Telluride Bluegrass Festival Introduces Toy Factory Project, Marshall Tucker Band Tribute Supergroup with Marcus King, Oteil Burbridge, Paul T. Riddle and More
When Telluride Bluegrass Festival unveiled its star-studded 52nd-annual lineup in December, one name among the titanic headliners–including Jason Isbell, Alison Krauss & Union Station and Gillian Welch & David Rawlings–stood out: Toy Factory Project. In the months since that first dispatch, rumors have swirled about what the unknown act could be. Now, the festival has put those suspicions to rest with the unveiling of a proper Southern rock supergroup.
Led and assembled by Marshall Tucker Band’s co-founding drummer Paul T. Riddle, the Toy Factory Project is a tribute outfit dedicated to the late guitarist and songwriter Toy Caldwell. To keep the spirit of Toy’s legendary songs roaring, Riddle tapped an all-star cast of Southern rock torchbearers, comprising Marcus King on guitar and vocals, Oteil Burbridge on bass, Charlie Starr on guitar and vocals, Josh Shilling on keys and vocals and Billy Contreras on fiddle.
Together, the ensemble will make their debut at Telluride Bluegrass on Saturday, June 21st, with covers of iconic cuts like “Can’t You See,” “Heard It In a Love Song,” “Searching For a Rainbow” and “This Old Cowboy,” plus a few promised surprise special guests. Watch the Southern rock stars in the studio below in a video shared by the festival.
Read more about Telluride Bluegrass Festival 2025, staging from June 19-22, here Secure your tickets at bluegrass.com.
