Leftover Salmon, The Infamous Stringdusters, and Kitchen Dwellers wrapped their intergenerational Rowdy Summer Nights Tour with a run of West Coast shows in Oregon, Nevada, Washington, and California.
The coast-to-coast co-headlining tour highlighted both the continuity and the diversity of the jam grass scene. Leftover Salmon was the oldest band on the bill, having formed back in 1989 when members of the Salmon Heads (Vince Herman, Dave Dorian, and Gerry Cavagnaro) combined with members of the Left Hand String Band (Drew Emmitt and Glenn Keefe) to play a New Year’s Eve show in Crested Butte, CO. The outfit has come a long way in the nearly 36 years since then, carving out its own niche as the world’s only self-described Polyethnic Cajun slamgrass band.
Out of the three, The Infamous Stringdusters might be the closest to traditional bluegrass. Founded in 2005, the band just kicked off its 20th anniversary celebration by announcing a new 20-track double-length album entitled 20/20 along with a tour that will feature both Leftover Salmon and Kitchen Dwellers among a rotating lineup of special guests (others include The California Honeydrops, moe., Johnny Millenax, The Avett Brothers, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, and Mountain Grass Unit).
Kitchen Dwellers, on the other hand, have developed their own brand of modern, psychedelic, rock- and heavy metal-infused jamgrass dubbed “Galaxy Grass.” Formed in 2010, they are the youngest of the bunch and frequently belie their youth with covers of millennial favorites ranging from Daft Punk, Nelly, and Tupac to Blink-182, Radiohead, and Nirvana. Along with Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, and Sierra Hull, they are among a new vanguard of bluegrass innovators, frequently layering effects atop their acoustic instruments to expand their sonic palette beyond the traditional string band sounds.
“[We] definitely went down a deep rabbit hole for years figuring out what effects to use and what not to use, and trying things out and failing, and not having them sound good, or not being able to achieve the sound that we wanted,” banjoist Torrin Daniels told Live For Live Music in a 2023 interview. “Now, I feel like all that is maybe finally coming to fruition in a certain way. I feel like it’s all sort of evening out and approaching the sounds that we’ve been searching for.”
With the Rowdy Summer Nights Tour, Leftover Salmon, The Infamous Stringdusters, and Kitchen Dwellers offered fans a rare snapshot of jamgrass across generations—past, present, and future. From Salmon’s decades-long legacy of boundary-pushing slamgrass, to the Dusters’ polished nods to traditional bluegrass, to the Dwellers’ cosmic experiments and eclectic covers, each band brought its own flavor to the table while proving that the genre continues to thrive on reinvention.
Beyond their individual sets, the three groups frequently joined forces onstage, blurring the lines between acts with nightly collaborations that underscored the shared roots and adventurous spirit of the jamgrass scene. If this coast-to-coast run was any indication, bluegrass isn’t just holding steady—it’s evolving in real time, fueled by the interplay of history and innovation.
Click below to check out fan-shot video highlights and photos from the Rowdy Summer Nights Tour at Marymoor Live in Redmond, WA courtesy of photographer Dave Vann. Find each band’s upcoming tour dates and tickets via Leftover Salmon, The Infamous Stringdusters, and Kitchen Dwellers‘ websites.
Kitchen Dwellers – “Breed” (Nirvana) – 8/10/25
[Video: Max Berde]
Leftover Salmon With Jim Page – “Stranger In Me” (Jim Page) – 8/10/25
[Video: Max Berde]
