Photo by Kyle Cooper
Throughout the summer, there are many shows at Red Rocks that are made to look forward to. Some bands have the privilege of playing the same time each year, helping the crowds to know which weekends to plan for. Mid-July has become that time for fans of the Avett Brothers, this year for three nights instead of two.
The weekend kicked off on Friday, July 10th, and lasted into sundown on Sunday, July 12th. Sunday’s show closing what Seth referred to as, “one for the books.”
Each night boasted a remarkable opener, Sunday’s being John Prine, who started things early evening, around 6:30 PM.
The main act grabbed the stage at 7:15, a typically early time for Red Rocks. They wasted no time in getting the crowd moving, starting out with upbeat jams like, “Talk on Indolence,” “It Goes On and On,” and “Gimme A Kiss.”
Photo by Kyle Cooper
After a few more tasty and clearly well beloved tracks, they played “And it Spread” before bringing out their father to expose where they nabbed their musical talents. Eyes gathered water as the three Avett men sang a capella. The group covered Tom T. Hall’s “That’s How I Got To Memphis,” and then “He Walks with Me,” which brought the jam-packed house to a quiet, swaying, stand still of awe. After playing a few more songs with their Pop, Seth and Scott announced that they would all return for the 2016 season, which riled up the fans again, getting them back to their grooving dance moves.
Photo by Kyle Cooper
A newer song graced the ears of the crowd, with “I wish I Was,” which was just a tease to future sounds, as it was followed up with, “Backwards with Time” from 2006’s The Gleam EP. “A Father’s First Spring,” “Pretty Girl from Cedar Lane,” and “True Sadness” helped fill out the set of the third evening, and at 9 PM the dapper young gentlemen left the stage to taunt their Colorado fans until their return.
The North Carolina natives returned to the stupendously filled amphitheater to grace the crowd with one of their more consistent covers, “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad,” originally by none other than the Grateful Dead. This jam featured an excellent solo session with the one and only lady touring with the group, Tania Elizabeth. Then, the “Salvation Song’ echoed the rocks, resounding a nearing end to the three- night weekend, but not before the band raised three fingers to play their more celebrated track, “I and Love and You,” which, of the 10,000 seats in the house, had to have had at least 9,500 voices singing along with it.
The magical weekend wrapped up and faded away just as quickly as it boomed off, and the hills around Morrison were yet again dripping in headlights as the tired crowd headed home, single file, holding on to the memories until they can reunite again at the greatest venue on Earth.