REVIEW: Folks Fest - August 18-20, 2006 - Planet Bluegrass Ranch, Lyons, CO

The first thing I have to do in this review is thank the wonderful people at Planet Bluegrass for putting together such an amazingly well run festival. Everything runs like clockwork, food and beer prices are low, people are kind, the sound is great and the venue . . . well that is another story all together. Suffice it to say that it is easily within the top 10 most beautiful venues in this country (and I am counting places like Red Rocks, Telluride, The Gorge, and the Britt Pavilion to name a few). Nestled along the St. Vrain River under the majestic Red Rock cliffs of Lyons, CO, the Planet Bluegrass Ranch plays host to 3 major festivals every summer. Rocky Grass in July, Folks Festival in August and The Festival of Mabon in September.

This was my second trip to the Ranch in 6 years of living in Colorado and I am kicking myself for not going more often. The place is designed specifically to host festivals. There is a nicely layed out area for food and crafts, a separate stand for beer, wine and mead service, a tented second stage and tons of activities for children. It really has something for everyone. There is even a beach area where you can wade into the river to cool off in the heat of the Colorado sun.

The festival seating area consists of four well defined and organized sections. There is a "backstage" area that allows ticket-holders to access an area of seating directly in front of the stage that is off limits to the general public. Then there is a large field dotted with cottonwoods where festivarians can spread tarps and gather with friends on blankets and in "low-backed" chairs (Planet Bluegrass defines low backed as anything you can't roll a basketball under). Behind this area is a section where high backed chairs are permitted and then behind them are the tents and sunshades. The set-up works very well and allows for great site-lines from all parts of the ranch. Be forewarned, people start lining up at midnight to get their tarps up near the front for the next days shows. The beauty of it is that once you have your spot up front, you don't have to worry about losing it. Everyone is very respectful of space and the staff does their very best to prevent people from standing in front of you.

The stage itself is a beautiful wood structure with a permanent roof that keeps off those afternoon showers and allows music to continue uninterrupted all day long. The back of the stage is open to allow for the breeze of the day to filter across the stage and ruffle the leaves that serve as a backdrop to the performers. I think that every performer I saw took time out of their set to acknowledge the beauty that surrounded them and tell us how lucky we were to have such an amazing venue in our state.

We are certainly lucky to have such a venue, but the fact that we have the opportunity to see performers such as: Jeff Tweedy, Kris Kristofferson, Ani Difranco, Mindy Smith, The Waifs, Martin Sexton, and The Assembly of Dust at that venue makes it all the more remarkable.

The festival began on Friday and while I wasn't able to make it, I heard from reliable sources that Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy put on a memorable show to wrap up the day. Having seen his solo set in the past I am sure that the respect the Planet Bluegrass audience pays to performers suited him very well.

We woke up Saturday to a dreary morning but by mid afternoon the skies had cleared and the sun was shining on the nearly 3,100 in attendance. After a mediocre set by Issa (formerly Jane Siberry), the meat of Saturday's line-up was upon us. Veteran songwriter Guy Clark took the stage with long-time friend Verlyn Thompson. Both men played guitar and Thompson sang back-up on some classic Clark tunes such as Homegrown Tomatoes, Old Friends and The Randall Knife. Two thirds of the way through the set Clark yielded the stage to Thompson who picked up the pace a little bit and wowed the crowd with three originals of his own. He had people buzzing all afternoon about his solid guitar work and vocals that brought to mind fellow Texan Joe Ely.

Following Clark's set we made our way over to the tented Wildflower Stage just in time to avoid the only downpour of the weekend and to catch a little bit of the Songwriter Showcase song circle. Iain Campbell Smith was the highlight of this group for me. The three songs of his we heard caught us off guard with his Australian accent and clever lyrics. Between the lyrics and his goofy grin, he had the whole tent laughing and clapping along. Just the thing rain soaked fans who crowded the edges of the tent needed, I'm sure.

As we left the tent and wandered back toward our spot up front, the sounds of Canadian folk rocker Kathleen Edwards drifted through the venue. Having seen Edwards several years ago I was interested to see how she had matured as a performer. To be honest I don't really understand her appeal. Sure, some of her songs are catchy and 6 O'clock News had some potential as a radio single, but overall I found her performance to be a bit flat. She did however; get my attention when she broke into Neil Young's Only Love Can Break Your Heart.

