Sound Summit: A Benefit for The Mountain Nabs Wilco, Los Lobos & More for Sept. 17 Concert on Mt. Tam

One year after the Mill Valley resident morphed his Mount Tam Jam day-long music festival to benefit Mount Tamalpais State Park into Sound Summit: A Benefit for The Mountain – an event with the same goals but a different structure – he’s landed a lineup that’s sure to delight rock fans of all stripes.

Nash has nabbed an eclectic lineup for the 2016 edition of Sound Summit, set for Saturday, September 17 (11am-7pm) at the historic, 3,750-seat Mountain Theater on Mount Tam. It’s headlined by Wilco, the veteran indie rock band that NPR has called the “best rock band in America” and Rolling Stone dubbed “America’s foremost rock impressionists.” The band, which in 2015 released its ninth studio album, Star Wars, blends its distinctive, indelible songwriting, stunning guitar work, and adventurous ensemble playing into consistently powerful and resonant live performances.

The bill also features Tex-Mex rock mainstays Los Lobos, San Francisco rockers the Stone Foxes and the awesomely-monikered Bill Frisell’s Guitar in the Space Age, hailed by critics as “a revered figure among musicians” and “one of the most sought-after voices in contemporary music.” Frisell’s latest project features Greg Liesz  (steel guitars), Tony Scherr (bass), and Kenny Wollesen (drums). KNBR morning show hosts Murph & Mac (aka Mill Valley resident Brian Murphy and Paul McCaffrey) return as the day’s masters of ceremonies.
 
Nash produces Sound Summit as an annual fundraiser for Mount Tamalpais State Park by his Roots & Branches Conservancy. He produced Mount Tam Jam in the wake of drastic cuts to the State Parks budget. And although Mount Tam Jam was a success by many measures, with bands like Galactic and Cake drawing a sell-out crowd and garnering the approval of state park officials, it did not continue, as event sponsor Tamalpais Conservation Club decided to both not be involved in any future rock shows on the mountain and to keep the rights to the name Tam Jam, even though they had no plans to use it.
 
Nash kept at it, creating Roots & Branches to sponsor the festival, which is the second (after Mount Tam Jam) major rock show to occur on Mount Tam since the Summer of Love in 1967. Nash describes the event as “good deed-doing for a very special place in the neighborhood.” Last year, Sound Summit reaffirmed everything we felt was resonant about both the event and the beneficiary. In terms of community spirit, it felt like the ultimate backyard party in an astonishingly beautiful backyard.”

The 2015 edition of the event boasted a lineup that included the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Dr. John & the Nite Trippers, Marin favorites the Mother Hips, the Portland Cello Project and the Mother Truckers. In the wake of Sound Summit 2015, Roots & Branches Conservancy’s announced a $40,000 grant to Mount Tamalpais State Park, allocated to projects with tangible impact in fire prevention, water conservation, emergency equipment, and visitor services.