Boulder-born band Leftover Salmon will perform two nights at the Boulder Theater this Thanksgiving weekend, celebrating their 35th anniversary with family guests and new music. The shows on November 28 and 29, 2025, feature special openers and collaborations from bluegrass luminaries. Tickets are available now for the hometown tradition.
Event Details
Leftover Salmon, the influential bluegrass-jam band formed in Boulder in the early 1990s, heads back to their roots for a pair of Thanksgiving weekend performances at the historic Boulder Theater, located at 2032 14th St. The shows are scheduled for Friday, November 28, and Saturday, November 29, 2025, with doors opening at 7 p.m. and music starting at 8 p.m. This run marks the band's final Colorado stop on their 35th anniversary tour, following the May 2025 release of their collaborative studio album, Let’s Party About It.
Guest Performers and Lineup
Friday's concert opens with Silas Herman, son of co-founder and frontman Vince Herman. Saturday brings a family affair, starting with the Eli Emmitt Band, led by guitarist Eli Emmitt, son of co-founder and mandolinist Drew Emmitt. Joining Leftover Salmon onstage that night will be bluegrass stars Ronnie and Rob McCoury, sons of legend Del McCoury, longtime collaborator Jason Carter on fiddle, and his wife Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, a Grammy-winning fiddler known for her work with Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway.
The performances highlight the band's enduring ties to Boulder. Banjoist Andy Thorn, the only member still residing in the city, shared his excitement: "The energy is so different at this Thanksgiving show. When I’m here and I’m looking out at the crowd, I literally know half the people." Drew Emmitt echoed the sentiment, noting Boulder's special place in the band's history since his family moved there when he was 12.
Background and Significance
Formed by Emmitt and Vince Herman, Leftover Salmon pioneered a fusion of bluegrass, Cajun, and jam elements, influencing the jam-band scene. The current lineup—Emmitt, Herman, Thorn, bassist Greg Garrison, drummer Alwyn Robinson, and multi-instrumentalist Jay Starling—has toured extensively, including the Grand Ole Opry and European dates. The new album, written during a group retreat in North Carolina and recorded in Nashville, features guests like the McCourys and Carter.
Thorn will debut his composition "Salmon Scales" from the album, with Carter on fiddle. Saturday offers a VIP upgrade benefiting Conscious Alliance for hunger relief, including early entry and perks (regular ticket required). Tickets range from $65.68 for one night to $112.26 for both, available at z2ent.com/events.
These shows offer a joyful escape, as Emmitt put it: "What we’re really trying to create is happiness and joy and fun."