Outside the mainstay of country music, Wyoming might at one time have been considered a concert desert.
While the Cowboy State still loves country music as much as ever, it’s also increasingly drawing artists from a wide variety of genres, including electronica, reggae, blues, Americana and more.
There are 15 concerts booked at Snow King Mountain near Jackson this summer, roughly twice as many as last year, said Mark “Fish” Fishman, music and programming director of KMTN radio.
There are some well-established names on the roster.
The Snow King concert season opens June 7 with Thievery Corporation, a Washington, D.C.-based electronic/dub music duo that’s been around for decades.
Primus, a legendary quirky alternative band, is booked for July 8, and hip-hop royalty De La Soul will play July 12.
There are some up-and-comers too. Those include an alternative band called Rainbow Kitten Surprise, scheduled for Sept. 3.
“This is the busiest summer concert season I think we’ve ever had,” Fishman told Cowboy State Daily.
Iconic blues band Blues Traveler plays a concert at Snow King Mountain near Jackson. (Courtesy Ryan Stanley, Snow King Mountain Resort) 
Stephen Marley, a son of reggae legend Bob Marley, is pictured here playing a 2024 concert at Snow King Mountain near Jackson. He’s scheduled to return this summer, along with his brother Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley. (Courtesy Mark “Fish” Fishman) 
Duane Betts is the son of Dickey Betts, of the legendary Allman Brothers band. He’s one of numerous artists who has played at Snow King Mountain near Jackson. (Courtesy Mark “Fish” Fishman) 
Snow King Mountain near Jackson has become a hot spot for concerts, drawing big-name artists playing alternative rock, electronic music, country, blues and more. (Courtesy Mark “Fish” Fishman)
Wyoming Getting Noticed
Music artists and fans are starting to notice Wyoming.
Cheyenne Frontier Days has always pulled in major artists, usually in country music. It’s recently expanded the roster to include other genres, such as hip-hop and rock.
Jelly Roll, Machine Gun Kelly, T-Pain and Ludacris all performed at CFD in 2024. That came a year after Ice Cube performed at the Lincoln Theatre in Cheyenne.
Last summer, country music superstar Lainey Wilson filmed the music video for her song “Whirlwind” on a ranch in Albany County.
When it comes to routing tours, Wyoming is a good spot, said Fishman and Snow King Mountain Resort General Manager Ryan Stanley.
Snow King in particular is along the route the premier concert locations, such as Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, Stanley told Cowboy State Daily.
“You see a lot of these folks starting to route through on their tours, and we’re along the way,” he said.
While venues such as Red Rocks might hold 20,000-plus, Snow King is limited to an audience of 2,500.
But that hasn’t stopped it from drawing some major artists, and the trend will probably continue, Stanley said.
The 2025 concert season is stacked.
“It will definitely be the biggest names to come to Jackson, Wyoming, ever,” he said.
Fishman said the incredible mountain views at Snow King are a big draw for artists and audiences.
Primus, a legendary quirky alternative band, is booked for July 8 at Snow King Mountain in Jackson, and hip-hop royalty De La Soul will play July 12. Primus is seen here on state at Red Rocks during a "South Park" tribute concerts. Primus wrote and performed the hit show's theme song. (Getty Images) 
This series of photos show a stunning mural of rapper Ice Cube on the front of the T.R.I.B.E. tattoo shop. Ice Cube performed a sold-out show in Cheyenne in April 2023. (Matt Idler for Cowboy State Daily)
Radio’s Not Dead
It used to be that parents and adolescent children seemed to mutually hate each other’s music.
Fishman said that’s no longer the case. Established artists such as Stephen Marley and Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, sons of reggae icon Bob Marley, might draw entire families.
And parents are willing to go with their adolescent or young adult children to check out newer artists such as Rainbow Kitten Surprise, he added.
“Our biggest music influences come from our parents and our families,” Fishman said.
Even during this age of streaming services and endless music choices on platforms such as YouTube, commercial radio still plays an important part in helping music artists get established, he said.
Having their music played on the radio by a live DJ is still an effective way for new artists to get noticed. A venue like Snow King, centrally located along popular touring routes, offers them the chance to establish themselves.
Because music can be downloaded so easily, album sales aren’t musicians’ best source of income anymore, Fishman said.
“They make money through concert tickets and merch (merchandise sales) at shows,” he said.
And for music lovers, it’s a great time to be in Wyoming and the region in general, he said. Snow King and venues elsewhere in the state draw a larger variety of shows, along with regional venues such as Red Rocks.
Music fans here “are a hearty bunch. We know we have to drive a few hours to see our favorite bands,” he said.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
