Photos by Ty Hyten
The Scene: The Ogden was filled with flannel and beards for the opening night of a two night homecoming for Colorado’s own Elephant Revival — quite the feat for a band from the tiny mountain town of Nederland. Two large ribbons, tied into ropes, were draped from the center of the ceiling, confirming that the scope of the show would go beyond the stage. The atmosphere was warm and the crowd was perhaps even more chatty than even a typical Friday show as they awaited the beginning of Elephant Revival’s “Winter Ball.”
Opener: Joe Pug. Joe Pug is significant enough of an artist to regularly pack out venues like the Bluebird, so his addition to the bill was a huge bonus for Friday’s show. Pug has been touring with a full band in support of this year’s Windfall, but arrived in Denver with just an acoustic guitar. The exposed, acoustic versions of his songs resonated much more truly than April’s show at The Bluebird. Subtle versions of classics like “Speak Plainly, Diana,” “Hymn 101,” “I Do My Father’s Drugs” and “Nation Of Heat” were fantastic, but sadly talking throughout the crowd made focusing a challenge.
Elephant Revival: Daniel Rodriguez’s mystical guitar line broke through the cheers of fans as Elephant Revival dug into the opening of a gorgeous night of homegrown music. That guitar was quickly met by the beautiful voice of frontwoman Bonnie Paine. Her warm, warbling voice was sweeter on stage than on record and despite being amidst an extremely talented group of musicians.
The five-piece filled the air with guitar, banjo, upright bass, fiddle, cello, washboard and pedal steel. While it’s hard to pinpoint their sound, Bridget Law’s noteworthy fiddle playing and extended jams made Friday night feel closest to a Bluegrass show. These jams carried the crowd from a state of weightlessness, floating along in a dark mountain fog, to excited dancing.
It’s worth noting that, even at the peak of these jams, the only percussion driving the beat was the rapid click-clack of Paine’s fingers against a washboard on her chest. The rest was taken care of by the rapid bowing of Law’s fiddle and the rolling banjo picking of Charlie Rose.
Halfway through the set, two aerialists hung above the stage, flipping around giant hula hoops. The eventually ascended the ropes hanging from the ceiling, flipping and twirling high above the crowd. The dancers impressed the audience while the band played the mellow “Drop,” then the more intense “The Garden” and “Rogue River.” The two highlights came with the gorgeously sparse “Raven Song” with Paine’s voice quivering with the gentle harmonies of Daniel Rodriguez and Bridget Law, then finally the ever-so-catchy “Grace of a Woman.”
Friday night’s show was truly special and had me wishing I had picked up tickets for the following night, a show in which they vowed not to repeat any songs from the previous show, further showing the depth and maturity this little mountain town band has gained over the past decade. The path is only up from here — the group just announced they’ll be headlining Red Rocks this upcoming may, with another great opener, Josh Ritter.
Energy: A
Musicianship: A
Sound: A+
Stage Presence: A-
Set/Light Show: A
Overall: A
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