Fireweed Bluegrass
Fireweed is a beautiful flower that grows along the roadside. It got it's name from
the fact that it is one of the first plants to grow back after a wildfire has swept through an
area.
However, this striking magenta flower is not the only fireweed we have around
here. There is also a great Bluegrass/Gospel band by that name, based in Pueblo, and
made up of four Puebloans and one resident of Rye in the Greenhorn Valley. They
perform all over Colorado, and are planning on performing at the Gospel series on the
Riverwalk this summer sponsored by Grace Productions.
Fireweed Bluegrass Band was formed in 1989. Traditional, contemporary and
Gospel bluegrass are the band's main focus with an emphasis on original Gospel tunes.
Fireweed has had many configurations over the years, and currently consists of 5 players
who have been together since 1996.
The band's banjo player, and one of the founding members of Fireweed is Tom
Thornburg, whose bluegrass roots began in Indiana where his grandfather played fiddle
and sang traditional bluegrass songs on his radio show. Thornburg picks the banjo and
has introduced some of the band's favorite instrumentals. He also sings lead and harmony
vocals.
The foundation of the Fireweed sound comes from Damian Rotolo on the stand-
up bass. Rotolo is also one of the original founders, and has seen the band through thick
and thin. In addition to playing upright bass, he plays guitar, sings lead, and harmony
vocals. Rotolo has a recording studio in Pueblo "Fireweed Music", and has completed the
band's first CD titled "Fireweed Steppin' Out".
One of the area's finest fiddle players, Jim Schaffer adds to the tempo and flavor
of Fireweed. His work on such old standards as Orange Blossom Special, along with his
outstanding improvisation and lead playing are favorites with audiences.
Adding powerful "chops" and lead work on the mandolin is David Foncannon,
who has been playing bluegrass most of his life in bands from Kansas, Indiana, and
Colorado. Many of the band's well-known tunes were written by Foncannon, including
Fireweed's signature song "Step Out On The Water", and the laid back "Cowboy Fun".
David sings lead and some harmonies when he's not singing lead.
Rhythm and lead guitar duties are handled by Rye resident, Joel Thompson. He
grew up playing fingerstyle guitar to the likes of Dan Fogelburg and Michael Martin
Murphy. He was exposed to bluegrass music in 1986 when he was the guitarist for the
Alamosa-based band "White Mountain". Thompson is the other songwriter in the band,
adding homespun favorites like "Get in Gear With Jesus", and "Little Rye Home". His
guitar responsibilities are supplemented by stints on the mandolin for another gospel
original "Road to Emmaus", and "his own "Mountain Standard Time". He also sings lead
and harmony vocals.
You can catch Fireweed playing on Colorado's Front Range at numerous festivals,
private parties, Churches, and fund raising concerts. Their tight blend of vocal harmonies,
driving instrumentals, and their repertoire of original songs are what sets this group apart.
There is no designated "leader" in the band as they prefer to lead by consensus, and all of
the original numbers are arranged by the entire group, giving them that "Fireweed" sound.
If you attend a Fireweed concert, it becomes immediately obvious that the band members are having fun, and this extends to the audience.
Fireweed is also the host band to the popular "Bluegrass on the River Festival"
hosted by the Greenway and Nature Center of Pueblo the weekend after Memorial Day.
Catch Fireweed performing at the festival, and watch for their upcoming concerts.
