Waking up to a perfect Colorado bluebird sky, it was clear to see that Friday, July 15th, was the epic start to a 3 night String Cheese Incident run at one of the most beautiful amphitheaters in the world, Red Rocks. These local musicians always make their Red Rocks run extraordinary because Colorado is home to these guys, so we knew there was an epic first set in store.
The TAUK boys kicked off the night with some of their diverse sounds, ranging from filthy funk to classic rock, even fusing the two with some hip hop. These guys come all the way from Oyster Bay, New York and after witnessing them tear it up at Red Rocks, I found there truly is no stopping this band. They seriously love what they do and I see nothing but huge success for this young band. Currently in the midst of their fourth album, I’m sure fans can’t wait to get even more TAUK in their lives.
Members Bill Nershi, Micheal Kang, Michael Travis, Jason Hann, Kyle Hollingsworth and Keith Moseley of SCI finally appeared on stage to whoops and hollers. Beginning the night with a personal favorite, ‘Texas’, everyone sang along every word aloud while sharing smiles. Michael Kang absolutely slayed on vocals while grinning from ear to ear, reminding us that it’s always a special time to watch these guys beaming from the stage. I was also reminded how the Cheese crowd is my favorite – these shows are meant for all ages,so it is heartwarming to see families bringing their friends, babies, and grandparents that have been seeing this band for decades. The energy that gave off throughout this show was serious bliss; from the fans exchanging compliments to singing along the lyrics to every hit they played really called for a special night.
Considering SCI are vets at throwing their own shows and music festivals such as Electric Forest and Suwannee’s Hulaween, it is always such a pleasure to see what kind of lights and production they will bring to Red Rocks. A serious highlight from the second set was another personal favorite called ‘Ms Brown’s Tea House.’ Every fan knows this song and it definitely brought on some of the strongest feels of the night. Friday night’s encore was one for the books, with ‘River Trance’, a perfect ending to the first night and the next two days ahead.
I’ve seen these guys perform a lot and that was by far my favorite encore to date – something about the violin gives me chills throughout my body. String Cheese Incident has changed the music game by throwing yet another groundbreaking live performance and we cannot wait for them to return to the Rocks in 2017.
All photos by Selin Ponce for Compose Yourself Mag
