There are few things more unpredictable in modern music than a song recorded simply, honestly and without the machinery of a traditional music industry suddenly finding millions of listeners.
That is the lane Jesse Welles has been carving out.
On Saturday, August 15, 2026, the Arkansas singer-songwriter brings his stripped-down, sharp-edged brand of folk and Americana to Dillon Amphitheater, joined by Chicago indie-rock favorites Ratboys, for a Colorado night that feels tailor-made for fans who discovered Welles online and longtime listeners who have followed his songwriting career.
The show begins at 7 p.m., with doors at 6 p.m., and the Town of Dillon lists the event as all ages.
Welles’ recent rise has been anything but conventional.
His music has found an enormous audience through the internet, where his direct-to-camera performances and homemade recordings have helped introduce a new generation to the tradition of the American protest song. His songwriting can be funny, confrontational, political and deeply human, often delivered with little more than an acoustic guitar and his unmistakable voice.
That DIY approach has not gone unnoticed.
At the 2026 Grammy Awards, Welles received four nominations: Best American Roots Song for “Middle,” Best Americana Performance for “Horses,” Best Americana Album for Middle, and Best Contemporary Folk Album for Under The Powerlines.
In other words, the artist walking onto the Dillon Amphitheater stage isn’t simply another singer-songwriter passing through Colorado. Welles arrives at a particularly interesting point in his career—one where the distance between an independent musician’s bedroom or backyard recording and the biggest stages in American music has become remarkably small.
And he is still releasing music at a relentless pace.
His 2026 album Masks Off adds another chapter to a rapidly expanding catalog, with tracks including the title song and “Won’t You Come Out Tonig
Ratboys Bring a Different Kind of Indie-Rock Energy
Opening the night are Ratboys, the Chicago indie-rock band led by Julia Steiner and Dave Sagan.
The pairing makes more sense than it might initially appear.
Ratboys have spent more than a decade developing a sound that moves comfortably between indie rock, folk, Americana and emotionally detailed songwriting. Their 2026 album Singin’ to an Empty Chair, released through New West Records, was produced with Chris Walla and continues the band’s evolution toward bigger arrangements without losing its intimate songwriting core.
The band’s 2026 touring lineup has also been bringing songs from the record—including “Penny in the Lake,” “The World, So Madly” and “Light Night Mountains All That”—to stages across the country. A
Together, Welles and Ratboys offer two different approaches to modern roots music: Welles’ immediate, stripped-down songwriting against Ratboys’ layered indie-rock arrangements.
For Colorado music fans, that’s a pretty compelling double bill.
There is also the setting
Dillon Amphitheater sits beside the Dillon Reservoir, with the surrounding mountains creating one of Colorado’s more naturally cinematic concert backdrops. The venue’s summer calendar has already included acts ranging from Watchhouse and Young the Giant to Trampled by Turtles, Sierra Ferrell, and Welles’ music, particularly its acoustic, roots-oriented side—feels naturally suited to that environment.
Expect guitars, voices, big Colorado skies, and an audience that may include both dedicated Welles followers and people who know him primarily from the viral videos that helped propel his career.
Event Details
Jesse Welles – Red Tour 2026 with Ratboys
Saturday, August 15, 2026
Dillon Amphitheater — Dillon, Colorado
Doors: 6 p.m.
Show: 7 p.m.
Ages: All ages