TELLURIDE – Elephant Revival, returning to Telluride a few weeks after opening for Leftover Salmon at the Telluride Conference Center, teams up this weekend with the Infamous Stringdusters for Spring Fever Weekend (Saturday, March 19-Sunday, March 20) at the Sheridan Opera House.

Elephant Revival, the neo-acoustic transcendental folk quintet from Nederland, covers a vast repertoire of original material, with bandmembers on 11 instruments (including fiddle, mandolin, washboard, stompboard, djembe and more) – and five vocalists.

In just one show the quintet delves into original folk pieces fused with traditional style ballads, Scottish/Celtic fiddle tunes, psychedelic country, indie rock, powerful reggae grooves, 40s/50s jazz standards and an occasional hip-hop beat.

The band’s second studio album, Break in the Clouds, which came out on Ruff Shod Records late last year, expands upon the group’s multi–genre musical approach, threading together dynamic instrumentation and a diverse rhythmic sound while exploring the depths of all five of the groups’ gifted songwriters. The album debuted at No. 2 on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter chart, featured as a new and noteworthy independent release.

According to Boulder Weekly‘s Dave Kirby, “The album brims with poised folk ballads, modern Celtic fiddle dirges, hints of blues and Appalachia... coaxing the spirit but slyly avoiding climbing fully into each form's body.” Marquee Magazine’s Jeffery Keith wrote: “Following the lead, but not the footsteps, of groups like Leftover Salmon and Yonder Mountain String Band, the five-piece Elephant Revival has created a unique and appealing modern acoustic sound simultaneously soaked in all manner of tradition.”

Sunday night brings the Infamous Stringdusters, returning to Telluride soon as part of the Telluride Bluegrass 2011 line up, were recently nominated for Best Country Instrumental Grammy for their song “Magic #9.”

Emerging from a lively community of friends and colleagues that’s taken root in Nashville, the band boasts six musicians at their peak, schooled in tradition yet able to stretch out in jam band style improvisation, with razor-sharp vocals, fiery instrumental abilities and a rapidly growing repertoire of well-crafted original songs.

Showtime both nights, 8 p.m.; General Admission tickets to both events, $33; single events, $23.