Spring Back to Vail

April 9-15, 2012

Vail's huge end-of-the-season bash includes free concerts with national headliner bands, unique competitions and the World Pond Skimming Competition.  

FREE CONCERT SCHEDULE

• Thursday, April 12:  Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
  With opener TBA in Vail Villagea
  Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, who played Spring Back to Vail 2011 to rave reviews, will return to Spring Back to Vail by popular demand. Named one of the “Best New Bands of 2010” by Rolling Stone and one of VH1’s “Artists You Oughta Know,” the band is nearing completion of their fourth studio album, which will be titled “The Lion The Beast The Beat.” GPN will be playing in Vail just before their first ever performance at Coachella, and it has been rumored that they will play songs from their new album at their April 12 show.

• Friday, April 13: Thievery Corporation
  With opener TBA  Ford Park/Time TBA
  Eric Hilton and Rob Garza, the DJ duo behind Thievery Corporation, cite many different influences for the creative and interesting electronic music they make. Since the formation of the band in 1995, Thievery Corporation has released six studio albums and been nominated for a Grammy. The duo enlists the help of numerous supporting artists, from vocalists to guitarists and more, to add a full sound to the music they create. They plan to have a band of 20 supporting artists for their show at Spring Back to Vail – making for a concert experience that will not disappoint. Thievery Corporation will play at Spring Back to Vail on Friday, April 13 in Ford Park.

• Saturday, April 14:  JJ Grey & Mofro
  With opener The Sessh Vail Village
  JJ Grey & Mofro is a Blues/Southern rock band hailing from Jacksonville, Fla. that has built an intensely loyal fan base since their debut in 2001. Grey is known for laying it all on the line during every single performance, leaving blissful fans and overwhelming praise in his wake. Grey comes from a long tradition of Southern storytellers and, in that spirit, he fills his songs with details that are at once vivid, personal and universal. His songs have appeared in film and on network and cable television programs including House, Flashpoint, Crash, Friday Night Lights, The Deadliest Catch, and the film The Hoot.
   
• Sunday, April 15  Iration
  Solaris
  The islands of Hawaii are not only the biggest influence on IRATION’s sound they are home to all of its members. IRATION was born from a love of all types of music and a desire to create something new. Elements of reggae, rock, and pop are mixed with keyboard/synth and melodic vocal lines to create something truly unique. IRATION is best heard in a live setting where you can truly experience the full spectrum of their range. They have proven to truly have an understanding of modern and traditional performance techniques that keep young and old fans’ hands in the air and heads bobbing.

POND SKIMMING
The legendary World Pond Skimming Championships presented by ROCKSTAR returns to Lake Golden Peak at Vail Mountain’s Golden Peak base area on April 15, 2012. Please check back closer to the date of the event for the exact event start times.
The annual competition entails floatable (and sometimes sinkable) athletes launching themselves off an on-snow jump onto an icy pond in attempt to successfully exit the pond on both feet. Competitors will vie for both fame and glory in a showing that defies the laws of physics – and perhaps even common sense.  Registration is $75 and is limited to a field of 75 participants.