After over five decades of touring, Peter Frampton is hanging his hat to dry on his career. We mean this literally, as after the rain at Wednesday night’s show at Red Rocks, his hat will have to dry off before it can be put away.
Jokes aside, the highly acclaimed guitarist has had an incredible run, having gotten his start with playing in bands at age 12. Years later, Frampton would leave the band Humble Pie after several albums to pursue a solo career, where he was met with super-stardom. Now, after 20 studio albums — including Frampton Comes Alive!, which is known as one of the best selling live albums to date — the artist is finishing his last tour ever. Appropriately, the tour is dubbed “Peter Frampton Finale – The Final Tour.”
Opening the rainy but warm evening was Jason Bonham, son of Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham. The drummer and his fellow musicians were forced to cram their set into a much smaller time slot as the weather caused nearly an hour delay, but their perfected craft of the beloved band still shined and the group performed several huge Zeppelin hits to an eager audience. “Immigrant Song,” “Good Times Bad Times,” “Ramble On” and “Whole Lotta Love” made the slimmed down setlist before they had to clear out to get the main man on stage.
Frampton began his portion with a quick montage, showing himself growing as an artist through the years and ending now, as he plays his last few shows ever. Requesting that the crowd only film the first three songs, Frampton opened with “Baby (Something’s Happening)” and did not bust out one of his heavy hitters, “Show Me The Way,” until the fourth song. In between tracks Frampton took to the microphone to tell his fans funny quips and anecdotes regarding his iconic tunes, which gathered some laughs along the way.
Frampton detailed the experiences he had with several of his musical friends over the years, some who are still around and others who have passed, such as his longtime keyboardist, Bob Mayo. The night was not just about rock, however, as the guitarist dove into stories about his newer music as well, which leans more into the blues. After a few covers that are featured on his most recent studio release from earlier this year, All Blues, Frampton decided to take to his acoustic instruments. “By Your Side” was gleefully accepted by the audience before the electric strings made their return.
As the artist continued on with his personal touches, he explained the way his 2007 instrumental album Fingerprints — the only album that has won him a Grammy — came to fruition. He then jammed a heavy, beautiful cover of “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden, which is featured on the release. Frampton wrapped up his set with “Baby I love Your Way” and “Do You Feel Like I Do” before concluding the night with an encore.
The entire evening dipped in and out of a lengthy, important career in music for all different kinds of fans, and Frampton did a good job showcasing as much of his talent as he could in just a couple of hours. It is hard to imagine a world without Peter Frampton’s live music, but we prefer to not say goodbye, just see you later.
Wow. I somehow missed the “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” encore number writer Denby references in her review — yes, it seems he’s performed that song at other venues during this Farewell tour but not last night at Red Rocks. Time to get those facts straight and write your own review instead of copying another one.
Hello Robert, thank you very much for pointing out my error. I have updated the review to reflect.
Frampton did not play “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”…
how ended with a Ray Charles cover.
Thank you, Marc. I did make an error in reporting the cover and I appreciate you pointing this out. I apologize and have updated. Have a nice afternoon!
The first time I ever saw Peter Frampton was at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island in 1976. Wednesday night was my fourth time and most memorable. I cried three times during the show — for the nostaligia of my high school days when I first began listening to Frampton, for the disbelief that I was actually hearing music I’ve loved for over 40 years in the amazing Red Rocks venue, and for the end of Frampton’s prolific career. While your summation of the performance numbers is accurate, I’d like to add a few comments if I may. First, you and all music reviewers must know that Frampton told the crowd that each show will be different since many people are going to multiple performances, so there should not be any further errors in reviews when listing song titles. Indeed, while leaving Red Rocks after the concert I overheard a woman say that she was going to see him in Atlanta. Next, the rain delay (with thunder/lightning) added suspense to the night not only for the audience, but also for Peter Frampton. He had to cancel his last appearance at Red Rocks because he was ill, and when he took to the stage Wednesday night he stated how glad he was to be at Red Rocks, “finally.” Personable, relaxed, and chatty, he even joked that the crew was covering his equipment with “condoms” (plastic sheeting) while it began to drizzle during the performance. Frampton presented an array of music that exemplifies his broad talent at playing several different guitars and his broad appeal to an audience of all ages. As for his blues and instrumentalism, the crowd was expectedly a bit quieter during those songs as compared to the favorites from the live album, but they were nonetheless appreciative and absorbed every note they heard. (Which is exactly how the crowd reacted at The Beacon in NYC a few years back when I first heard Frampton’s blues numbers.) For an artist to perform at Red Rocks must be like receiving a gift from the Muses, for Frampton, like other artists, wanted to present his music flawlessly, drawing from his soul’s creative well, to make it worthy of such a setting. With outstretched arms as in your article’s photos, Frampton told the crowd that he “wish[ed] you could see what we see from here.” And then he simply said, “Fantastic!” Once again, through his performance, Peter Frampton proved, with such passion, that he has never stopped developing his craft and that he truly wants to please his fans. But you’re right, Ms. Gardiner. It will be difficult to be in a world without any more live concerts from him, but in my heart and mind, as with other fans, Peter Framtpon will always “come alive!” What a master guitarist.