Bluebird Music Festival 23Apr22-24Apr22

Simply awesome... we liked the acts, the venue, the sound, the format (basically 30-40 minute sets and quick changeovers); we liked it all. Kala & I were fortunate to attend the 3rd annual Bluebird Music Festival held in Macky Auditorium on CU campus in Boulder, CO this weekend. We held "Golden Circle" tickets, meaning we sat right up front center for each of the 4 sessions. I'd done my homework for the shows and knew a bit of the music of most of the artists. Here are the limited edition concert poster and our VIP bracelet for the concerts.

We arrived in Boulder in time for shrimp tacos @ LaChoza before doors opened at 1pm on Sat. We also had time for some walks and pics around CU, including in front of the Flatirons and Macky Concert Hall. We queued early as typical for me (to assure position A) and enjoyed the company of strangers.

We were 2nd in line so once inside we scored front row center. Ultimately it's only drawback was some early peskiness from the light guy who shined directly in our eyes on occasion - during an act changeover, a discussion with him tamed his "artistry."

The first session of Strings & Stories brought the team shown (in playing order of right to left). Cole Scheifele is a CO local and sang softly of sad stuff. Performance was very understated but the sound was fine, even in the front row. Too quiet. Up next was another "new to me" artist from the West Virginia named Scott T Smith. He showed off a full voice with blues orientations and some keen guitar playing (as did his accompanying friend). Third to stage was the spectacular Lone Bellow. We'd seen Lone Bellow before in Summit Co but they were more refined in this great theater environment. The harmonies were gorgeous and the playing was stunning. Ultimately on the session, these guys were our favs. Even the mic/sound rigging was keen - a single Ear Trumpet Labs Delphina mic captured all three acoustics stringed instruments and all their great voices. I've only seen the Milk Carton Kids and Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway attempt this setup before - only viable on a very quiet stage and good theater; it was very fun. Finally for the afternoon was Colin Meloy (of the Decemberists) who sang some songs, cracked us up with stories and added a 10 minute long song-story of being in a movie with Reese Witherspoon. Most of the folks in the theater were there to see him that afternoon I'd say ~ but he was brief and mellow for such a long standing screaming & dour guy.

Cole Scheifele

Scott T Smith

The Lone Bellow

The Lone Bellow

Colin Meloy

Kala and I headed right to Cafe Aio for dinner after the show, knowing we'd need to queue for the evening performance my 5:30pm (doors @ 6pm). This is a keen Spanish/French/Moroccon spot on "The Hill." We have a fine meal of mussels and frites, charred cauliflower and cassoulete. We were there again near the front of the queue but decided to go for 5th row to avoid the lighting and check the sound a few rows deep. Easy to get there.

The evening session was to bring the group below to stage, again they'd come out in right to left order.

First out was another CO local named Emelise. She was strictly solo and had incredible voice control. She broke her voice many times with elegant control ~ in was stunning control to display but too much to hear in her works frankly. More impact could've been delivered with less. In any case her playing was stellar and accomplished. Songwriting was decent with youthful outlook. The Lone Bellow graced us again, in more formal garb and more lead mic sharing. They were completely great again, neh even better than in the afternoon. Unanimous standing ovation.

Emelise

The Lone Bellow

The Lone Bellow

Then Langhorne Slim with his full band took the stage and staged a full on revival. We were lifted to the heavens as he ran around the audience and rocked our world. A very fun performer and many in the evening audience were there to see him. His full band stayed put while he cajoled his captives to cadence clap and stand up. The later was clever as he repeated this on his finale, assuring a standing ovation. Jersey kid gone wild - singing very uplifting and positive stuff as he might've been in darker places previously.

Langhorne Slim

Langhorne Slim

Langhorne Slim

Headliner and closer for the eve was Colin Meloy. His full hour set was packed with his many hits with the Decemberists and even his prior efforts as Tarkio. He's glad to be out of Montana and into Portland where he is king of the scene. Unfortunately he was accompanied by a drunken super-fan next to Kala who incapably sang every song about 3/4 of a beat slow and off key... We all stared but he was too buzzed to ack. Colin was wicked good on 12 string and even brought harmonica into the mix. And again he was humorous with fantastic songwriting ~ but to me his donkey braying voice and regular Irish pace left me wanting for a more varied presentation set. I'm sure voice slur is sacrilege to his many wild fans at the show but that's how I heard the night.

Colin Meloy

Kala & I stayed @ Wilkes and had Sunday breakfast with Leslie at Lucile's for cajun morning fare. Tom couldn't join us as he was in Houston with the First Robotics team he mentors, winning the world championship! Congrats.

We again arrived an hour early to the queue @ Macky and again met up with our new friend John/JT. He is a big concert goer and yesterday was joined by his wife Betsy, who couldn't attend today. John's a chef but retired, with some vision issues, and always goes early to score a front row seat in order to see. Yep, Kala and I moved back to row 1 for this show ~ avoid the riff raff and bobbing heads in my way. Sound was fine up there - Macky is awesome.

The Sunday afternoon session was my primary target at this festival as it heralded the showmanship of some great lady singer/songwriters. I was there to hear Nicole Atkins and Waxahatchee primarily but happy to hear Margo Price too... we'd also be hearing again from Langhorne Slim, this time in solo acoustic form.

Nicole was as good as hoped. She played strictly solo but her voice can carry any show. Her songs and guitar were very good too. I loved it but she was a smidge of an outlier for the home crowd. I don't think as many were familiar with Nicole as others like Slim and Price on the slate (see 3min into video where she's asking for confirmation, but no one knows it's "crazy"). Nonetheless from my view it was awesome. The pics are there and even a video of "A Little Crazy."

Nicole Atkins

Nicole Atkins

Langhorne Slim played solo and wasn't at all as raucous and last night. He repeated two songs from the night's performance but was again entertaining and revivalist.

Langhorne Slim

Waxahatchee ( the creek near home, is Katie Crutchfield) was stunning with strong songs from the St Cloud album. This is a powerful reflexive album from getting sober and where the place she is strongly informs her songwriting. Fire: West Memphis, home in the south, Detroit, and more places of which she sang came through. She was accompanied on electric guitars by key members of the band from that album, Bonny Doon: Bobby Columbo and Bill Lennox, of Detroit. The sound and performance was great and left us confident but disappointed we could leave early from the evening show (with her full band) to beat the snow. Down south singin' with some dark and much less so... she even added a Bonnie Doon number for the guys. Pics and a vid...

Waxahatchee With "Bonny Doon"

Katie Crutchfield/Waxahatchee

The closer, Margo Price, was very good, and extremely dark at times, but so eclectic. I didn't know as much about her, but learned. She's from Nashville and she could play anything, sings with passion, and was casual and severely confident on stage. She offered more of a country sound but is whack strong. I can see her as the future of country - maybe she is already as I wouldn't know. She brought her husband, Jeremy Ivey, up to initially accompany her on a Spanish song of inclusion on the harmonica, and he stayed for more as she flipped and played the harmonica herself on others. They were awesome together... I liked it... this headliner is probably the "miss" of our night as the "big band" was likely fab, but we headed back to COS with flake falling and an inch on the ground as we arrived home.

Margo Price

Jeremy Ivey & Margo Price

Such a great outing. Thanks "Colorado Sound" and new friends. Tix for '23 are penned; highly recommended.