Next up was a highlight of the weekend for me, The Waifs. Hailing from Australia they were the first band I ever covered more than three years ago, and while they still sound great, they have gone through some changes since then. The line-up is the same, but sisters Donna and Vikki Simpson have each had a baby in the last year. In fact as Vikki revealed on stage they were pregnant at the same time and even due on the same day. They may be new mothers but their energy hasn't fallen off a bit on stage. Vikki's harmonica solos are as fiery as ever and Donna voice is still as sweet. Their set offered some new tunes, some of the blues that stellar guitarist Josh Cunningham injects into the group, and of course favorites such as Lighthouse and Fisherman's Daughter. As the dark crept in and The Waifs left the stage to a standing ovation, we all knew who waited in the wings.

A half hour later, at the stroke of 9 o'clock Andy Schneidkraut of Boulder’s Albums on the Hill record shop introduced a man who needed no introduction: Kris Kristofferson. Without so much as a "Hello" to the crowd, Kristofferson launched into a set that made you realize why the man is a legend. He may not have the singing voice he once did and I won't argue with the guy I overheard saying his E-String was a little flat, but his songwriting is what he is known for. If The Last Thing to Go, off his new album is any indicator, he hasn't lost a step. Peppered with hits such as Sunday Morning Coming Down, Darby's Castle, The Silver Tongue Devil and I, The Best of All Possible Worlds and of course Me and My Bobby McGee his 90 minute set taught us all a thing or two about songwriting. Though he was not very talkative and ended each song abruptly with a mumbled "Thank You," Kristofferson nodded to Janis Joplin several times, acknowledging her version of Bobby McGee as one of the things that elevated his stature on the pop culture landscape.

The final day of Folks Fest dawned bright and sunny and it was again a breeze to get into the festival and set up our home base. With a stellar line-up in front of us we set out to fill up on some food and sample the mead from the local Redstone Meadery. The short lines and reasonable prices were again welcoming and a Greek salad hit the spot. After sampling several of the fine meads we decided that the Black Raspberry was the one for us and wandered around a bit before getting distracted by the music coming from the stage. Australian Paul Kelly had been playing for a short while and had just invited tour mates Vikki and Josh from The Waifs to join him on stage. While these are lofty comparisons, Paul has been referred to as the Australian Bruce Springsteen and his subtle melodies and phrasing suggest Mark Knopfler. He has been recording music since the late 70’s and his 75 minute set drew on new and old albums alike. He was new to me but I will certainly try to dig up a couple of his records. He was very well received and I am looking forward to hearing more about Paul Kelly in the future.

Being a transplant to Colorado from the Northeast, the next act to hit the stage was a long-time favorite of mine. Former Strangefolk member, Reid Genauer, and his band, The Assembly of Dust, were about to give the Folks Fest crowd a glimpse into the Jamband world. Genauer was a perfect choice for the festival as his intricately crafted songs paint pictures in your mind nearly as well as anyone else on the Folks Fest bill (yes Kristofferson is in his own league). Lyrics such as "Sipping beer on aging porches, Crooked walls, built before my birth," led Glide Magazine to call him a "Verbal Photographer," and that sums it up quite well.

The Assembly of Dust's set included several tracks of their most recent offering, An Honest Hour, including Man with a Plan, Honest Hour, Bus Driver, Fountain and a set ending version of Speculator that wove in verses of Neil Young's seminal classic, Comes A Time. Early in the set a rousing version of The Band's Up On Cripple Creek drew a big reaction from the crowd and really filled up the dancing area by the river. I think that this gig introduced A.O.D. to a very accepting new audience who will be happy to welcome them into their hearts and CD collections. I heard Genauer commenting backstage later in the afternoon that they had sold nearly every copy of Honest Hour they had brought with them. Well Done!

After a sweat soaked A.O.D. left the stage and headed to the country store to sign some autographs, one man band Andrew Bird took his spot behind the mic and proceed to wow the crowd with his expertise at layering and looping as he played a variety of instruments to create a set of original, and if nothing else, very creative songs. Bird's star has been rising recently and while I was glad to see him perform so I could make my own judgment, I don't think I'll be rushing out to purchase his material or see him live again any time soon. In my opinion he would have been better off had he played before A.O.D. and let their classic rock infused sounds melt into the Canadian country rock of Blue Rodeo.

