Music on the Rocks -

By Pat Marek

Photos Alex Robinson

As anticipated, Billy & the Kids followed by Railroad Earth at Red Rocks Amphitheater was a massive show. The return of Railroad Earth is always a special event, especially to a venue like Red Rocks. Immediately upon arriving you hear attendees discussing where they had traveled from to be here on this particular night: Boston, New Orleans, Portland, Austin, Kansas City. People from all over flock to Colorado, to Red Rocks Amphitheater because they know something special is in store.

It’s hard to sum up seeing a legend play at Red Rocks. Bill Kreutzmann(of the Grateful Dead) and the “kids” pulled out wonderful classics like everyone’s favorite, Scarlet Begonias, The Other One and Feel Like a Stranger. To see a man like Bill Kreutzmann, who has been playing shows and touring for decades, sit behind his drum-kit smiling throughout the entirety of his time on stage was both exciting and inspiring.

A wonderful surprise was when Railroad Earths violinist, Tim Carbone, joined them briefly on stage for a song. A fellow show-goer said out loud(to no one in particular), “Incredible. Absolutely incredible. I can’t believe I’m witnessing this right now.” And then. The time had finally come for Railroad Earth. The song “Colorado” was on the tip of everyone’s tongues and a loud roar from the crowd erupted when the intro started.

Railroad Earth played two sets plus an encore to put to shame any question of their abilities as musicians. A fellow fan immersed in the crowd commented about their second set, “I was just waiting for them to play ‘Hard Livin’…just waiting. It was unreal. Beautiful night on the rocks”. This show wasn’t just audibly stunning, but visually magical as well. Looking around at all of the smiling faces at this show it was very clear that seeing music at Red Rocks is not just going to a concert but experiencing a show.