Infamous Stringdusters – December 12th – Fillmore Auditorium

Estimated read time 4 min read

30-TYH_5980Photos by Ty Hyten

The Scene: Dobro penetrated brick walls as I waited in line for the box office on Saturday. Inside the Fillmore Auditorium, soundcheck was unfolding for a huge night of music rooted in tradition, but tied to the heartbeat of the present. Inside, three bands, all with ties to Colorado, waited to play for the massive auditorium. As I walked into the empty venue, Trout Steak Revival put the finishing touches on soundcheck that was as sharp as their set to come. As doors opened to the public, those first in line jogged the length of the floor to grab a spot along the rail. There were flannels, puffy coats, vests, dresses, boots and, of course, beards. As tapers erected microphone stands and shot the shit, Oliver Wood, one third of The Wood Brothers, paced a narrow hallway below in the guts of the venue. He held an iPhone and talked in a caring tone reserved for a wife back home. Along that same hallway, in a small dressing room, Trout Steak Revival reconvened. I was blown away with their sound, talent, and composure as they warmed up in a small circle, hiding any nerves they had about playing for their largest crowd yet.

Trout Steak Revival: Denver’s Trout Steak Revival walked out to a largely packed room and proceeded to play with the kind of heart and tightness that draws in even the most preoccupied of crowds. In a spot usually plagued with general conversation and drink buying, the bluegrass group managed to grab the attention of the large room and made them move with a number of songs from this year’s Brighter Every Day, including with a high-water mark ending with the title track from that album.

The Wood Brothers: Opening with “Never and Always,” the three-piece Wood Brothers reminded anyone who wasn’t already acquainted that they were a pretty big deal for an opener. Brothers Chris and Oliver were backed by the inventive guitar smacking percussion of Jano Rix. The three bounced around with high energy, doing great justice to their most recent album on songs like “American Heartache” and “Singin’ to Strangers.” In a common, but welcome, moment they gathered around a single mic during what was prefaced as “what we like to call, ‘oh Wood Brother where art thou’.” It was in this formation that they wowed the crowd on the Manfred Mann cover “Fox on the Run.”  The set was also highlighted with a classically rooted solo on the the upright bass from Chris and ended with “Ophelia,” the first of two killer Band covers for the evening.

Infamous Stringdusters: The Infamous Stringdusters kicked off their loud set of bluegrass tunes with the first track off of 2015’s EP Undercover; “Big River,” a 1958 Johnny Cash chart topper, later covered repeatedly by The Grateful Dead. They managed to do it with a hefty dose of dobro — make that the loudest dobro I’ve ever heard. The boys powered through a ton of good timey bluegrass songs that spun off into extended jams, highlighting the front-porch prowess of each member. As expected, the mountain top cliches and boilerplate bluegrass lyrics were so overshadowed by the musicianship of those on stage, that they took enough of a backseat to stay firmly out of focus.

The excitement of the crowd was contagious. As I waited in line for the bathroom mid-set, everyone in line was singing-along. After I entered the bathroom I watched some nut pull down all fifteen concert posters, clamoring “nobody saw nothin’!” All of this to say, the beers were flowing like the waters of the lyrically ubiquitous river (seriously — they don’t have a record without at least one song referencing a river, but thus is bluegrass). The crowd revelry peaked with clashing beers and loud singing along to “Colorado.”  

The night came with a few very notable special guests. Nicki Bluhm (Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers) shined on a cover of Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away” and Sara Watkins (Nickel Creek) on “See How Far You’ve Come.” Another highlight of the set was the ever-so-catchy “Let It Go” with the twangy vocal harmonies falling perfectly in harmony.

Where the recorded music of the ‘Dusters fails to move me, their live show made up for it. Rollicking banjo, guitar, dobro, fiddle, running bass lines, and warm vocals created the framework for a damn good time at the Fillmore. Ending the show, the ‘Dusters invited all of the musicians from the evening to sing along to “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.” Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that.

Energy: A+
Musicianship: A
Sound: A
Stage Presence: A-
Set/Light Show: A

Overall: A

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