Salome (usually spelled without an accent above the “e”) is a Hebrew name, derived from the word “shalom,” meaning “peace.” It’s a Biblical name given to a disciple, as well as a princess, in the New Testament. With this context, the parents of Dr. Joy Adams considered naming their daughter Salome. However, her dad was afraid of other kids calling her “salami” instead. Ultimately, they changed her name from “peace” to “joy,” but the woman who would grow up with the latter name would keep the former in her mind and heart.
The grown Adams attended graduate school at the University of Miami, writing songs at the same time as another student, Ariele Grace Macadangdang. In 2015, Macadangdang needed someone to join her for a set in a local cafe. She thought of Adams, as they both played in the classical string quartet The Wild. They came up with a name in their first rehearsal – Adams joked that she was Salome and Macadangdang that she was a songbird. Thus, the name Salomé Songbird (always spelled with the accent) stuck.
Ultimately, Adams moved to Colorado, encouraging Macadangdang to follow, as well as Bryan Dubrow, fellow University of Miami student as well as both Macadangdang’s musical partner (they started writing and performing together as American Darling Valve in late 2016) and her life partner (the two married in January 2021). For years, the three kept in touch and occasionally tried writing and performing long-distance with little to no success.
However, eventually, Dubrow and Macadangdang followed Adams’s requests and moved to Colorado together, and during the summer of 2022, the three found themselves stuck in quarantine at Adams’s house for over a week. After playing songs together on her porch, they all decided to revive Salomé Songbird as a trio, with Adams providing cello, banjo, mandolin, and vocals, Macadangdang providing violin and vocals, and Dubrow providing guitar.
Through American Darling Valve, the two life partners of the group kept performing Salomé Songbird pieces, so even though arrangements changed, all three easily came together to perform the songs again. Each member has constantly played over the last seven years, also participating in other projects. Adams plays cello for the band Big Richard and provides cello, banjo, and vocals for the duo Half Pelican with her own life/musical partner Andy Reiner (the two married in September 2019).
Meanwhile, Dubrow and Macadangdang have shown off their instrumental skills with The Subtropical String Quartet, Macadangdang as a primary member and Dubrow as a guest. Each member can drop major names as well: just to name a few, Adams has shared the stage with the likes of Ben Folds, Darol Anger, Nathaniel Rateliff, and Gloria Estefan; Macadangdang has performed with Kygo, Disturbed, Flobots, The Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and James Newton Howard; and Dubrow has played with Dave Leibman and opened for the Jon Stickley Trio.
The group finds playing together easy and fulfilling, with each member quickly able to predict the musical and sound choices of the others. Along with their catalog of original songs, they throw in covers of traditional bluegrass tunes, twisted jazz standards, and even some pieces from the acclaimed animated series “Adventure Time.” Adams usually describes their music as fiddle styles meeting jazz, classical, and indie elements and their website’s tagline is “Scathing Lullabies from Colorado.”
The band’s background includes fiddle, free jazz, baroque, bebop, bluegrass, Euro-classical, folk, and even metal and musical theater. Despite their varied backgrounds, the three can come together to create a unified emotional experience, which they are flattered can touch people and allow them to let their hurt out.
Salomé Songbird performs live at the Jamestown Mercantile, 108 Main Street in Jamestown, on Thursday, September 5, 2024, at 7 p.m. Each member has a sprawling catalog with various groups across different platforms, and along with the band’s main website at salomesongbird.com, two of the members have individual websites (bryandubrow.com and arielemacadangdang.com) and two have YouTube channels (Adams @voyagebycello and Dubrow @guitardubrow).
Also, check out the group and its individual members on Facebook and Instagram and watch the group on YouTube, both on their primary channel and in the Artist Session series from Stone Cottage Studios.
Music Events
Busey Brews
Sunday, September 1 at 2 p.m. - Derek Dames Ohl
Friday, September 6 at 4 p.m. - Windy Pines
Sunday, September 8 at 2 p.m. - Jon Picket
Sunday, September 22 at 2 p.m. - Pineytops Duo
Sunday, September 15 at 2 p.m. - Ella Wren
Sunday, September 29 at 2 p.m. - Dan Williams Trio
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 30 at 8 p.m. - Stomp Street Heist
Saturday, August 31 at 5:30 p.m. - Kate Farmer Band
Sunday, September 1 at 5:30 p.m. - Danny Shafer
Monday, September 2 at noon - Labor Day Cajun Cookout and Concert 2024
Friday, September 6 at 8 p.m. - Rob Pate and d’Lovelies
Saturday, September 7 at 5:30 p.m. - Cup-a-Jo (Joe Oeser Duo)
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)
Thursday, September 12 at 7 p.m. - Matt Mitchell Music Co.
