
Reckless Kelly and Carin Mari put on a superb show at
Stargazers Theatre in Colorado Springs on April 24...
Posted originally
April 25, 2022,
and last updated April 25, 2022 by
Chuck Miller
Buena
Vista, Colorado-based singer, songwriter Carin Mari opened for Reckless
Kelly on Sunday, April 24, at Stargazers Theatre. She started
playing at 8 PM.
Mari was very, very good -- superb in fact. Her effortless
guitar playing and strong voice displayed her awe-inspiring command
of the
songs, the stage, and the adoring concert goers from the first
song until the end of her 45-minute long set. Mari is busy
with her
solo career and is also the lead acoustic and electric
guitar player for Michael Martin Murphey & the Rio Grande
Band.
She even played Murphey's biggest radio hit "Wildfire" by
request from the venue owners John and Cindy Hooton.
The approximately 350 fans in attendance rained
enthusiastic applause on her at the end of every song. She
was truly impressive, entertaining the audience with tales
from her life while finger picking her acoustic guitar
between songs.
At a little after 9 PM the five-piece Americana and
alt-country rockers Reckless Kelly walked on stage. Brothers Willy and Cody Braun, along with Jay Nazz, Joe
Miller, and Ryan Engleman played one long set that never
flagged. The highlight for me was the mid-set "Wicked
Twisted Road" from their eponymous fourth album.
I had heard some of their songs but had never seen them
perform live. It turns out they are an awesome live band. I'm a
big fan now. They had endless energy and kept the audience dancing all night long with
their great playing and well-crafted songs.

This was my first time back to the venue since COVID hit, and
I have to say it was one of the strongest nights of
live music I've ever seen at Stargazer's Theatre. The music,
sound, and crowd were that good. The venue's updated PA system and lights
are quite impressive and greatly added to my enjoyment of this
night of music.
Since it was a last minute decision to go to the show, I
didn't bring my recording equipment. Next time either act is in
town, I'll make sure to ask them if I can make a recording. I
did bring my camera and took some photos, which can be
accessed by following the links below.
Reckless
Kelly - 2022-04-24
Carin
Mari - 2022-04-24
To learn more about these amazing performers and the venue
please follow these links:
The official web site
for Reckless Kelly
Carin Mari's official
web site
Stargazers Theatre
and Event Center web site

Poudre Valley Playboys from Fort Collins, CO played an
excellent show at Pikes Peak Brewing on March 26...
Posted originally
March 27, 2022,
and last updated March 28, 2022 by
Chuck Miller
The
self described hillbilly-surf band Poudre Valley
Playboys played three high energy sets Saturday at Pikes
Peak Brewing Lager House in the COATI complex on Tejon Street in
Colorado Springs.
Starting at 7 PM they engaged the enthusiastic audience from
the start of the first set until they stopped playing after
10 PM. They performed cover versions of songs by Johnny Cash,
The Ventures and many others along with several originals in that lively
rockabilly style. The songs were short and sweet
like "El Cumbanchero" and kept the fans on the dance
floor moving.

Guitarist and singer Josh Long along with upright bassist Mark Verschoor were very
energetic and
entertaining to watch.
Most of the songs were instrumental, but Long has a nice
voice and sang lead on the songs that had lyrics. They both
have an open, friendly and inviting presence on and off the
stage. They mingled with the audience, chatting with the
people in the bar between sets and after they finished
playing for the night. I'm sure they gained some new
southern Colorado fans Saturday night.
I'm a new fan and am already looking forward to seeing them
perform again soon.
For more information about this dynamic duo visit Long's official
band web site:
Poudre Valley Playboys.

