John Butler Trio at Red Rocks and La Roux Letdown
June 7, 2010 Leave a Comment
JBT logo on Red Rocks
There are few things that can top the music scene in Colorado during the summer. Over the weekend we enjoyed State Radio, Medeski Martin and Wood, and John Butler Trio at my favorite venue of all time, Red Rocks. The most touching part of the JBT set was when he brought his wife out to harmonize with him on Losing You. I liked that song when I heard it a few weeks ago but I loved hearing it live– I couldn’t help but feel he was singing it to her on stage in front of all of us and I got teary-eyed. I had been told that that their acoustic ability was out of this world but it really took hearing it in person to truly understand the irmagnificent talent.
Such an incredible concert-going experience on Friday night really set the atmosphere for Saturday night’s expectations of La Roux at the Ogden. With tickets that said the doors would open at 9:00 with an opening act, we felt it would be safe to show up at 10:00 sharp. Wrong. We heard 2.5 songs in La Roux’s set before she shouted a post-encore, “Thank you, Denver!” and exited the stage at 10:25. As if the fact that two tickets for her show were around $66 wasn’t disappointing enough, she sounded incredible for the few moments we did get to listen, which made it even more bittersweet. We heard In for the Kill, a new song called Fascination, and an encore of Bulletproof. I am quick to blame the Ogden Theatre, as I have in other posts. Joining Passion Pit and Phoenix, La Roux is the third show I’ve seen there in 2010 that seems to end before it really even begins.
La Roux - I'll never let you sweep me off my feet
There are flyers around the theatre bathrooms begging concert-goers to be quiet and “respect the neighbors” when leaving the venue. Neighborhood noise ordinance issue? What is the deal? This was the last straw for me. I won’t be forking over any more hard-earned cash for their shows. For what we heard on Saturday night, we paid $26.40+ per song. Unless the singer is serenading you alone in the comfort of your own home, how do you justify that cost? A couple of friends have suggested that staying in falsetto for that long strains the vocal chords and perhaps La Roux herself is to blame for the short length of the show. Who knows? It was a letdown, regardless.
Both of these photos were taken with Drew’s Nexus One phone. That thing seriously aims to impress!
Have you been disappointed with a music-going experience lately?
