On Sunday, Sierra Ferrell descended upon the Ogden Theatre like a rhinestone-studded angel, immersing the crowd in flowers and dreams of lovers lost somewhere along the ever-winding road.
Following a stripped-down but earnest set from The Cactus Blossoms Duo, Sierra hit the stage quietly. The venue was packed and the rowdy Sunday crowd went wild. She maintained perfect composure as she began to strum the opening chords to “Silver Dollar,” a yearning testament to the beauty of independence. The crowd hushed as she began to sing, her voice sultry yet powerful, filled with memory and life. Soon, her band came out to join her and the song kicked off with massive, infectious energy that quickly enveloped the entire crowd.
The band then moved into “Give It Time” followed by fan favorite “Bells of Every Chapel,” the studio version of which features Billy Strings and the live version left the crowd with chills from head to toe. Her voice cuts right down to the soul — when she really lets loose, you can feel it echo throughout your whole body, across time, burrowing its way into your heart forever.
READ: Review — Billy Strings Shook and Rattled Denver Fans at 1st Bank Center
The crowd itself was completely electric, one of the liveliest dancefloors that Denver has seen all year. People really embraced the country-western theme, showing up in cowboy boots and hats, rhinestones and cow print. Somehow, Sierra Ferrell transported the Ogden Theatre back to the Grand Ol’ Opry in the mid-70s. It was rowdier than expected yet resoundingly respectful. Everyone was wearing big smiles and going all out to let Sierra know how much they appreciated her by whistling and yelling “I love you” with rendering sincerity. At one point, a woman sat on her friend’s shoulders and flashed the stage until venue security made her get down. Safe to say, the love was alive in that room.
Never wasting a second, Sierra moved through favorites such as “Why’d Ya Do It” and “West Virginia Waltz” before playing some new tunes, one of which, “Dollar Bill Store,” has a particularly catchy chorus that’s begging to be sung across the world. When that song eventually gets released, it’ll be a huge moment. Mark my words.
She spoke to the crowd in between songs with a bright sense of humor. Her guitar — an old, fickle thing named “Baby” — went out of tune a few times and every time she re-tuned it, she’d joke about her instrument just being “thirsty” for attention. The crowd loved it.
Her band was incredible as well. Sierra played guitar on most songs but also busted out the fiddle on a few occasions. She was joined by Josey Toney on fiddle and electric guitar, Josh Rilko on the mandolin and Geoff Saunders on stand-up bass. Each added depth and color to Sierra’s already rich music, complementing her powerhouse vocals while also dealing out some showstopping moments of their own.
This was most evident when a tech came out and switched out the stage mic for a room mic. The band proceeded to play the next few songs totally raw, no amps, just the one mic like an old-school bluegrass pick-off. They’d each take their turns trading off licks and solos before backing up and giving the next player a chance to shine. It added to the sense of being lost somewhere in the past, the future full of promise and uncertainty.
This segment of the show ended as Sierra told a story about a woman giving her a note the previous night after her show at the Boulder Theater that contained a picture of a lighthouse. The woman has breast cancer and wanted to let Sierra know that her music has been helping her through it. This led to the song “Lighthouse” which became a truly powerful moment. She followed this by launching into her absolutely soul-rattling cover of John Anderson’s “Years” which drove the crowd into a frenzy of whoops, whistles, and cheers.
After then playing “The Sea,” “Jeremiah,” and “At the End of the Rainbow,” which are the first few songs that kick off her 2021 album Long Time Coming, Sierra wrapped the set up with her biggest hit so far, “In Dreams.”
The song is a lovelorn cry filled with the hope that that person you think of day and night can’t stop thinking about you either. It had great moments of audience participation where the band would cut out to let the crowd sing along. This solidified the bonding feeling that had been building in the crowd throughout, the kind that happens when a room full of people realizes they are catching a glimpse of magic.
She left us with that feeling hanging in the air before returning after a short break for a brief but powerful rendition of Willie Nelson’s “Spanish Angels.” We were then left to go back into this modern age to walk our own roads. But this time, with a little more love.