In June of 2008, the Crystal Ridge Band traveled to Telluride, CO to compete in the annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival band contest. Pitted against 11 other bands from across the country, the CR boys entered as the only trio act and performed their way to a third-place finish. Congrats go out to the Blue Canyon Boys from Lyons, CO who finished first, the DejaBlue Grass Band from Atlanta, GA who finished second, and Green Mountain Grass from Austin, TX, featuring Tucson native Trevor Smith, who finished fourth.

Here are some photos from the trip. 

Kirby, Brian and Tom on the deck of the condo after moving past the preliminary round of the band contest.

The band locates the best margaritas in Telluride and settles into an afternoon of preparing for the band contest's final round.

Exuberant fans of high-altitude bluegrass and great margaritas...thankfully they don't card in Telluride.

KOTO-FM radio interviews Crystal Ridge backstage at the festival.

Tom expouses on the state of bluegrass in Tucson and the boys seem entertained.

The conversation quickly turns to baseball and the state of the game in Chicago--Tom and Kirby's hometown.  

Back to the restaurant for another round or two--the secret is in the agave nectar.... 

Brian sizing up the competition's web presence...that margarita must have followed him home.

The view from the deck doesn't suck at all.