Dakota Blonde

Doors 7PM/Show 8PM

No strangers to The Swallow Hill stage and very excited to be back!  Dakota Blonde’s Annual Valentine Concert has become a very special tradition!

They  have been lovingly called “the darlings of the Front Range” and “the sweetest acoustic sound around.”  The group is made up of Mary Huckins, Don Pinnella and Tony Raddell and they met through their careers in Music Therapy, working with children and adolescents who are in crisis. That special capacity for empathy could explain the titanium bond the band quickly makes with their audience.  All three come from musical families, and their charm stems both from the music they play and from the family feeling they bring into any concert hall or venue. Their shows are very personal and sincere.

Throughout their years together, Dakota Blonde has received top honors for their songwriting, CD projects and performances across the country and even internationally!

Mary, Don and Tony will be joined by “The Valentine Band” made up of some of Colorado’s finest musicians! … and long-time band mates and dear friends!

*Ernie Martinez – mandolin, banjo and dobro.  Ernie performs with too many bands to list!  He was recently honored with receiving the International Western Music Association Curly Musgrave Spirit of the Cowboy Achievement Award and the IWMA Instrumentalist of the Year. He is a long-time teacher at Swallow Hill and an extremely talented and sought after stage and studio musician all over the United States and beyond.  Ernie is his own one-man band!

*Gordon Burt – fiddle and viola.  Gordon has played, toured and recorded with many Colorado artists including Chuck Pyle, Southern Exposure, Jim Ratts & Runaway Express, Upsidasium, Windy Peak, Three on a String and more!  He even played, along with “Upsidasium” for the Central City Opera’s yearly presentation of the Denver Debutantes for 10 years!  Gordon received a superior rating on his 6th grade violin solo and is still waiting for his prize!

*Kristi Bartleson – harp.  Kristi grew up in Colorado but performed with the Eastman Symphony in Carnegie Hall and for the Heidelberg Opera Festival in Germany. She has played in the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and with the Colorado Ballet as well as various classical chamber groups.  Along with all of that seriousness, Kristi also played with “The Who” and had a cameo appearance playing harp in the movie, “Dumb and Dumber!”

Performing originals and covers with their unique blend of heart, humor, authenticity and contagious spirit, this is a magical night not to be missed!

*Please get your tickets early… they have a track record of Sold Out shows!

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Host or Publisher Swallow Hill Music