Margo Price opened the night with a lean, confident set that filled Red Rocks with outlaw grit and soul. No extravagance, just a band in full lock step, exactly the spark a cool September evening needed before the main event.
Greensky Bluegrass followed, marking their 20th headlining show at Red Rocks and celebrating 25 years as a band. Instead of musical guests, the core five members – Paul Hoffman, Dave Bruzza, Michael Bont, Mike Devol, and Anders Beck – kept the spotlight on themselves and the music that got them here. Their forthcoming album XXV, out October 31, will feature a parade of collaborators, but this night was all about Greensky alone.
They opened with “All Four,” sliding straight into the traditional “Little Maggie,” and never lost the edge. Bruzza brought grit on “Radio Blues,” while Hoffman’s vocals cut deep on “Living Over” and “In Control.” Together they nailed a warm, harmony rich cover of the Traveling Wilburys’ “Handle With Care.”
Musicianship stayed razor sharp with Bont’s banjo runs, Devol’s steady bass, and Beck’s expressive dobro all shining equally under Andrew Lincoln’s shifting light show that washed the rocks in color and amplified the music in a magical way.
Early in the set, Beck checked in with the crowd, then led into a heartfelt “Grow Together.” Later, Hoffman addressed the Evergreen, CO, school shooting from September 10, speaking as a Denver area parent, he urged the crowd to “hug a stranger.” That emotion bled into a second set centerpiece: “Leap Year” split by Pink Floyd’s “Time” and “Breathe” before returning to “Leap Year,” a dramatic arc from darkness to release.
The night closed with an encore of “Kerosene,” a final burst of urgency that left the amphitheater humming. Beck summed it up simply by saying, “We love you. Greensky Bluegrass loves you! Don’t forget that.”
Two milestones, 20 Red Rocks headlines, 25 years playing together, and a performance that proved why they’re still going strong.
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