The Las Tortugas Dance Of The Dead festival took place over Halloween weekend in Yosemite, CA. Yonder Mountain String Band and 7 Walkers headlined the fifth annual event, along with event mainstays like ALO, Tea Leaf Green, New Monsoon and the Mother Hips. In addition, the festival’s original host band Blue Turtle Seduction reunited for the event.

Given the fraternal nature of many of the bands involved, it makes sense that numerous collaborations took place throughout the weekend. Perhaps most notable, Tea Leaf Green bassist Reed Mathis joined 7 Walkers, a band he co-founded, for “I Know You Rider.” Emerging West Coast indie band Big Light also welcomed a slew of guests, including Simon Kurth (Poor Man’s Whiskey), Derren Ney (Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers), Sean Leahy, Nat Keefe (Hot Buttered Rum) and Jeff Coleman (Izabella). Keefe continued to make the rounds throughout the weekend by joining The Mother Hips, Nicki Bluhm and Guitarmageddon while the members of Big Light played covers with Surprise Me Mr. Davis singer Nathan Moore as DunFour (the set also featured Apollo Sunshine’s Jeremy Black on percussion with DunFour and Mother Hips frontman Tim Bluhm sitting in on Gram Parsons’ “Sin City”). Meanwhile, ALO guitarist Dan Lebowitz played a solo set with contributions from drummers Dave Brogan (ALO) and Inx Herman, bassists Steve Adams (ALO) and Marc Calderone and guest guitarist Josh Clark (Tea Leaf Green).

Several groups also ventured outside their normal style for a special set of music. Izabella did a full set of 90’s hip hop and Guitarmeggedon played the music of Prince. Other collaborative highlights included the Mothers Hips’ Tim Bluhm and Greg Loccaino joining New Monsoon for Neil Young’s “Cinnamon Girl” and Clark emerging during Blue Turtle Seduction’s set.