Dierks Bentley at Red Rocks

Dierks Bentley
Friday, August 29, 2008 — 7:00PM
doors open at 5:30PM

With Rodney Atkins, Cross Canadian Ragweed
$42.50 RES & GA - Buy Tickets Online - plus applicable service charges.
AEG Live is thrilled to announce 98.5 KYGO’s 2nd Annual Summer Chill Out with DIERKS BENTLEY and special guests RODNEY ATKINS and CROSS CANADIAN RAGWEED performing live at Red Rocks Amphitheatre Friday, August 29, 2008.
Dierks Bentley (who was given a family name as a first name) grew up in a nonmusical family in Phoenix AZ. He got his country music education on his own listening to recordings. He moved from listener to player when he picked up an electric guitar at age 13. He moved to Nashville at the age of 19, but he quickly grew discouraged by lack of public and professional interest coming his way. It all changed when he walked into the Station Inn, a bar where the bluegrass faithful hang out. An all-night jam session recharged his batteries and he started pursuing gigs again. He landed a job at the TNN television doing research on classic country music and by night he worked on his demos. Capitol Records heard the artist, signed him, and released his self-titled debut in 2003. Bringing his love of Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings to the forefront, “Modern Day Drifter” followed two years later and became a Top Ten hit. In 2006, he returned with Long Trip Alone, with the hit “Every Mile a Memory”.

DNC acceptance speech

Since I didn't get the tickets after applying online I decided to work the event and take my chances. It was quite and ordeal but worth it. I drove to the aquarium to get my credentials (clocked in at 8:37 am) then drove to Elich Gardens to park and took a shuttle to Invesco. Hundreds of people standing around looking and waiting for something to do. Since I signed up at the last minute I didn't have a supervisor to report to so people tried to get me on their teams. I'm asking them what my role would be and they weren't too forthcoming so I said no. I told Kay I'd join her team since she runs the floor at the Pepsi Center and they host the Avs, Nuggets and a few other teams.

We were shuffled to section 117 outside to get out of the way - just in time for Stevie Wonder's sound check. Then Cheryl Crow's sound check. Got some sun and hung out for an hour or so. Then we were sent back downstairs where they had food. We weren't told it was for us and it was kind of secrative so I walked up and asked what was up. They said it was for us. So why weren't we eating? Then Kay said we would be needed and we only had time for a quick snack. Whatever - I chowed. 2 plates as I knew it would be the only food we would see all day. And I was right.

I waited around for 2 more hours and then she told me she didn't need me. This was 2 pm! I saw Doc (from Red Rocks - he works with me) and asked if he needed help. He told me to change my shirt and join his team. I joined Tiffany (Red Rocks - see how this works?) and we were to walk on the ADA aisle to keep it clear. We were Roamers. We had 1/4 of the stadium to watch. Prime spot! Most everyone else had to work outside, underground or some other shitty location. I scored! We walked around, talked, and told people to move. That was it.

Saw Al Gore speak, Bill Richardson too and saw Stevie Wonder & Cheryl Crow again. Then we found a prime spot for Obama and cleared people out of the way so we could see ;) Seriously - "Keep moving", "You can't stand here", whatever it took to get them out of our way. I had one guy move so an Officer could stand next to me and take pictures. The guy was pissed - his look was priceless! Tiffany pulled the best one though - she walked up to a gentleman in a suit and told him to move along. He showed her his credentials and she kept telling him to move until she read them - US Secret Service - so she let him stay. HA! This is the same person who, at the Garrison Keiler show last week wouldn't let a woman throught the stage door (she didn't have a pass) and I looked up as the show started and she was one of the star performers. I still give her shit about that one. Now I can tease her about the Secret Service.

The crowd went crazy and it was like being at a concert. He spoke for quite a while and we got to listen to most of it. I'm glad I was there to witness history, and things went pretty smooth considering all of the security. Long day though and I'm beat. I have work to do today, All the ski stores have their sales today (I need ski boots) then I'm working at Red Rocks Fri Sat & Sun.

Livin the dream ;()

DNC Protest

Since I only had one day to enjoy the DNC from an outsiders perspective I decided to ride my bike downtown this afternoon to see what was going on.

Not much.

I eventually rode to Civic Center park to rest and make a few calls. All of the sudden I hear someone yell "Bikers ready!" and everyone got up and started to ride away. What the hell, I'll go too I thought. So I hopped on my bike and away we went. Turns out it was planned and we had a police escort blocking intersections and following us. We took over the streets of Denver for over an hour. Almost made it down 16th street mall but apparently that was not to be as the cops put a stop to that idea after 2 blocks. It was a cool experience and only one idiot was arrested for spitting on a cop.

It was a great afternoon and I rode around from 1-8 pm.

Tomorrow I am working at Invesco for Obama's acceptance speech. It'll be a long day but it's the only way I have to get in the stadium. Not sure if I can take pics but I'll try!

Durango / Silverton

For my birthday I decided to take Ambereen to Durango for a backpacking trip. We left on Friday and drove to Durango which is in the Southwestern corner of CO. We took the scenic route so we came in from near Silverton and entered the San Juan Range - spectacular! The mountains looked so different from what I've seen.

Found a great campground outside of town and set up camp then drove in to town for some dinner. Got back and built a fire - rare these days. Got some sleep then made it to the train station in the AM to catch the Durango Silverton Narrow Guage. It's the real deal - coal fired steam powered locomotive. We boarded and settled in for the trip to the Needlton stop where the backpackers exit.

