photo by leslie loudspeaker

Last night I saw the perfect mix of artist and venue, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes at Red Rocks. I had only seen them live once before, at Belly Up in Aspen, and had positive hopes that it would be a good show. Totally underestimated them, it was one of the best shows I’ve seen there, the theatrical spirituality of the band just worked so well in the amphitheater. Opener Alabama Shakes were solid as always, they had the audience much more than when I saw them open for Neil Young and Crazyhorse. It was packed even in the reserved seats, and some of the audience thinned out after their set. Meanwhile, the whole sky was pink and the weather was the most perfect I’ve ever seen up there. Colorado, you’re beautiful!

photo by leslie loudspeaker

As soon as they started setting up the massive set for Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, you knew it was going to be stepped up a notch. Wow! I have never heard vocal microphones sound more crystal clear, you could hear his every murmur. Starting the night off with 40 Day Dream, the audience knew every word and clapped almost too enthusiastically. This one guy in front of us was slapping his hands together on his leg like Spoon Man, and lo and behold it was Kevin Connolly from Entourage. Then I realized the guy who looked like Josh Lucas WAS Josh Lucas, we were sitting in the middle of the cast and crew for the Leonardo DiCaprio produced movie Dear Eleanor that is filming right now in Colorado. Funny. I thought Liana was a rich teenage model at the beginning of the show, Hollywood starlet isn’t too far off, she’s beautiful and had some awesome gold metal toed brown booties on. *update! She told me the boots, I love these babies.

Edward and his crew played two never been heard songs with him quipping “well, you gotta start somewhere”, and asked the audience if they had heard this rumor that everyone dies, but then ended the night asking if we’d heard the one that said you could live forever. I eat this stuff up. So does everyone else apparently, when they finished the set with “Home” the whole place became a celebratory hands in the air, clapping hootenanny. They encored with “Lean on Me”, asking the Shakes to join them then “well, we don’t know where they are” as people put their arms on each other’s shoulders. It was like Girl Scout Camp but BETTER.