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Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, STS9 and Steel Pulse to Headline Spring Back to Vail 2014
  • Friday, April 11 – Karl Denson's Tiny Universe with Dirty Dozen Brass Band at Solaris
  • Saturday, April 12 – STS9 with The Polish Ambassador at Ford Park
  • Sunday, April 20 – Steel Pulse with Bonfire Dub at Solaris
VAIL, Colo. – Feb. 28, 2014 – Vail Mountain, one of the largest ski resorts in the world, announced today that Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, STS9 and Steel Pulse will headline the Spring Back to Vail concert series, wrapping up the 2013-2014 ski and snowboard season. All concerts are free and open to the public as part of Spring Back to Vail, the largest end-of-season party including après parties and giveaways throughout the villages and more than 5,200 acres of spring skiing and snowboarding on the mountain.
 
“With the close of every season comes the excitement and celebration of Spring Back to Vail,” said Davy Ratchford, director of marketing for Vail Mountain. “This season’s lineup is spread out over two weekends, including closing day. Spring Back to Vail is a reflection of Vail’s continued commitment to our loyal guests and a way to thank everyone for an outstanding ski and snowboard season.”
 
On Friday, April 11, legendary funk and jazz saxophonist, flutist and vocalist Karl Denson and his band, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, will take the stage at Solaris in the heart of Vail Village. Doors open at 6 p.m. For nearly three decades, legendary saxophonist Karl Denson has been getting crowds around the world out on the dance floor. Approaching iconic status, Denson has moved bodies and minds dating back to his earliest years with Lenny Kravitz's band through his ongoing tenure as a founding member of seminal boogaloo revivalists The Greyboy Allstars and his current role as a member of San Diego dub rockers Slightly Stoopid. Nowhere, however, is this more apparent than with his band, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe. Touring relentlessly for the past 15 years and leaving a massive audience in his wake, fans know that when KDTU is in town a dance party will ensue. Karl and his band are back on the road for a multi-city tour in support of their latest studio album, New Ammo, a 13-track collection available now on Slightly Stoopid's record label, Stoopid Records. Opener Dirty Dozen Brass Band will kick things off at Friday night’s concert. 
  
STS9 will steal the show on Saturday, April 12 at Ford Park, just east of Vail Village. Doors also open at 6 p.m. Since forming in Atlanta over a decade ago, instrumental electronic rock band STS9 has risen to the forefront of the jamtronic music scene, headlining festivals such as Moogfest, Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, Regeneration, Lollapalooza, and Electric Forest Festival. The group has raised significant amounts of money towards activism efforts, including more than $150,000 for The Make it Right Foundation, which has paved the way in the redevelopment of the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans. The Polish Ambassador will open for STS9 that evening.
 
Steel Pulse will cap off the celebration the following weekend with its roots reggae sounds on closing day, Sunday, April 20, also at Solaris in Vail Village. Doors open at 4 p.m. Formed in 1975 at Handsworth Wood Boys School in Birmingham, England, the group is the first non-Jamaican act to win the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album for its 1985 album Babylon the Bandit and has also received Grammy nominations for Victims (1991) and Rastafari Centennial (1992). In 1989, the group contributed I Can't Stand it to the soundtrack of Spike Lee's film Do The Right Thing. The band continues to tour, support causes such as relief efforts in Haiti, and has released 11 studio albums. Check out local band Bonfire Dub before Steel Pulse takes the stage.
 
All Spring Back to Vail concerts are free of charge. Visit www.SpringBackToVail.com for more details.
 
The schedule of activities for Spring Back to Vail 2014 will also include the return of the sponsor expo village at the base of Gondola One, April 11-13, and at the base of Golden Peak, April 20, as well as après and after-dark parties in the Town of Vail throughout the week.
 