6 mile hike with a 3,000' elevation gain (challenging for most - trust me) and we set up camp at 11,000'. Got some shut-eye so we could attempt a fourteener in the am. Hit the trail at 8:30 (that time will be relevant later) and hiked for a few hours until we got to Twin Lakes. Ran into a few hikers on their way down. Hikers (experienced ones anyways) have a funny habit of not telling you what to do or what they think you should do. Instead they'll give cues like asking where you're going and when you tell them they nod, look at their watch, look at you, look at their watch and say something like "good luck". Which really means "you should have gotten your ass out of the tent three hours earlier than you did, dumbass". Lesson learned. We made it to the saddle next to Windom Peak (one of the three fourteeners in the immediate area) when Trevor (whom we met on the train) came bounding down having bagged Windom and Sunlight that morning. He told us about the clouds he saw and how ominous they looked. I had a discussion with Ambereen about turning around. Let's just say one of us is a little more conservative than the other. After 15 minutes of talking about it, we turned around just as two hikers came screaming down from near the peak and thunder roared through the valley. Let's just say we made it down a hell of a lot faster than we made it up. Got back to the tent and took a long nap. Made dinner and went to bed - it's hard work hiking that shit! Got up the next morning and hiked back to the pickup point where we flagged down the train - which kept on going....turns out it was the early train running way late - so we caught the next one. Cool ride to Silverton where we had lunch and I got a few birthday gifts (metal sculptures) from a local artist. Wish I took a pic of him and his shop.

My Morning Jacket / The Black Keys @ RR

Great show!

My Morning Jacket - The Black Keys
Thursday, August 21, 2008 — 7:30PM
doors open at 6:00PM

With The Black Keys
$40.00 RES, $36.00 GA - Ticketmaster - plus applicable service charges.
AEG Live is excited to announce MY MORNING JACKET featuring THE BLACK KEYS performing at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Thursday, August 21, 2008.

My Morning Jacket explosive sound garners mighty praise. David Fricke reviewed My Morning Jacket’s recent SXSW , he said “You could keep biting your nails, waiting for a Zeppelin-reunion tour. Or you can see My Morning Jacket, here and now, make their own Physical Graffiti in your face.”

“There’s a theme of moral confusion that runs through the whole record,” says Jim James, frontman of My Morning Jacket, explaining the title of the band’s new album, Evil Urges. “The world today is such a confused place. Things that people think are good values are obviously twisted, but there are other things considered evil that obviously aren’t. There is real evil out there, but Evil Urges is about how all of these things that you’ve been told are evil really aren’t, unless they’re actually hurting something or somebody.”

It’s ambitious territory for the group’s fifth full-length studio album, and it’s matched by the most far-ranging, surprising, and satisfying sounds of their career. From the freak-funk electro-slam of “Highly Suspicious” to the contemplative “Sec Walkin’,” which could almost be a Nashville standard, on Evil Urges, My Morning Jacket displays the scope and fearlessness that demonstrates their growth into one of the world’s great rock & roll bands.

GARRISON KEILLOR’S A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION at Red Rocks

Suzy Bogguss - Garrison Keillor
Wednesday, August 20, 2008 — 7:30PM
doors open at 6:00PM
With Fred Newman, Guy's All-Star Shoe Band
$64.00, $44.00, $29.00 ALL RES - Ticketmaster - plus applicable service charges. AEG Live is thrilled to announce GARRISON KEILLOR’S A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION “Home of the Heart” Rhubarb Tour featuring Suzy Bogguss at Red Rocks Amphitheatre Wednesday, August 20, 2008. Doors 6:00pm || Show 7:30pm

The 2008 A Prairie Home Companion “Home of the Heart” Rhubarb Tour kicks off on August 10th for a 16-city run that will take the troupe from coast to coast. Garrison Keillor describes the ramble this way: “The Home of the Heart Tour is the soul of A Prairie Home Companion — stories from Lake Wobegon, passionate duets, the philosophy of Guy Noir, wild radio dramas starring sound-effects genius Fred Newman, and the incredible Guy’s All-Star Shoe Band.

“This is the show I'd do if I could only do one more show. It's the essence of everything from the past 34 years of Prairie Home that was funny and heartbreaking and made for great radio. The terrific Suzy Bogguss joins us for the singing, and Guy Noir reminisces about his salad days in the P.I. business, and I'll tell about the little town that time forgot and State Fairs and the first girl I loved, and we'll all sing ‘America the Beautiful’ and go home.”

Beginning its 35th season in September 2008, A Prairie Home Companion is heard by some 4 million listeners on more than 500 public radio stations nationwide, as well as on XM Radio, the Armed Forces Network Europe, the Far East Network, and in dozens of European cities via the Astra satellite network.

A Prairie Home Companion is produced by Prairie Home Productions and presented by American Public Media. The show is sponsored nationally by General Mills, Inc. and by the Sleep Number Bed by Select Comfort. Audio clips, scripts and more information on A Prairie Home Companion can be found online at www.prairiehome.org.

Freakin shoot me..........

Bruce Hornsby at Botanic Gardens

Scored some tix to the Bruce Hornsby show at the Botanic Gardens last night. It sits right on the edge of Cheesman Park and I walked over to meet Cathy who saved our place in line all afternoon. It was a mad dash to grab a prime spot when the gates opened but I grabbed a prime spot and all 6 of us enjoyed a wonderful show. I saw Bruce when he played with the Grateful Dead years ago at Buckeye Lake and boy, can he tickle the ivories.
Working a show tonite and tomorrow then off on a 5 day backpacking trip to Durango. I hear it's beautiful - will keep you posted.