Legendary guitarist Adrian Belew was kind enough to spend some time talking with us as he waited out a fire drill in his Denver hotel on the eve of the “Remain In Light” tour that launches at the Ogden Theater here in Denver on February 16th.
Is every Sunday show an epic throwdown that you shouldn’t have missed? The short answer is “no” but it’s understandable that people want to feel like they were rewarded for going out on a Sunday night and catching a marathon performance. Trey Anastasio and his supremely talented band turned in nearly three hours of music on Sunday and, despite the early start time, it was likely midnight before many in the capacity crowd made it home.
It’s no secret that it is a strange time in the world right now with the ongoing pandemic and the surge of the Omicron variant, but it’s an even stranger time in the world of live music. As 2021 wound down, New Year’s events were being cancelled left and right and music fans were left to wonder if one of the most important nights on the concert calendar would be left blank. Thanks to Neal Francis and Gold Leader for playing and delivering a blissful night of high energy, funk infused music!
The Mission Ballroom was the place to be last Friday night if you were looking for your fix of Bluegrass. With a fantastic line-up of local heroes featuring The Sweet Lillies opening up for The Infamous Stringdusters the stage was set for a great night.
“Never miss a Sunday show.” It’s the age old Jamband adage that has been circulating through the scene for years and, while I’ve seen many Sunday shows over the years, until the past Sunday night when Greensky Bluegrass and Billy Strings played Red Rocks, I had never seen one that really proved the saying.
Well that was one for the books. While Joe Russo’s Almost Dead is consistently one of the most exploratory and compelling bands on the scene, they always seem to push their limits for the Colorado faithful and this year was no different.
Those of us that love Phish, love exposing our kids to their wacky lyrics, hilarious antics and dazzling stage shows. In some ways there is nothing better for a kid than a pair of grown men jumping on trampolines, singing about mangos, and conjuring up giant hotdogs on New Year’s Eve. In their own way, Phish is magical and last Sunday at The Boulder Theater, Phour Point O brought some of that magic to the kids in the form of a 75 minute set of music that highlighted some stellar tunes from the Vermont band’s repertoire.
Last Friday night, the burgeoning young band Aqueous tore into Steamboat and delivered a scorching show in the intimate confines of The Old Town Pub. With a show that featured extended jam sequences that took us deep into the prog-funk dimensions that are home to this band, alongside crowd-pleasing covers of David Bowie’s “Fame” and Pink Floyd’s “Run Like Hell,” and teases of Dr. Dre, Rage Against The Machine, and Phish, the four-piece whipped the room into a frenzy as they played well past one AM.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong brought their high-energy show to The Boulder Theater for a two night stand and, judging by the rabid crowd who packed out the room both nights, they were glad they did. This energetic young band definitely brings a lot of enthusiasm to the stage, and their sound is everything a jam band might want.
Labor Day traditionally marks the official end of Summer and, as kids, many of us dreaded the three-day weekend as it meant it was time to pack up the bathing suits and towels and break-out the backpacks and books. These days though, it’s different. Labor Day weekend has become a hallowed and highly anticipated weekend for many as it means that Phish is going to set up shop for three days at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park here in Denver.