Blue Rodeo isn't really my thing either and I was largely backstage taking advantage of the dollar beers and the shelter of the hospitality tent. However, I have to say that they had the attention of the crowd. In Canada they routinely sell out 20,000 seat hockey arenas and have a very loyal following. They aren't as big in the States but that might change. For better or worse, country music is incredibly popular and these guys are talented and do have a catchy sound. Keep your eye on Blue Rodeo if you are a fan of Robert Earl Keen, Old 97's or Delbert McClinton.

At this point in the weekend things were starting to wind down, people were packing up tents and the better food was running low in the vending area. However, no one was leaving. In fact I think people were still arriving with two of the most charismatic performers on the bill still to perform.

Martin Sexton had spent the hour or so before his set hanging with the boys from A.O.D. and that seemed to warm him up just fine as he came out full of contagious energy. Backed by only a drummer, Sexton bounced all over the stage plucking out his unmistakable rhythmic melodies. Just three or four songs into his set the entire audience was on their feet for the first time all weekend. Sexton kept the audience going for a bulk of his set by keeping the tempo upbeat. His ditty Diggin' Me about what's good about a first date got laughs out of good natured crowd and perennial favorite Angeline did not disappoint. By far the most spirited set of the weekend Sexton got the capacity crowd of 3,600 fully warmed up for the woman they had come to hear; Ani Difranco.

We had spotted the newly pregnant Difranco backstage and hanging out in the river earlier in the day with Donna from the Waifs. 11 years since she last played the Folks Fest, it was clear that she enjoyed the warm friendly environment that surrounds the festival. She took the stage at 9 to a thunderous ovation. Seating etiquette had unfortunately been brushed aside as people pushed forward to get the best view possible at one of Difranco's few gigs of the summer. Flanked by percussionist extraordinaire Mike Dillon and bassist Todd Sickafoose she opened her 18 song set with God's Country, clearly a nod the beautiful night and venue. Throughout the 90 minute set she showcased several songs from her new record, Reprieve, including Half-Assed, Decree, Unrequited and the festival closing Hypnotized. Difranco is truly a great performer I can’t deny that, but it was Mike Dillon's contribution that really caused me to take notice. His sparse percussion complimented her songs perfectly and he accented her melodies expertly on the Xylophone.

While Difranco's set was a great way to wrap up over thirty hours of music in one of the most beautiful venues there is, The Assembly of Dust, Martin Sexton stood out a bit more to me. However, I can't stop thinking about the power of Kris Kristofferson's Saturday night performance. There is something about seeing those songs sung by the man who wrote them that will stick with me for years to come.

Organization: A+
Crowds: A-
Sound: A
Prices: A
Line-Up: B+
Venue: A+

Overall: A

FEATURE: Cirque du Soleil’s "Delirium" Combines Circus, Cinema and Rock Concert

Cirque du Soleil has made a name for themselves by pushing the limits of what we, as children, knew to be a circus. Over the past 22 years, their awe-inspiring productions have put the Ringling Brothers to shame. Sure, there are acrobats and clowns, trampolines and trapezes, but there is something else, something that puts Cirque du Soleil into a category all its own: a completely fearless approach to performance art.

Guy Laliberté, a founder and currently the President of Cirque du Soleil, has put together 17 shows over the years in big tops, casinos, and theaters around the world. His troupe’s current show, Delirium, has ventured into uncharted territory for the troupe: the sports arena. Usually reserved for the likes of The Rolling Stones, U2, and Paul McCartney, Delirium aims to prove that the Cirque du Soleil experience can translate in a much larger setting.

Laliberté approached Canadian multimedia wizards Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon of 4D Art to create and direct the massive project. “(Laliberté) basically said to us, ‘I know your work, I like your work. Go wild, do whatever you want.’ And that’s what we did. It was like a dream for us,” said Lemieux in a recent interview with me from his home in Montreal. Having been involved with two other major Cirque du Soleil productions, Lemieux and Pilon are no strangers to the surreal and dreamlike world of Cirque du Soleil and the project came very naturally to them.

