With capacity allowing almost all concertgoers now at Red Rocks it was only right to have hometown boys 3OH3! get things started. The raucous duo of Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte have been making the rounds as this electronic outfit for years and have still shown that they know how to throw a party. Those in attendance danced and even got a chance to sample some newer material the band has been cooking up, we can’t wait to hear more.
Photos by Trey Karson
Chicago's Chance The Rapper played his first of two sold out Red Rocks shows on a brisk chilly Tuesday evening. Riding the wave of much heralded success the past year the Be Encouraged Tour made a pitstop at the heralded venue. The current tour is mostly playing arena shows so the Denver crowd got a treat as the rapper played to an intimidate 9,000 plus guests. This is our fifth time getting to see Chance and as he progresses in his career all elements of his performance have blossomed into a persona unlike no other. Backed by his band the Social Experiment, Chance tore through the recently Grammy Award winning album Coloring Book (Mixtape). Opening with "Blessings" the emcee strutted back and forth on stage often pausing to glimpse at the majestical venue (as all others before him have done). Chance is able to control the tempo of his songs with such grace that it makes for beautifully crafted sing-a-longs and crowd participation. From upbeat rap anthems to slow religious awakening ballads, he is in control from beginning to end.
Most of the evenings arrangements were from Coloring Book, he did pay homage to mentor Kanye West on his version of "Waves" as well as covers of "Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1", and "Ultralight Beam". He also managed to include the recently released collaboration with DJ Khaled's "I'm The One", which is certain to become a staple among summertime bbq's this coming season. Other crowd favorites included "No Problem", and "Summer Friends". The night ended with the perfectly soulful gospel inspired "Blessings". As the crowd began to exit, one thing is for certain, they witnessed one of the youngest most talented performers in the industry today. With a slew of festival headlining performances and continuing his current tour Chance The Rapper is on top of the world right now with no signs of coming down.
Words and Images: Robert Castro
This past Sunday at Red Rocks was quite the moment for Irish singer-songwriter Andrew Hozier-Byrne aka Hozier, especially when not even six months ago he was playing at the Ogden! Now he’s selling out one of Americas greatest National Landmarks, which holds more than five times the number of fans as the intimate theater off Colfax. His exponential growth is without a doubt an incredible accomplishment and his live performance was nothing short of spectacular. We had the wonderful opportunity to cover this highly anticipated show and we definitely had the time of our lives! The opening band Dawes were a fitting way to start the night with their mix of folk and indie rock songs like “Time spent in Lost Angeles” and “When my time comes”.
After a short set break, Hozier then carried us on a rollercoaster of emotions throughout the night by playing the upbeat tunes of “Jackie and Wilson” all the way to his dark love song duet “In a week” with Irish singer Alana Henderson that brought us to literal tears. After wiping our eyes clean we noticed the rarely seen Blue Moon rising over Denver’s city lights, giving us a view that absolutely took our breath away. He then busted out the long awaited massive hit “Take Me To Church” and even played his own rendition of Ariana Grande’s song “Problem” with a tease from Warren G’s “Regulate”. We came, we saw, and he conquered! We’ll be looking forward to Hozier’s next appearance in Colorado which will be on Labor Day Weekend for Jazz Aspen Snowmass Festival. He will be playing in the company of Lenny Kravitz( and his penis! :P ), No Doubt, The Fray and many more. Until then you can re-live the night through these great shots from our very own staff photographer Andrew Rios.
Checkout the slideshow of Hozier and Dawes courtesy of Andrew Rios:
Morrissey playing to a Red Rocks crowd on Thursday night (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)
As the house lights dimmed and the silhouettes of the band appeared Morrisey uttered the opening statement of "Let's take it back to junior prom", and without hesitation into the opening riffs of "Suedehead". The 56 year old former frontman of iconic british pop pioneers The Smiths played to a rather sparse crowd on Thursday night at Red Rocks. Pretty surprising as the the iconic status of one Steven Patrick Morrissey, either the current generation doesn't know who he is or are still upset for the various times he has cancelled appearances.
