Colorado jam-band kingpins the String Cheese Incident have announced plans to disband at the end of next summer. The move was apparently made after guitarist Bill Nershi decided to leave the band to pursue other musical projects, including his acoustic trio Honkytonk Homeslice, which also features his wife, Jilian.

String Cheese's final tour will include a Thanksgiving stop in Atlanta and a New Year's stand in San Francisco, as well as dates in Colorado. According to a statement, there are no plans for the band "beyond summer of 2007."

In its 13-year career, String Cheese has established itself as one of the marquee names and major players in the underground jam-band scene, whose stars routinely sell out large rooms without the benefit of mainstream media attention or significant album sales.

String Cheese grew large enough to anchor its own amphitheatre tour in 2005, the Big Summer Classic, which also featured Keller Williams, Michael Franti and New Monsoon. The group also co-founded Madison House Inc., an increasingly successful entertainment company whose services including booking and management. String Cheese's albums were released on the band's own SCI Fidelity label.