The production’s 130 foot long stage bisects the arena right down the middle, from basket to basket, effectively splitting the audience into two large theaters facing each other. This relatively intimate setting is dwarfed by 540 square feet of projection area, roughly the equivalent to four IMAX screens. The massive set ensures there is not a bad seat in the house. “If you are sitting far from the stage you experience a very cinematographic show, you experience the entire show as if it were on a movie screen,” Lemieux said. “If you sit right up front it is a very different kind of show. You see the sweat of the performers and you really have to swing your head to catch it all but you are part of the action.”

Images of prerecorded and live footage projected on the floor-to-ceiling screens emanate from 30 high intensity projectors around the arena. The images at once help to spin a tale of a man attempting to escape the realities of his world and also highlight the musicians that provide the live music that is a focus of the show.

For the first time, Cirque Du Soleil has decided to emphasize the musical portion of the show by showcasing live musicians on the stage and employing mainly English lyrics instead of the invented languages that they have relied on in the past. “You are at a movie, you are at the circus, and you are at a rock show, all at the same time,” said Lemieux.

Delirium’s focus on live music is made possible by the genius of Francis Collard, who was called upon to be the musical director of the production. Twenty-one songs were chosen from Cirque du Soleil’s catalogue of an estimated 500, by an 11-member committee made up of Cirque du Soleil directors and creative minds. It is Collard’s arrangements of these songs that combine to be the percussive pop and electronic soundtrack to the show.

The soundtrack is presented live by an elaborately costumed group of performers made up of 11 musicians and six singers. Gaia, a Brazilian band that makes their home in Montreal, holds the sound together as the ‘house band.’ Their eclectic and heavily percussive sound lends itself perfectly to the “urban tribal beat” that dominates the music of the production.

While music and visual effects are clearly the most dominant elements of the show, fans of Cirque du Soleil won’t be disappointed to hear that the trademark acrobatics and circus performances have not been left out. “They go all over the world and audition all different kinds of artists and performers and they have compiled this amazing video bank of all those screen tests,” said Lemieux, reflecting on the talent pool he had access to. “It is truly an amazing reservoir of people to choose from who are all unique in their own way.”

All of these highly choreographed elements blend together effortlessly to become a multimedia spectacle of unprecedented proportions. Delirium is a two-hour trip deep into the minds of some of the most wildly creative individuals alive. It offers the audience the unique opportunity to see into the future of performance, a harbinger of what’s to come in the blockbuster business of stadium and arena rock shows.

REVIEW: Bonnie Raitt - August 29th, 2006 - Red Rocks, Morrison, CO

Scene: This show might well have been sold out. It was packed to the top of the amphitheater. The average age was probably a little over 40 with all sorts of people represented. There were bikers, hippies, preppy people and just about everyone in between. Bonnie sure has a diverse fanbase. The weather was beautiful about 70 with a slight chill in the air. Perfect late August night.

Opener: Keb' Mo. I have been listening to Keb for more than 10 years now and while I think his more recently albums don't highlight his strength in acoustic blues, I love seeing him perform live. His set was about 50 minutes and concentrated on material from his new album Suitcase. It was a strong set and after the first few songs he really loosened up and began to show his trademark charm. Toward the end of the set he picked up the pace and really got the crowd going with some scorching solos. The standouts in his tight five piece band were the bassist and the harmonica chops of his touring keyboard player. As he left the stage to a standing ovation the road crew brought out two chairs. As I expected Keb emerged seconds later hand in hand with Bonnie Raitt. Each played acoustic guitar trading licks and verses on one of my favorite Keb Mo tunes: Every Morning from his first album. Our first taste of Bonnie's voice for the night proved to me that she hasn't lost a step since she first played Red Rocks back in 1976, in fact her voice may be better than it was early in her career.

Bonnie Raitt: The lights went down about 8:45 and Raitt and her band took the stage to a thunderous ovation. Dressed a flowing blue blouse that called to mind Dolly Parton, they opened the show with "Roadrunner," an old blues tune by Jr. Walker. That just gave us a taste of the blues she would serenade us with for the next hour and 45 minutes. Raitt and her band were having a great time all night, whether they were raging through a stomping blues tune, forgetting a lyric or berating President Bush, it was all smiles.

