Beaver Mountain Ski Resort launches new ‘Sounds on Sunday” music series
After a day on the slopes, skiers and snowboarders can now trade their boots for a barstool and catch live music without leaving the mountain.
Beaver Mountain Ski Resort launched “Sounds on Sunday,” a free monthly concert series, on Jan. 18. The series is in the Aspen Room inside the recently opened lodge.
“Other resorts have done live music, especially on Sunday,” said Amie Hansen, the resort’s community relations and event manager. “We decided to do it just once a month to see how well the patrons like it. So far, we’ve got pretty good response.”
The Utah Statesman/Hazel Harris-Staples Hatchback plays a song in the Aspen Room of the Beaver Mountain Lodge at the first Sounds on Sunday event.
The Aspen Room, located on the bottom level of the lodge, was built as a dedicated event space reachable by the stairs on the north side of the lodge. Guests with limited mobility can use the elevator to access it.
The room already has summer weddings booked and will host its monthly concerts through the ski season. The next concerts will be held on Feb. 22 and March 22.
The resort secured a beer and wine license this season, allowing guests to pair live music with alcoholic beverages. The venue also has food, such as tacos, available for purchase.
“The goal is to start getting people familiar with the new building and just utilize the space that we have,” Hansen said.
Sunday was chosen to promote a relaxed atmosphere compared to Saturday.
“It tends to be the less busy of the days,” Hansen said. “It’s still busy, but it just seems a little bit chiller.”
The monthly concert runs from 12:30-5 p.m. with two bands performing at each event. The timing was chosen to let skiers enjoy runs before settling in for music or relaxing during après-ski.
The resort wanted to appeal to families who all want to go skiing but have different length preferences.
“I’ve run into a lot of people who were like, ‘My kids want to ski all day, but I like to do a few runs and then come sit in here and take a break,'” Hansen said.
All the featured musicians are from Cache Valley. The Jan. 18 event showcased HATCHBACK and Erica Cheyenne and the Travelin’ Hippies. Erica Cheyenne and the Travelin’ Hippies will be returning for both the February and March shows.
“We’re a local resort,” Hansen said. “We try to maintain that feeling that we’re owned locally, we’re run locally. Everybody that works there is local, so we wanted to really focus on the local music scene.”
According to Hansen, live music is central to Beaver Mountain’s goal of creating a welcoming space beyond the slopes. Members of the Logan-based folk band HATCHBACK said performing at the resort carries personal meaning, especially as part of the first “Sounds on Sunday” series.
“Being approached and asked to play and being recognized by that establishment for the music is just a really special opportunity,” said band member Alex McCain. He added Beaver Mountain is the place where he “learned to snowboard and enjoy the long, cold winter,” making the chance to return as a performer especially meaningful.
For Erica Cheyenne and the Travelin’ Hippies, playing at Beaver Mountain aligned naturally with the resort’s emphasis on community and connection. The band described their sound as varied, blending singer-songwriter folk, rock and country, with an emphasis on storytelling and attentive listening.
According to Erica Cheyenne Peart, a member of the band, they hope listeners leave the concerts feeling personally engaged with the music.
“I want them to feel connected to us and kind of know us,” Peart said.
Guests don’t need to purchase anything to attend the concert series, though the venue hopes patrons will support the resort with food and beverage purchases.
“I didn’t expect it to feel like a concert as much as it does,” said Olivia Lynn, an attendee of the Jan. 18 event. “I could see myself skiing for a little bit and then working for a little bit.”
Lynn added the casual atmosphere made the concert feel accessible for students, locals and families alike.
The resort plans to keep the cabin open year-round with the 39er Cafe open through summer and fall.
“You’re going to start seeing a lot more happening year-round up Beaver Mountain,” Hansen said.
The resort’s annual “Date Night with the Beav” on Valentine’s Day will also feature live acoustic music from local bands.
According to Hansen, Beaver Mountain hopes to welcome more families for free and family-friendly events in the Aspen Room. Visit skithebeav.com for more event updates.
Erica Cheyenne and the Travelin’ Hippies practice publicly at The Alley on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. HATCHBACK can be found on Instagram at @thehatchbackband. Both bands stream on all major music platforms.