Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann put together his Billy and The Kids project back in 2014 for Warren Haynes’ Christmas Jam and, while the band played a smattering of shows over the next two years, they hadn’t played together since 2016 when they took to a Hawaiian lawn in May for a pair of live-streamed show to celebrate the legendary drummer’s 75th birthday. Joining original “Kids” Tom Hamilton, Reed Mathis, and Aron Magner for these shows, was Billy Strings on guitar, and James Casey on Sax. The shows were an overwhelming success and it came as a welcome surprise when Red Rocks announced a pair of concerts with the same powerhouse line-up.
The first night of the Rocks run drew some outstanding reviews and the buzz was electric as we made our way into the venue on Tuesday night. The music got going with a energetic jam that slowly morphed in the Traffic classic “Dear Mr. Fantasy” [Listen Here!] and gave Strings a chance to show off his remarkable command of an electric guitar as he put a bluesy spin on the vocals. Right off the bat, it was clear that this band was something special and when Casey took his turn on the jam he steered the band into “Hey Jude” for a few minutes to the delight of the packed crowd. In a show full of highlights, the ensuing segment of “Cassidy” > “Jack Straw” was one of my favorites as Hamilton and Magner took their turns behind the mic; the latter delivering a pretty great performance for a musician not necessarily known for his vocal chops.
Next up was Casey taking lead on a soulful and Gospel infused, performance of a tune that was in the Garcia Band rotation for much of their career – “My Sisters and Brothers” – and set the stage for a trio of “cowboy songs” featuring Paul Hoffman of Greensky Bluegrass on Mandolin. “Me & My Uncle,” “Mama Tried,” and “Dire Wolf” all showcased Strings on vocals before Hamilton got his shot to juice up the crowd up with a very well received “Shakedown Street” that led us into set break.
Set two came out of the gates crushing with a take on The Who’s “Join Together” that allowed Strings to give us his best Roger Daltrey as the ravenous crowd did indeed join together with the band on the rousing chorus before the song transitioned into another sing-along classic in “Franklin’s Tower.” It was at this point in the night that the band slowed down a bit and allowed the beauty of Strings take on “To Lay Me Down” to wash over the amphitheater. I’ve always loved hearing Strings’ take on this classic and this was no exception.
The energy was back as the band slipped into a blues-laden version of “That’s What Love Will Make You Do” with Strings at the helm yet again. From there Kreutzmann steered the band through a “Help->Slip” segment that resolved into a rollicking “The Music Never Stopped” before a slower trio of songs rounded a monster second of music with “Peggy-O,” “Dear Prudence” and finally the tender “Brokedown Palace.”
A brief encore break saw a second drum kit appear on stage and once again Jeff Franca (Thievery Corporation) joined Kreutzmann for the obligatory drums segment of the show. While Drums isn’t always my favorite part of a Dead related show, it was nothing short of impressive to see the 75 year old Kreutzmann pounding away back there more than two and a half hours into the show – the man is a machine! As Drums faded away, the familiar – and always welcome – strains of “Terrapin” rose in the air, but it was “I Know You Rider” that brought the energy to a crescendo once again as Billy and the Kids sang along with the crowd late on this Tuesday evening.
Billy & The Kids – July 13th, 2021 – Red Rocks Amphitheater
Set One: Dear Mr. Fantasy > Hey Jude (Coda), Cassidy > Jack Straw, My Sisters & Brothers, Me & My Uncle (w/ Paul Hoffman), Mama Tried (w/ Paul Hoffman), Dire Wolf (w/ Paul Hoffman), Shakedown Street
Set Two: Join Together > Franklin’s Tower, To Lay Me Down, That’s What Love Will Make You Do, Help On The Way > Slipknot! > The Music Never Stopped > Peggy-O > Dear Prudence, Brokedown Palace
Encore (w/ Jeff Franca): Drums, Terrapin Station > I Know You Rider
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