Friday, September 13 at 8 p.m. - Ollella
Saturday, September 14 at 7 p.m. - Silver Steven
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
Saturday, September 14 at 5 p.m. - The Sisters of Rock
Saturday, September 28 at noon - Jennifer DeDominici and Jonathon Hayes
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 31 at 5 p.m. - Stone- Hall
Saturday, September 7 at 5 p.m. - Kind Mountain Band
Saturday, September 14 at 4 p.m. - Windy Pines
Sunday, September 15 at 3 p.m. - Matt Mitchell Music Co.
Saturday, September 21 at 4 p.m. - Steepland String Band
Sunday, September 22 all day - Pop up with Justin Rice
Saturday, September 28 at 5 p.m. - NoGo Gilbillies
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 29 at 7 p.m. - Lost Bobcat
Sunday, September 1 at 12:15 p.m. - Mina Reya
Wednesday, September 4 at 5 p.m. - Open Mic
Thursday, September 5 at 7 p.m. - Salomé Songbird
Sunday, September 8 at 12:15 p.m. - John Statz
Wednesday, September 11 at 5 p.m. - Open Mic
Thursday, September 12 at 7 p.m. - Violet Breeze
Friday, September 13 at 7 p.m. - Pass the Snakes
Sunday, September 15 at 12:15 p.m. - Foggy Tops Bluegrass Band
Wednesday, September 18 at 5 p.m. - Open Mic
Wednesday, September 18 at 6 p.m. - Mike Clark and The Sugar Sounds Duo
Thursday, September 19 at 7 p.m. - Johnny Blueheart
Wednesday, September 25 at 5 p.m. - Open Mic
Thursday, September 26 at 7 p.m. - Unpaid Bills
Friday, September 27 at 7 p.m. - Fast Floyd
Sunday, September 29 at 12:15 p.m. - The Matt Katters
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 30 at 6 p.m. - Jon Ridnell
Saturday, August 31 at 5 p.m. - Jon Ridnell
Friday, September 6 at 6 p.m. - Duey Weibel
Saturday, September 7 at 5 p.m. - Duey Weibel
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JkqBbq/
Location: 200 Gregory Street, Black Hawk
Phone: 720-316-1361
Knotted Root Brewing
Saturday, August 31 at 2 p.m. - Tober and the Sound Ideal
Saturday, September 7 at 5 p.m. - Tyler Stuckey
Saturday, September 14 at 5 p.m. - New Family Dog
Saturday, September 21 at 5 p.m. - Break Signals
Saturday, September 28 at 5 p.m. - Gratefully Acoustic
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
Sunday, September 15 at 10:30 a.m. - Stellar Jays Duo
Sunday, September 29 at noon - Kutandara
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 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, 254-306
Lakeview Drive, Nederland
Old Gallery at Allenspark
Friday, September 6 at 6 p.m. - Chain Station
Friday, September 20 at 6:30 p.m. - Open Mic
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheAPOldGallery
Website: https://www.theoldgallery.org/
Location: 14863 Highway 7, Allenspark
Phone: 303-747-2906
The Caribou Room
Saturday, September 7 at 7 p.m. - THE CARIBOU KICK-OFF Season Opening Party with Smooth Money Gesture & River Spell with Bear Hat
Friday, September 13 at 7 p.m. - George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners w/ Damon Wood’s Harmonious Junk
Saturday, September 21 at 7 p.m. - White Trash Adult Prom
Friday, September 27 at 7 p.m. - Tom Hamilton (guitarist for Joe Russo’s Almost Dead & Billy and the Kids) with full band with Cole & Eric from Dragondeer
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecaribouroom/
Instagram: thecaribouroom
Website: https://www.thecaribouroom.com
Location: 55 Indian Peaks Drive, Nederland
Phone: 303-258-3637
Very Nice Brewing Co. (Gilpin County)
Friday, August 30 at 5 p.m. - Andreas Boehmer
Saturday, August 31 at 5 p.m. - Ella Wren
Friday, September 6 at 6 p.m. - Derek Dames Ohl
Saturday, September 7 at 5 p.m. - The Lofty Pines
Friday, September 13 at 6 p.m. - Poorfree
Saturday, September 14 at 5 p.m. - Tony Crank
Friday, September 20 at 6 p.m. - David Tilmon
Saturday, September 21 at 5 p.m. - Windy Pines
Friday, September 27 at 6 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 30 at 6 p.m. - Mountain ReVerb
Saturday, August 31 at 7 p.m. - Whumpf
Sunday, September 1 at 5 p.m. - Davellie Band
Friday, September 6 at 6 p.m. - Aaron Mitchell
Saturday, September 7 at 5 p.m. - One Drum
Friday, September 13 at 6 p.m. - Mad Dog Blues
Saturday, September 21 at 5 p.m. - Chris Smith
Saturday, September 28 at 5 p.m. - Mountain ReVerb
Sunday, September 29 at 5 p.m. - Rick Lobato
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.