Marshall Fire Benefit Concert a fundraiser for
those affected by the wildfires premiered on February 28...
Posted originally
March 1, 2022,
and last updated March 1, 2022 by
Chuck Miller
The
pre-recorded musical celebration Marshall Fire Benefit
Concert started streaming right at 7 PM on Monday, February
28. The ticket price was $10 to view the star-studded couch
concert via veeps.com.
The 2 hour, 25-minute long virtual jam-fest was a fundraiser for Boulder
County Wildfire Fund to help ravaged survivors of the Marshall Fires.
The most devastating fire event in Colorado history started on
December 30, 2021, and burned more than 6,000 acres and
nearly 1,000 homes in Boulder County, Colorado, in 48 hours.
There is at least one confirmed death and one person still
missing from the unprecedented catastrophe.
Nick Forster, host of Boulder's
nationally syndicated radio show eTown, was the master of
ceremonies. He introduced the artists and provided
information during the fundraiser. He reported that more
than $500,000 was raised and over 6,000 tickets were sold
before the event started. The show was produced by
legendary Denver concert promoter
Chuck Morris & AEG Presents.
The broadcast started with a montage of facts and images
detailing the aftermath of the horrific wildfires. So many
houses, trees, and vehicles burned down to hollowed out
shells. Fittingly, Denver-based jazz, funk, and
soul-influenced band
The Motet was the first to play. As with most of the
acts, the band played in a studio environment with no
audience. The sound and video for all the performances was
top notch. Amos Lee, Lake Street Dive, Ben Rector, Sara Jarosz, Lyle Lovett, Sam Bush, Michael Franti, and Gregory
Alan Isokov where the first group of artists to perform. I
thought the performances were much more engaging than I see
at typical concert events. It felt like I was in the room
with them, and since the music was performed live without
overdubs, the songs were fresh and more organic than the
studio versions heard on the radio.
Later, there were more engaging performances by The California Honeydrops;
Trey Anastasio, who played two Phish songs "Sample In A Jar"
and "Ghost;" Nathaniel Rateliff; Kitchen Dwellers; Wynona
Judd & Cactus Moser; Dave Matthews; Todd Park Mohr from
Big Head Todd & the Monsters; Ryan Tedder from OneRepublic,
a band formed in Colorado Springs; and the popular Colorado
sextet The
String Cheese Incident, who also played two songs film in
front of a live audience.
Dispersed between musical acts, Forster, Colorado Governor Jared
Polis, U.S. Congressman Joe Neguse, former Denver Governor
and now-U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper, and Morris all spoke
about the devastation and the efforts to raise money to help
the people affected by it. Hickenlooper said that music is
healing, but music can't heal it all, so the people who lost
so much need our help.
The last group of performers included Old Crow Medicine Show, who
performed John Denver's Colorado anthem "Rocky Mountain
High;" Yonder Mountain String Band; Steve Miller; Vinyl
Kings; and Mihali from the band Twiddle. Denver favorites The Lumineers
closed the triumphant night right around 9:25 PM.
I thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing. It was exhilarating to
see so many performers donate their time to help raise money
for this worthwhile cause. The music was awesome,
and the music did indeed add to a sense of healing and
community. At almost two and one half hours long, there
were no dips in energy the whole time, and I saw quite a few
performers I hadn't seen before. I hope they release some of
the music as a paid download so I can hear it again.
Though the webcast is over, you can still donate to the
cause here:
The Boulder County Wildfire Fund. The site has an
abundance of
good information, and your donation is tax deductible. Please
donate if you can. The goal is to raise one million dollars.
As of this writing, they are over halfway there.

It's a brand new year and the start of my tenth year
producing this
live music recording & guitar info blog...
Posted originally
January 13, 2022,
and last updated January 15, 2022 by
Chuck Miller
2022
is not off to a great start with one of the first music
festivals of the year, Playing In the Sand
headlined by Dead & Company, being cancelled abruptly.
Reports are that as some people were on planes, flying to the venue in
Cancun, Mexico, the concert organizers cancelled the event.
Singer and guitarist John Mayer tested positive and couldn't
participate, and drummer Bill Kreutzmann backed out over his
own health concerns. That's very disappointing for the band
and fans. Hopefully the event will be rescheduled.
I've been slowly getting better at playing the guitar
since the pandemic started.
I feel like I'm getting back to the
playing level I was at in my teens and 20's. I'm also
learning more about music theory than I did when I was
younger, though I have to admit I still like working on
guitars and the associated gear more than I enjoy playing.
I'm still buying inexpensive guitars and fixing them up,
but I'm getting much more selective about what I buy. Until
recently, I considered it a learning experience to repair
and re-sell them. This year, I'm hoping to start making some
money for my efforts.
One recent acquisition I'm quite pleased with is a
beautiful Shoreline Gold, 2007 Vintage Modified Fender Squire Thinline
electric guitar. It's very close to being my dream guitar. I've always been drawn to hollow and semi-hollow
electric guitars like this one. It has plenty of upgrades too,
including aftermarket Hoagland pickups, genuine Fender tuners, Guyer compensated brass barrel saddles, and full size CTS
pots. The stock white pick guard was replaced with a black
one, which I think makes it look sharp. It sounds and plays great, too.
I'm going to make an effort to see and record some Red Rocks
concerts this summer. Music is always such a pleasure, but
the venue is equally important to the experience. I didn't
see any shows there last year because of COVID19 concerns.
This year I want to experience concerts again in that other
worldly setting in Morrison, CO.
Lulu's Downstairs in Manitou Springs is becoming my
favorite local venue. It's only about 15 minutes away. The
sound and stage are good,
and I can make excellent recordings
in there. I'd like to see and record more shows at Lulu's in
2022.
So, stay tuned for more reviews and live recordings from me this
year. I'm optimistic and hoping we get a handle on the
coronavirus and society gets closer to the old normal. I
don't think it'll take much to make 2022 better than 2021.

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