photos by Stephen Eginoire

Pickin, singin, yodelin and twitchin. Ahhh, bluegrass. Fifteen years on and still running, the annual Durango Bluegrass Meltdown hit town again last weekend. String fanatics around Durango wielded a variety of instruments, from mandolins and banjos to dobros and stand up basses. Everything from impromptu street corner jams to nationally acclaimed acts kept the crowds moving in every venue and nonvenue alike.

Amanda Smith of The Kenny and Amanda Smith Band chuckles during an introduction at The Hank on Saturday afternoon. Wild Mountain honors The Band with a cover of The Weight at the Derailed Saloon on Friday evening. The lobby at the Strater Hotel was ground zero for jamming. Anonymous sources confirmed that sessions lasted until 5 a.m. Ticklin the strings.