NEDERLAND - Two things tie together Arn Current’s musical life: family and community. The longtime local musician worked his first job at the Caribou Ranch under founder James William Guercio, and he graduated from Nederland High in 1989.
Now, Current is returning to his hometown for a show at Busey Brews as part of the Ripple Effect Benefit Series. The concert series has been scheduled through November, raising funds for the Nederland Fire Department in the aftermath of the Lakeview Fire that destroyed 20 local businesses at the Caribou Village Shopping Center on October 9.
“We were real happy to have an opportunity to go up and play, see how the town has changed and see if we can bring some of our music to it,” he says.
Current, who serves as one of the lead singers and guitarists for the Americana outfit Slopeside, will be performing as a trio with his wife Karen (the other lead singer and guitarist) and Cody Culver (lead guitarist and keyboard player).
The band, which also includes drummer Norris Jones and bassist Stu Garney, is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary as a group. Arn and Karen will also soon celebrate their 20th anniversary as a married couple, with Slopeside forming soon after the two met at a Fort Collins open mic hosted by Karen and her father.
“He played ‘50 Ways To Leave Your Lover,’ and that’s not really an auspicious start to 20 years of marriage,” Karen says.
Arn, agreeing with Karen’s point, adds: “I did a pretty good job, I guess, though.”
While Arn no longer lives in Nederland, having moved to the flatlands in 1996, he takes any opportunity to visit the community that brought him up.
“You get pretty tied up in your day-to-day in the city down here,” the Lakewood resident says. “Nederland’s a big part of my life, so it’s fun to think about it again.”
The Slopeside Trio will perform at Busey Brews, located at 70 East First Street in Nederland, on Friday, November 28, 2025, starting at 4 p.m.
Following the trio is legendary Denver musician Wendy Woo. For more information about her, keep an ear out for this week’s Music of the Mountains episode of The Mountain-Ear Podcast.
