A Night at Red Rocks with Trampled by Turtles

Near the end of last year, in reflection of what I'd accomplished over 12 months, I set a goal; that i would in the next year, shoot a concert at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. This past week that goal came to fruition. As i walked into the gargantuan venue, the mile high Colorado air clinging to my every step, I felt in complete awe; what a breathtaking venue this place is. The reason(s) for my attendance on the night were a group of badass musicians, bluegrass-folk fusion allstars Trampled by Turtles; the band was joined in support by Amigo the Devil.

While i can't say where i first heard Amigo the Devil's name or music (not that i don't remember), I knew immediately this dude was for real; which is to say the man can play, sing, and write his ass off. Even so, the best part of this set was just listening to [Amigo] shoot shit in between (and even during) songs; the music was killer but this guy had the entire audience in stitches for most of the set. When the music slaps and the jokes are flowing, what else can you have but a good time? Amigo the Devil is my kind of performer, I just hope this is only the first of many shows I get to catch from him.

If you hadn't noticed by now, or if this is your first time reading my work, my music taste is about as varied as it gets; name a genre and i can probably name a song and artist that I love, or at the very least connect with. So it should come as no surprise to hear me say, I love me some bluegrass. However, this was my fist chance to hear the real thing up close, and like the venue, I was thoroughly impressed by Trampled by Turtles.

These guys don't play bluegrass like your great-great grandpappy did; they can twang and finesse with the best of em, but when they kick it into gear it's downright electrifying. While I [in my humble opinion] happen to date one of the best Violinists around, watching Ryan Young blaze on his fiddle was gobsmacking. All of these guys are absolute maestros, and I can honestly say I've never heard [and seen] strings played like this; the precision, the joy, the energy, it was all so infectious.

I don't think my first trip to Red Rocks could've turned out any better. A year ago I couldn't have imagined this, and here I sit writing these words. So, with my biggest venue goal so far checked off the bucket list, I stand ready to climb higher; for wherever the music plays loudest, I will go.

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