m. - Reservoir Fog
Friday, August 30 at 5 p.m. - Andreas Boehmer
Saturday, August 31 at 5 p.m. - Ella Wren
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verynicebeer
Website: https://www.verynicebrewing.com/
Location: 180 Jankowski Drive, Black Hawk
Phone: 303-582-2015
Very Nice Brewing Co. (Nederland)
Friday, August 23 at 6 p.m. - Rocky Stiers
Saturday, August 24 at 5 p.m. - Strangebyrds
Sunday, August 25 at 5 p.m. - Ella Wren
Friday, August 30 at 6 p.m. - Mountain ReVerb
Saturday, August 31 at 7 p.m. - Whumpf
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verynicebeer
Website: https://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.
