Saturday nights with The String Cheese Incident at Red Rocks tend to have an intimate and “settled in” kind of feeling, with the band seemingly relaxed and ready to get the rocks a-rollin’ in their (and our) happy place. This year continued in that tradition as we all kicked the evening off with the cursory Saturday Red Rocks introduction by friend, band accountant and spirit animal, Jack Mento. While the evening was simply billed as a special night with the Boys, we were definitely in for some treats to celebrate the 30th year Colorado run!
You know you’re in for a ride when the night kicks off with a Texas, and boy did we ride! The energy was high right out of the gate as Billy relayed the infamous tale and Kang led the band into high intensity jam. Up next, Keith stepped in with the title track off their newest album, Lend Me a Hand, to cool things off a touch and take us down a classic dirt road of Americana beauty. The mellow vibe then meandered its way into another Kang number, Betray the Dark, picking up the energy and getting everyone deeper into the vibe of the night, followed by Kyle’s funky Let’s Go Outside.
While the night wasn’t initially billed with any guests, the Boys weren’t going to run solo for their 30th party, and proceeded to bring out long-time friend Dominic Lali of Big Gigantic. Kang introduced the next song as one he’d been enjoying a lot with his kids, and surprised the crowd with a fun cover of Post Malone’s Sunflower. With Dom remaining on stage they continued into the instrumental Pack It Up, making its first appearance in the 2024 rotation.
The next surprise was introducing old friend Liza Oxnard to the stage to join Dom, and everyone rolled into a very fun and funked up Groove Is in the Heart cover (Deee-Lite)! Keeping on the funky train, Kyle once again stepped up and closed out the first set with a feisty Rosie, also backed by Dom and Liza.
After a mellow set break the stage darkened and the boys returned with Kang picking up the fiddle as the haunting opening notes and beats of Valley of the Jig got everyone back on their feet for a rousing spacey reel to kick things off. Next up was one of the newest songs in the band’s repertoire, Roll Around the Sun, released only a few months ago. Quite a musical journey ready to unfold in that one as it grows into its own!
Not quite done with the friends and family side of the show, Kang introduced Dave Satori of Beats Antique to the stage for a special sit-in on Bhangra Saanj, a song they’d co-wrote in 2018 as part of the Sound Lab project. Up to this point Billy hadn’t stepped into the forefront since the evening opener, so it was time to take things back to some roots as he launched the band into a beautiful classic, Restless Wind. Always a favorite as the breezes carry the dance of mandolin and acoustic guitar between the iconic towering monoliths of the venue.
Following the hoedown (or was it a hootenanny…?) Kang stepped up once again and dove full-throttle into Just One Story, a racing tale of a jam that wound its way into Kyle’s The Big Reveal. As the musical reminiscence of Grateful Dead days faded, Billy once again stepped up to the front for the long-time favorite space-reggae jam that is Shantytown, taking us deep into a melodic and rhythmic saunter into the woods. Kang got us all back onto the trail to the finish line as the driving opening of Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir took everyone into a powerful and raucous dub-step finale to end the set.
After a short break, Keith brought the evening encore straight to the heart with a beautiful Sirens, just to say I love you to us all. The jam found its way into the closing refrain of the Just One Story, begun in the middle of the second set, and Kang once again stepped up to send us all home for the night with a big, cheesy smile. All in all, an amazing ride into the heart of 30 years of Saturday nights!
Set One:
Texas, Lend Me A Hand, Betray The Dark, Let’s Go Outside, Sunflower, Pack It Up, Groove Is In The Heart, Rosie
Set Two:
Valley Of The Jig, Roll Around The Sun, Bhangra Saanj, Restless Wind, Just One Story > The Big Reveal, Shantytown > Kashmir
Encore
Sirens > Just One Story (Reprise)