Moz looking as dapper as ever (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)
Either way those in attendance got a treat in the form of a two hour set spanning many of the hits we grew up listening to. Flanked by a projection board displaying various images throughout the night, everything from the Queen of England to Bruce Lee fans in attendance got to see Morrissey at his best. Some images left the audience turning away as images of livestock being butchered left the squeamish turning away as he set forth his stance on "Meat is Murder" the crying song for activist of animal rights groups.
"do you know how animals die?
kitchen aromas aren't very homely
it's not "comforting", "cheery" or "kind"
it's sizzling blood and the unholy stench
of MURDER"
Morrissey Photo Slideshow (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)
You could definitely hear a stronger emphasis on lyrics pertaining to various social issues, which to be honest is what makes Morrissey who he is. A strict ban on meat products sold throughout this tour only stands to justify his stance on the issue. Although he has set his niche as a solo performer it is without doubt that many of his hits still carry over from The Smiths days including "Stop Me If You've Think You've Heard This One Before", and "What She Said". Both getting a rousing response as he performed them, it was as if all the original members were there with him.
Morrissey left it all on the table, which is why he continues to perform at such a high level. Will we ever see a Smiths reunion? Only time will tell, but when it does happen we will have front row seats to see one of the most iconic frontman and influential bands of the late 80's early 90's.
Sam Herring enjoying a brilliant Future Islands set (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)
The opening set by Future Islands was nearly flawless as lead singer Sam Herring pulled out all the dance moves we are used to seeing from a drunk uncle at a wedding. We interviewed these guys back in 2011 (you can read it here). The amount of passion that Herring sings with is truly unmatched by todays frontman standards. Dance numbers accompanied by infectious groves made for one of the best albums of 2014. Translating that into a live setting only made it much more enjoyable.
Future Islands Photo Slideshow (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)
Umphrey's McGee at Red Rocks (Photo Credit: Blake Gavaldon)
As Independence Day weekend shifted into gear, Friday belonged to Umphrey’s McGee who brought their The London Sessions Tour to Red Rocks. The atmosphere outside was electric: the lots quickly filled, the sound systems started playing from the vehicles, all while lot-parties found their groove well before the show.
UM (Photo Credit: Blake Gavaldon)
Umphrey's McGee got the Fourth of July weekend started at Red Rocks (Photo Credit: Blake Gavaldon)
Once inside, I found myself dancing away to the polished sounds of Papadosio (I unfortunately missed TAUK). Papadosio was a great choice for opener and really energized the crowd, but left enough room for UM to put on a strong show – a sign of a well-seasoned group. UM started by covering “In the Hall of the Mountain King” and drove straight into “Puppet String,” which eventually closed the night as well. UM’s first set shined during “Mulche’s Odyssey > Higgins > Mulche’s Odyssey” and “Pay the Snucka” medley. The second set opened with “Ringo” and then UM slipped right into a superb cover of Pink Floyd’s “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” before sliding back into “Ringo.”
The most exciting moment, however, was the announcement of a four night run at Denver’s Fillmore Auditorium December 30th, 31st, and January 2nd. January 1st is still a mystery – stay tuned and get ready, Denver.
-Blake Gavaldon (Special Contributor)
Set List (from UMLive.net):
Set 1: In the Hall of the Mountain King | Puppet String | 2nd Self, Go to Hell | Mulche’s Odyssey | Higgins | Mulche’s Odyssey, No Diablo, Pay the Snucka | Rocker Part 2 | The Pequod | Pay the Snucka
Set 2: Ringo | Shine on You Crazy Diamond | Ringo, Bad Friday, Divisions | Believe the Lie | Divisions, NYE Announcement | Encore: The Triple Wide | Puppet String
Umphrey's McGee Photo Slide Show (Photo Credit:Blake Gavaldon)
The talented Lindsey Stirling brought her violin playing theatrics to the majestic RedRocks last week and our photographer Andrew Rios was there to capture all the glory. Sterling packed it all into one punch as not only is she a talented violinist but incorporates a full choreographed performance into her sets with an unyielding passion that set the stage on fire. A true performer that dazzles and mesmerizes the entire audience Lindsey Sterling is not to be missed.