In my book keyboard player Jon Cleary would have stolen the show had it not been for the legend he shared the stage with. His New Orleans piano and Hammond B3 solos thrilled the crowd and had Raitt singing his praises all night. (His own band, Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, is well worth the price of a ticket you ever get the chance). He got the chance to show off his vocal skills on a couple of tunes including a duet with Raitt on "Unnecessarily Mercenary" a track from her latest album Souls Alike. His own "Fools Game" was dedicated to anyone in the audience who had been a "fool in love."

Midway through the set Raitt acknowledged the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina hitting Cleary's home town of New Orleans and dedicated "God Was In the Water" to all of the victims and survivors of that terrible storm. Raitt made another, more difficult, dedication shortly after when she dedicated "Nick of Time" to her parents whom she recently lost. While her voice didn't crack once, she could be seen wiping tears away as she sang. The emotion that came through in her voice throughout the show frequently had members of the audience wiping away tears of their own. Despite this she got the crowd up on their feet and dancing several times throughout the night with songs like "Something to Talk About" and my personal favorite "Papa Come Quick" off of her Luck of the Draw album.

An emotionaly charged and highly energetic show came to an end with Keb Mo joining Raitt and her band on stage. Their enthusiastic and playful cover of Wilson Pickett's 634–5789 was an upbeat way to send the crowd off into the night.

Energy: A-
Sound: A-
Muscianship: A
Stage Presence: A
Set/Light Show: B+

Overall: A-

REVIEW: Wolf Parade - August 28th, 2006 - Fox Theatre, Boulder, CO

Scene: SOLD OUT! Crowd was largely college students just back from summer with a smattering of late twenty and thirtysomethings. Definately a different vibe than had the show been in Denver but people were really excited for the show and the energy in the venue was great.

Opener: Frog Eyes. Wolf Parade Keyboard player, Spencer Krug's other band. I knew almost nothing about these guys and was pleasantly surprised. Their lead singer (Carey Mercer) posseses an almost superhuman energy and passion for performing. Looking like his preshow routine includes downing about 10 cups of jet black coffee Mercer sings through tons of distortion and effects creating an almost dreamlike soundscape of words, yodels and other vocal stylings that layered beautifully on top of the bands high energy fast paced pop punk sound. It is clear that these guys have the energy and passion to make a great record, now I just have to get one and see how the energy comes across in the studio. Overall a great opening set from Frog Eyes.

Wolf Parade: I got an email from a friend of a mine a couple of weeks ago that said "Wolf Parade: These guys hit their instruments so hard." It's true . . . it is a loud show that is short on subtlety. While the sound in the Fox is generally amazing, I lost some of the lyrics during the Wolf Parade set. It was almost as if the vocals weren't high enough in mix or maybe everyone else on stage was just making too damn much noise. That being said these guys put on a solid show. Clocking in at 1 hour it was on the shorter side, but then again, what can you expect from a band with only one album. In addition to You Are A Runner and I am My Father's Son, Modern World, Shine A Light and Dinner Bells (with help from Frog Eyes) from the Apologies to the Queen Mary CD they also tried out a couple of new songs. In general the new material was solid but Krug's experiments on the acoustic guitar left a little to be desired. Using it as more of a percussion instrument than a guitar I think the bands sound is better off if he sticks to the keys where he clearly adds depth to the sound.

While clearly influenced by fellow Montrealers The Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade lacks the majesty of The Arcade Fire in both sound and performance at this point.

Wolf Parade are on the rise, they are a young band with good songs, lots of energy and a solid fan base. If they can clean up their live sound a little bit I think they will capitalize on all the buzz and stick around for a bit.

Energy: A-
Sound: B-
Musicianship: B-
Stage Presence: B
Set/Light Show: C-

Overall Rating: B

Welcome!

So here I am in the world of the "Blog."

A friend suggested I give this a shot so I figured what the hell. I am constantly going to see live music and writing a good deal anyway so I have lots of material to pull from.

I will be posting monthly feature articles on bands coming to the Denver area. These articles will also run in the Marquee Magazine (www.marqueemag.com), Your One Stop Shop for Music on the Front Range. I will also be posting reviews of live shows that I attend. Please check back regularly for updates and feel free to make comments.

Thanks!
Tim