
The most obvious observation I pulled from last Thursday’s concert at Red Rocks was that people are jubilant to be free of quarantine and the isolation that we all just lived through. Folks are so glad to be back to regular life! All night long you could watch people stop dancing to turn around and absorb the massive audience they were a part of and realize they made it to the other side, Red Rocks was our collective reward. A treat for enduring the massive shit-show that was the pandemic, a proverbial Scooby snack in the form of a celebration at the greatest place on earth thrown by The Revivalists!
Neal Francis opened the party with a high-energy set of largely original songs with a taste of “Baba O’Riley” thrown in. Most concertgoers seemed not to be familiar with Neal, but he left a lasting impression that will bring them back the next time he plays Denver. The guy had a whammy bar on his keyboard! He was original to say the least. Look out for this guy down the road, I have a hunch he’s going to be turning heads.
Just as night fell, The Revivalist took the stage and lit a fire so bright they saw it in New Orleans. Right out of the gates they let everyone know they were excited to be unleashed & throwing down with us good people. David Shaw was as sharp with his mixed delivery of fast vocals and soulful singing as his massive bands was with their on-point delivery of their signature sound. It was thrilling to hear such a solid unit after such a long break from hearing a live show at all. There was no flinching, they delivered a balls-to-the-wall opening eight songs that had everyone on their feet dancing like it was the biggest party of their lives. Then, with a timed break in the pace starting with “Fade Away,” the band ramped the rest of the set to a climactic take on the INXS gem “What You Need” into “Got Love” to end the set. Even the non-smokers wanted a cigarette after that excitement. The three song encore sealed the deal. This band is on fire and daring the world to douse their flame.
I now know from personal experience, vaccines are a gateway drug to concerts, so let’s vax up and get down!
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