Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats – August 21st – Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Estimated read time 4 min read

Nathaniel Rateliff 2016-08-21-57-1496Photos by Jim Mimna

The Scene: A cloud covered sky kept the temperature modest for a late August evening as a blend of Denver’s hip converged on Morrison’s marvel…Red Rocks. The demographic ranged from hipster to soccer mom, hippie to yuppie. Very diverse within the upper middle class, Caucasian world. I had a mild urge to go Hunter S. Thompson on it, take an assortment of substances and try to mingle, but it was a Sunday.

Opener: Shovels & Rope. Shovels & Rope was a duo with a rootsy, Honky Tonk, Bluesy feel. A husband and wife combo, Cary Ann Hearst played guitar and lead the vocal pairing while her husband, Michael Trent, joined her as a multi-instrumentalist. He held down drumming, keyboard, and harmonica duties all while contributing harmonies vocally. It brought to mind the one-man-band shows from old times. And before I could realize what was happening, they changed instruments and Michael lead them through a tune that was part Jake Bugg, part Bob Dylan, part Tedeschi-Trucks, part White Stripes. There no doubt they were fun to watch.

Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats: Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats came onstage like a marching band of groomsmen, tuxed-up and ready to get their Blues Brothers on.  The ensemble was augmented by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band to really punch up the N’awlins vibe.  The blend of sounds was rooted in decades gone by.  Elvis, Ray Charles, James Brown, Frank Sinatra, Dylan, Creedence… while maintaining a slight resemblance to the Desi Arnaz Orchestra, and a voice of their own. They paced their well known numbers to span the show. The “I Need Never Get Old” was so precise it could have been the album cut, and the show closing “SOB” left the crowd singing joyfully as they trickled out to the lots.

The individual players in the band were great. They served the music and each other, a feat that was far more admirable and rare than most would think. They each had chops, but used them sparingly. The horn section was impeccably coordinated and the entirety worked as a rhythmic engine, driving the songs forward like a ’69 Karmann Ghia rolling into a car show.

The vocal harmonies were powerful, beautiful, impassioned. Nathaniel’s voice was neighborly. It had character. It was the sound of experience. His vocal strength and control were impressive but his stage presence was even more-so. He held the crowd in his palm as he crooned, danced, and charmed us with his Rock-n-Soul cocktail of talents.

Guitarist Joseph Pope III busted out some hot licks when called upon, and while his tone evoked the Blues turned Rock-n-Roll of the late 60’s, the overall sound wasn’t particular to that era. As it drifted, so did his efforts, constantly finding the right tone to fill his space.

James Han treated the keys much in the same way. He rumbled through Jazz-club piano and wowed with Gospel flare on the organ. Everything was appropriate for the moment. I have always felt that the diverse range of sounds available to a keyboard really opens things up sonically, and Han used that range well.

Julie Davis and Patrick Meese kept the pistons firing as they seemed to propel the band through the set on bass and drums. Synchronized, svelte, and consistent throughout. They were exactly what you look for in the core of a rhythm section.

At one point I thought the band sounded like Cat Stevens drunk on whiskey and jamming out with Neil Diamond at Mardi Gras…I was grateful they had filled a void in my life that I didn’t know existed.

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

Overall: B

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