Elephant Revival is more than a local band with big hearts. They’re also activists—supportive of both animal and human rights, promoting environmental awareness and taking a responsibility for the “stewardship of the planet and its inhabitants, working with organizations such as the Conscious Alliance, Calling All Crows, Trees Water & People and other nonprofits supporting humanitarian causes.” Their upcoming show at the Boettcher Concert Hall on November 26 ought to be a real treat to kick off the holiday season—a true family affair. The show starts at 7:30 p.m., and you can purchase tickets here, ranging from $39-99.
Elephant Revival will be playing with the Colorado Symphony, enriching their original tracks with a deep and layered melodic quality. Bridget Law (fiddle and vocals) took some time to chat with 303 Magazine about their newest album Petals, how it felt to play at Red Rocks for the first time this past summer (she’s a Colorado native!), what she’s looking forward to about playing with the Colorado Symphony at the Boettcher Concert Hall and her love of green bean casserole.
303 Magazine: Elephant Revival’s website describes your newest album as follows:
“Petals embodies a deepening, as the quintet dives into themes of loss and rebirth, time and memory, love unbound by body or farewell. But this is not an album about despair or darkness; it’s a thanksgiving and a prayer for what endures and returns.”
303: Tell me a bit about Petals in your own words, elaborating on that reference to “thanksgiving and prayer.” What does that mean to you and how do you think listeners will interpret it?
Bridget Law: In my own words, this sentence is a poetic way of saying that “we offer our music in gratitude and honor the cycles of life.” Many of the songs on the album Petals insinuate the magical feeling that, even when people pass, their essence lives on. We invite the listener to tap into those feelings and connect to the undying presence that connects us all: through nature, through the seasons, through peace. The lyrics on this album deliver this in a poetic and sincere way, while the instruments tug on the unspoken emotional sensations that go along with these themes.
Photo Credit: Lisa Siciliano
303: Elephant Revival headlined Red Rocks for the first time this past summer. If you had to sum up that experience in three words—from the perspective of a Colorado native—what would they be?
BL: Exhilarating. Expansive. Unifying.
303: This will be Elephant Revival’s very first performance at the Boettcher Concert Hall—which is the first ever symphony hall in-the-round in the United States. It’s a truly unique venue, with 80% of the seats located within 65 feet of the stage. Needless to say, it should be a very special event. What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming show with the Colorado Symphony?
BL: I am most looking forward to experiencing the music in the enhanced and beautiful way the Symphony arrangements fortify our songs. I love the dreamy landscape that these songs get to expand into with the addition of so many instruments and melodic interpretations. It’s super delightful to collaborate with such a wonderful group of professionals who have also dedicated their lives and talents to music. We are at such an interesting time in musical history where folk music and classical music have the opportunity to intersect and support each other. It’s a great honor to be chosen to be a part of that movement. And yes, the room is extraordinary! The room itself is an instrument and that night we will all resonate inside its chamber.
303: In the spirit of Thanksgiving, what are a few of the things you’re most thankful for?
BL: This planet, first and foremost: clean water, gorgeous landscapes, sunrises and sunsets, trees…everything. Family, both kin and spirit connections, and experiencing those relationships blossoming into their potentials. And last, the opportunity to bring joy in the form of music to so many people.
303: What is your favorite Thanksgiving side dish?
BL: Ever since I was a kid, I liked the green bean casserole. It’s funny that that dish only seems to show up at Thanksgiving! Now, I like it all. But most of all, I like the experience of breaking bread with loved ones in gratitude.
Upcoming Colorado Elephant Revival shows:
**11.26 @ Boettcher Concert Hall, Denver (with The Colorado Symphony)
12.8 @ Boulder Theater, Boulder (with Gipsy Moon)
12.9 @ Aggie Theatre, Fort Collins (with Gipsy Moon)
12.10 @ Stargazers Theatre, Colorado Springs (with Gipsy Moon)
12.11 @ Stargazers Theatre, Colorado Spring (with The Deer)
**To celebrate this season of giving, Elephant Revival is asking everyone—concert attendees, local residents, local businesses—to bring non-perishables to Boettcher Concert Hall on the night of the concert and during box office hours, November 11-26. Several large, blue Volunteers of America barrels will be positioned around the lobby for easy drop-off. VOA’s City Harvest Food Bank serves nearly 40,000 low-income families, homebound seniors and the homeless through over 70 community pantries and food banks throughout the Denver Metropolitan Area.