Keith Colligan welcomes Clay Rose and Don Ambory of Gasoline Lollipops into the KGNU studio for an intimate acoustic session and conversation about their upcoming appearance at SnowyGrass Music Festival in Estes Park. The band discusses the festival’s community-centered atmosphere, the possibility of performing either an electric or acoustic set, and other summer performances on their schedule. Between songs, they reflect on live music, optimism, and the changing landscape at KGNU as the station prepares for its move to a new home. The session features acoustic performances of “Homesick Remedy,” “I’ll Be There for You,” and “Love Is Free.”
KGNU is proud to be a sponsor of the SnowyGrass Music Festival, taking place July 9–12 in Estes Park, Colorado. (Air Date 6/15/26).
Listen to the studio session here:
Transcript:
Keith Colligan: Hey, it’s Afternoon Sound Alternative, and I have special musical guests here to talk about SnowyGrass. It’s Clay Rose and Don Ambory of Gasoline Lollipops. How are you guys?
Gasoline Lollipops: Doing all right.
Keith Colligan: You’re playing SnowyGrass this year? I was able to do that about three years ago. Back in 2013, I had the year off, so I volunteered and got to camp there for the weekend and experience the whole thing.
They have folk and other kinds of music, but Gasoline Lollipops are traditionally pretty rock ‘n’ roll, especially for a festival like SnowyGrass. This year they’re doing an online poll at snowygrass.org to see if people would like to see you electric or acoustic.
Gasoline Lollipops: Oh, right. I saw that.
Keith Colligan: I’m still on Nadine’s mailing list, so I hear about everything they’ve got going on up there. Have you gotten any replies yet?
Gasoline Lollipops: There are some coming in, but it hasn’t been determined yet.
Keith Colligan: So you’re still figuring out what you’re going to play?
Gasoline Lollipops: Yeah, we’re figuring it out, but we’re going to give you a little taste of acoustic music today. If people like it, they can vote for it. If they think it’s terrible, they can vote against it.
Keith Colligan: I’m sure that’s not going to happen. Want to play us something?
Gasoline Lollipops: Sure. Let’s play a little song. This one’s called Homesick Remedy.
[Performance: “Homesick Remedy”]
Keith Colligan: Nice to have a private little concert here. When is the festival happening? August?
Gasoline Lollipops: No, it’s July 9th through the 12th.
Keith Colligan: Okay.
Gasoline Lollipops: It’s up in Estes Park. We’re playing along with The Sullivan Sisters, Silas Herman, The Tone Unit, and a whole bunch of other great bands.
Keith Colligan: They have that whole community vibe where people jam late at night if you camp there.
Gasoline Lollipops: Yeah, just camp out. There are fires and jams, people picking and sitting in. You can bring your dogs, bring your kids—everybody is welcome.
It’s a throwback to the way things used to be, like Kerrville Folk Fest or growing up in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. It reminds me of that kind of vibe where people break out instruments around a campfire or on a front porch and life becomes simple.
It’s a nice, manageable festival. You’re not overrun with hordes of people.
Keith Colligan: Exactly. It’s still in a great setting.
Gasoline Lollipops: Room to breathe, beautiful vistas. No reason not to go.
Keith Colligan: That’s all really good. Are you doing other festivals this year? Are you on the road this summer?
Gasoline Lollipops: We’re playing an Americana Fest at Fiddler’s Green. I think we’re playing on the grounds before a big show.
Keith Colligan: Oh?
Gasoline Lollipops: Shovels & Rope are playing with us.
Keith Colligan: Like in the little field they set up on the side?
Gasoline Lollipops: Something like that. If you go to gasolinelollipops.com, you can find all the information.
Keith Colligan: Excellent. Want to play another song?
Gasoline Lollipops: Sure. Let’s do I’ll Be There for You.
[Performance: “I’ll Be There for You”]
Keith Colligan: Another beautiful one. Is that one usually electric?
Gasoline Lollipops: Yeah, we play all these songs electric.
Keith Colligan: So this is a different version for you, too.
Gasoline Lollipops: Yeah. I do a handful of solo shows each year, and sometimes Donnie sits in with me acoustically, but usually we’re a full five-piece band with keyboards, electric guitar, and all that.
Keith Colligan: During COVID, I got to catch one of those shows at the Caribou Room, dancing around my car.
Gasoline Lollipops: That was a pretty special day in the midst of all that insanity.
Keith Colligan: The insanity hasn’t stopped since, has it?
Gasoline Lollipops: Everything is good. I still see lots of good all around me.
Keith Colligan: There is good all around. That’s what we’ve got to focus on.
Gasoline Lollipops: They say the nature of the rain is always the same, but in the marsh it sprouts thorns and in the garden it sprouts flowers. Just be the garden.
Keith Colligan: There you go.
Gasoline Lollipops: It feels like the ice is breaking, too.
Keith Colligan: The ice caps are melting, for sure.
Gasoline Lollipops: Just kidding.
Keith Colligan: I’ve had the pleasure of playing your music in this room for a couple of years. This might be one of the last times we’re in this space. You’re moving.
What’s the plan?
Gasoline Lollipops: You’ve gathered a lot of things here over the last 25 years.
Keith Colligan: We sure have. I helped with some of the CDs, but the records are going to be a whole other project.
Bringing the furniture over, building the new studios, installing new boards—there’s a lot involved.
Gasoline Lollipops: A learning curve. Where is that knob?
What’s going to happen to this building?
Keith Colligan: They’re trying to sell it. You probably saw the sign out front. That’ll help pay for the whole thing.
Originally the plan was to build a second story, move out for a year, and then move back. But the logistics became difficult, and it would have been too loud with construction going on.
Then this building came up downtown, and opportunities like that don’t come around often within our price range.
Gasoline Lollipops: My dad was a furniture mover, so I grew up moving furniture from the time I was eight until I was thirty. I don’t envy you, especially the boxes of vinyl. Those things weigh a hundred pounds each.
Keith Colligan: That’s why I’m happy I’ve been in the same spot for nine years. Maybe I’ll be too old to move them by the time I go.
Want to play one more?
Gasoline Lollipops: Sure. We’ll do one more for the road. Let’s play Love Is Free.
[Performance: “Love Is Free”]
Keith Colligan: All right, Gasoline Lollipops live in the studio here at KGNU. You’re playing SnowyGrass on July 10th?
Gasoline Lollipops: That’s right. The festival runs July 9th through the 12th, and we’ll be there on Friday the 10th. People can find more information at snowygrass.org.
Keith Colligan: Thanks a lot for coming in, guys.
Gasoline Lollipops: Thanks for having us. It’s been a pleasure.
Keith Colligan: Absolutely. I’ll see you out there next chance I get.
Gasoline Lollipops: Have a good one.
Keith Colligan: All right. Take it easy.
