Photo by Jeffery Bowling


Holly Bowling’s latest Wilderness Session finds her in the desolate Salt Flats of Utah performing a tranquil sunrise set in total isolation – and even serving up an appropriate cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Dark Star.”

“The Salt Flats is hands down the craziest place I’ve ever played music,” Bowling wrote. “We got up at 3:30 am and drove out into the largest expanse of darkness I’ve ever seen. No points of light for any kind of scale or sense of distance or speed, no sign of any other life, no sounds but the wind racing over this giant white expanse of salt. It genuinely felt like another planet. We set up in total darkness, racing to beat the sun while carefully shielding the gear from touching the salt. As I started to play, the light washing over everything and illuminating the mountains in the distance did nothing to shatter the illusion of an extraterrestrial landscape. Playing to the dawn in a place so otherworldly was almost indescribable.”

Previous Wilderness Sessions have brought Bowling to Yosemite National Park as well as Lake Tahoe.

And while the keyboardist is offering these shows for free, she encourages fans to drop her a tip – anyone who donates more than $10 will receive a special postcard corresponding to each location. She’s also created a new line of merch for the unique run.

Watch the full performance below: