{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Springs and Things: Your Insider's Guide to Colorado Springs Culture & Community","title":"The Colorado Springs Music Scene, MeadowGrass & Local Artists Worth Knowing","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2373,"description":"Colorado Springs has a music scene worth bragging about, and Steve Harris has spent years making sure people know it. As the longtime guy who books bands for the Meadowgrass Music Festival and one of the Springs' most plugged-in music advocates, Steve joins Carly to talk about the local venues and artists you should know, why the city might finally be having its breakthrough moment, and what it actually takes to run a beloved festival on a shoestring budget and the power of volunteers.In This EpisodeSteve and Carly dig into what makes the Colorado Springs music scene tick, the metal-punk heartbeat downtown, the rise of free summer outdoor concerts, the loss of local music media, and why Ford Amphitheater means you might never need to fight Red Rocks traffic again. Steve also shares the story behind Meadowgrass, from a scrappy 100-person debut in 2009 to the community institution it is today, including a year they built a pallet bridge over a flooded stage and a snow-blowing crew that saved the festival days before opening.Topics CoveredHow the Colorado Springs music scene has changed in the last 10–20 years and what the city lost when KRCC went all-news and The Independent shut downThe metal and punk scene: why it thrives here, and the venues driving itThe rise of free outdoor summer concerts and the unintended tension they create for working musicians trying to get paidLocal artists worth knowing right nowWhy Ford Amphitheater is a legitimate Red Rocks alternative...and the parking pro tip that changes everythingWhether Colorado Springs is on the verge of a real music breakthroughThe origin story of Meadowgrass and how a conference retreat center, Bristol Brewing, and a room full of community partners launched something in 2009 that's still going strongWhy Meadowgrass is not a bluegrass festival (and what it actually is)The volunteer army behind the scenes and the chaos that made the festival resilientHow Steve curates the lineup: the one-third...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/1R7Yk2BRj3AQ18ACrejZHCFhmF74uh4im7Mif77HaM8/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS81YTM4/MjRmYjM5NGEyMjI5/OWQ5YzI5NWUxN2Zm/ZDBjZS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}