The String Cheese Incident opened its final Winter Carnival with Bill Nershi Thursday night with a three-night run at Denvers Fillmore Auditorium. Perhaps as nod to the Allman Brothers Band, who began its multi-night run at New Yorks Beacon Theater the same evening, the group encored Thursday with a cover of Jessica. At the start of its second set, String Cheese also brought out the evenings opening act, The Polyphonic Spree, for a version of Blues Images Ride Captain Ride.
Some additional asterisks also marked the groups setlist Saturday. After opening the evenings performance, Nickel Creeks Chris Thile, along with his current bandmates Noam Pikelny (banjo), Gabe Witcher (violin), and Bryan Sutton (guitar), emerged at the start of String Cheese Incidents second set to help the group through a mini-bluegrass segment consisting of Doin’ My Time, Wheel Hoss, Whip It, and Orange Blossom Special. The group even dressed the part during its cover Whip It by wearing trademark Devo hats. Earlier in the evening String Cheese Incident also debuted the Honkytonk Homeslice original Love Is Like A Train.

Though the groups future plans are still unknown, Nershi discusses many of the reasons behind his departure in the April/May issue of Jambands.coms sister publication Relix . Part of my quest for new musical ideas involves a return to my acoustic roots, he says. A movement inward before a movement outward. The String Cheese Incident will perform at Vail, COs Dobson Ice Arena tonight .