The closing day tradition of donning costumes and skimming across icy water holds strong as 75 participants will careen themselves off a snow jump in the hopes of coming out on the other side in the 12th annual World Pond Skimming Championships, presented by Red Bull, on Sunday, April 20. The top male and female in the contest will each be awarded the grand prize of at 2014-2015 Vail Resorts Epic Pass. The spectacle defies the laws of physics and common sense as a panel of highly-skilled judges scores each competitor on distance, style, creativity and water resistance. The contest gets underway at 3 p.m. and the Golden Peak venue opens at 1:30 p.m. for sponsor expos and giveaways. Registration opens soon.
 
Spring Back to Vail 2014 Schedule
 
Friday, April 11       
  • Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe with opener Dirty Dozen Brass Band presented by Pepsi at Solaris. Venue opens at 6 p.m.; music begins at 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 12
  • STS9 with opener The Polish Ambassador presented by Bud Light at Ford Park. Venue opens at 6 p.m.; music begins at 6:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 20
  • World Pond Skimming Championships presented by Red Bull beginning at 3 p.m.
  • Steel Pulse with opener Bonfire Dub at Solaris. Venue opens at 4 p.m.; music begins at 4:30 p.m.
Spring Back to Vail is presented by Vail Mountain, Pepsi, Bud Light, Sprint, Helly Hansen, GoPro, SmartWool, and Town of Vail and brought to you in part by Liberty Skis and Gatorade.
 
For more information on Spring Back to Vail visit www.SpringBackToVail.com. For more information about Vail Mountain visit www.vail.com or call (970) SKI-VAIL (754-8245).
 
About Vail Mountain
Coveted as one of the largest ski resorts in the world with more than 5,200 acres of skiable terrain, seven legendary Back Bowls spanning seven miles, and the most groomed terrain on the planet, Vail has been an extraordinary winter vacation destination for passionate skiers and snowboarders for more than 50 years. It is home to world-class athletes during the U.S. Ski Team early-season training sessions in Golden Peak, the Burton US Open Snowboarding Championships and the future 2015 World Alpine Ski Championships. Under blue skies more than 300 days each year, friends and families reconnect and celebrate here from year to year and generation to generation. The vacation experience is exceptional, from the Vail Ski & Snowboard School to events, activities and festivals, shops and spas, abundant culinary experiences and luxurious accommodations. Coupled with the vision inherent in the spirit of Vail’s founders, and a modern day commitment to excellence in all aspects of guest service and operations, Vail is a mountain resort like nothing on earth. www.vail.com.  

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About Vail Mountain
Coveted as one of the largest ski resorts in the world with more than 5,200 acres of skiable terrain, seven legendary Back Bowls spanning seven miles, and the most groomed terrain on the planet, Vail has been an extraordinary winter vacation destination for passionate skiers and snowboarders for more than 50 years. It is home to world-class athletes during the U.S. Ski Team early-season training sessions in Golden Peak, the Burton US Open Snowboarding Championships and the future 2015 World Alpine Ski Championships. Under blue skies more than 300 days each year, friends and families reconnect and celebrate here from year to year and generation to generation. The vacation experience is exceptional, from the Vail Ski & Snowboard School to events, activities and festivals, shops and spas, abundant culinary experiences and luxurious accommodations. Coupled with the vision inherent in the spirit of Vail’s founders, and a modern day commitment to excellence in all aspects of guest service and operations, Vail is a mountain resort like nothing on earth. www.vail.com.  

About Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN)
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading mountain resort operator in the United States. The Company's subsidiaries operate the mountain resorts of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Canyons in Park City, Utah; Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan; and the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Company's subsidiary, RockResorts, a luxury resort hotel company, manages casually elegant properties. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning, development and construction subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and consumer website is www.snow.com.

Contact(s)

Liz Biebl

Director, Brand Communications
Email: ebiebl@vailresorts.com
Phone: (303) 404-1831

Sara Lococo

Senior Communications Manager
Email: slococo@vailresorts.com
Phone: (970) 496-3210
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