I’ve come to believe there are two reasons to attend a concert: 1) you go because you are a fan, or 2) you go to become a fan. The latter was certainly the case for me this weekend as I made my first trip to the famed Red Rocks amphitheater to see Brandi Carlile.
Brandi Carlile has always been one of those singer-songwriters who has been on the periphery of artists I like but I had never quite listened to her work before. I was familiar with her name, knew she was in the folk/Americana genre, and had heard some of her stuff without knowing it was exactly her. But when I mentioned her to people I knew and liked and also my ex-wife, they always raved about how amazing she was.
All of this led me to Morrison, Colorado Saturday night. At the prodding of someone I am not revealing to you yet, we grabbed tickets to see her on the second night of a two-night set with the Colorado Symphony. Y’all what a trip.
A couple things about Red Rocks: it’s one of the bucket list venues in the country due to its amazing acoustics, absolutely stunning vistas, and perfect vibes. It holds about 9 or 10,000 people. It also sits on the traditional homelands of the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho peoples, making it a special place indeed.
The concert wasn’t supposed to begin until about 7:30 so we did what any self-respecting Coloradans would do: we tailgated. We picked up some drinks on the way (cans only; bottles not allowed) and set up a little spread of meats and cheeses because one of the joys of adulthood is making charcuterie boards. I also got to bring my super sweet cooler that goes with my paddleboard, which people complimented us on. That made me feel nice.
The walk up to the amphitheatre is pretty cool. There’s a good vibe when you realize that you’re about to hang out with 10,000 people who like the same stuff as you. I was last here in 2018 but not to a concert so it was cool to see the place so alive.
It’s hard to put into words what kind of performer Brandi Carlile is. I think the best word is storyteller. She has amazing vocals and the technical musicianship one has to possess to perform with an orchestra must be out of this world. I kept thinking how it must feel to be in her shoes and see all these people coming out to see you. She struck me as incredibly down to earth, but measured and confident in her abilities. I supposed having ten thousand people come see you on a mountain must be good for one’s self esteem.
I had listened to her do a podcast with Rolling Stone talking about her influences: Joni Mitchell, Bonnie Raitt, Dolly Parton, and perhaps unexpectedly Chris Cornell (this endeared her to me even more. RIP, Chris). This was evident in her singing and performance.
What blew my mind was that she opened with a cover of Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah.” Folks, you DO NOT cover Jeff Buckley, and especially not that song. But she DID. And she killed it. It set the stage for two hours of real performance. Here’s a short clip from that. And goodness did she have the audience wrapped around her finger.
My favorite song she sang was The Eye. The three part harmony on that song is just incredible. Here’s the video from 2015:
Brandi went through a lot of her catalog. She told a lot of stories. Ultimately she closed the night with a cover of Queen’s “We Are the Champions.” The whole place sang along.
I have to admit that at 47, I was kind of hoping the concert would start sometime around 4pm so I could be done and in bed by 8 because I am an Old. As it turned out, we didn’t get out until well after midnight and home by 1am. I’m still tired (again, an Old). But what a show.
I went and became a fan.
I’m still learning her catalog, but if there’s something I should hear, hit me in the comments below.
This week in HATM
Ok so we have a LOT coming at you this week. I’ll be recording with Lou Moore Monday afternoon to talk about his new book and the film Any Given Sunday. I’ve been a fan of Lou’s for a long time, so I’m excited to have this conversation.
We’ll be releasing an archived edition of The American President with Lindsay Chervinsky in celebration of her new book. Plus, on Thursday we’ll be releasing a pod, not about a movie, but an actor. Get ready for our Nicolas Cage episode coming later this week.
In the meantime, if you haven’t had a chance to check out our episode with the amazing Kellie Carter Jackson, you can below.
Alright kids, by the time you read this it’ll be Monday. Thanks for taking the time and thanks for being part of this community.
JWH
The lesbians have always known Brandi. Her influences also include Tanya "Mother" Tucker. Did you see the documentary Brandi made of her? Hard to pick a favorite of hers. When she played "The Joke" at the 2019 Grammys her popularity went through the roof. It's a great song. So glad you got to experience her music and Red Rocks in that way. I wish I could have been there.