Before Zac Brown Band played a note at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Monday, October 19, the evening took a deeply personal turn. Brown opened the performance with an account of his childhood, describing the abuse he experienced at the hands of his stepfather and the difficult years he spent trying to protect his mother. He recalled eating freezer-burned food in battered women’s shelters and the fear that shaped so much of his early life.
It was a heartbreaking introduction, made all the more powerful by the distance between the childhood Brown described and the stage he was about to command. Standing before a sold-out Red Rocks crowd, he shared the experiences that helped shape his relationship with music, along with the resilience it took to move beyond them.
That vulnerability is central to the band’s latest album, Love & Fear, which explores the influence of adversity, family, gratitude, and personal growth. Brown has become one of country music’s most recognizable voices, yet much of the pain behind his career has only recently become part of the story he shares publicly. Hearing that history at the beginning of the concert brought a deeper understanding to the music that followed.
The performance was the first of two consecutive sold-out nights at Red Rocks, with the October 20 show also selling out. The demand was apparent throughout the amphitheater. Every section was packed, and one detail in particular caught my attention: general admission seating didn’t begin until the rows in the 40s.
For anyone familiar with Red Rocks, that’s an unusually large reserved-seating section. Most shows I’ve covered at the venue have offered general admission much farther down the amphitheater. The decision to reserve such a substantial portion of the venue suggested considerable confidence in the band’s ability to fill premium seats, and the packed crowd made it clear that confidence was warranted.
Opening the night was Grace Potter, whose performance alone would have justified a trip to Red Rocks.
Potter has one of the most remarkable voices in contemporary rock. Her ability to move between soulful restraint and powerful, full-throated vocals gives her music an intensity that’s difficult to replicate. At Red Rocks, she was fabulous, delivering a performance that felt worthy of the setting and the enormous audience gathered before her.
Her career has crossed rock, blues, Americana, and country, and that range makes her a particularly natural fit alongside Zac Brown Band. There is a musical confidence to Potter’s performances that comes from years of experience and an unmistakable understanding of her own voice. She doesn’t need an elaborate production to make an impression. The strength of her singing and the character of her songwriting are more than enough.
As impressive as she was during her own set, Potter’s connection to the headliner made the evening even more memorable. She later returned to join Zac Brown Band for a performance of The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black,” bringing her powerful voice into a completely different arrangement and giving the crowd another highlight.
When Zac Brown Band began playing, the emotional introduction gave way to the expansive musicianship that has made them one of the most successful touring acts in country music.
Early selections including “Homegrown,” “Whiskey’s Gone,” “Toes,” “As She’s Walking Away,” and “Keep Me in Mind” gave longtime fans plenty to celebrate. These songs remain essential parts of the band’s catalog, and hearing them performed in an amphitheater as naturally suited to live music as Red Rocks reminded me why they have endured.
What has always separated Zac Brown Band from many of their contemporaries is the depth of talent onstage. The group can move through country, bluegrass, southern rock, reggae, and blues with an ease that reflects genuine musical range. Their instrumental arrangements and vocal harmonies remain central to the experience, giving even their most familiar songs a richness that recordings can only partially capture.
That musical flexibility was especially apparent as the evening moved between older favorites and songs from Love & Fear. “Hard Run,” “I Ain’t Worried About It,” “What You Gonna Do,” and “Passenger” offered a look at the band’s current creative direction, fitting comfortably into a set dominated by more than a decade of recognizable material.
The newer album carries a particularly interesting emotional perspective. Brown has spoken openly about how the difficulties of his childhood influenced the music, and that personal history changes the way some of the songs can be heard. His emphasis on gratitude and enjoying the present takes on additional meaning when placed alongside everything he described at the beginning of the night.
The band’s quieter selections also had an opportunity to shine. Acoustic performances of “No Hurry,” “My Old Man,” and “Sweet Annie” allowed the songwriting and vocal harmonies to take center stage. Against the towering rock formations surrounding the venue, the intimacy of those songs was particularly fitting.
As the performance continued, Zac Brown Band leaned further into the breadth of their catalog. “Jump Right In,” “Same Boat,” “Free,” and “Knee Deep” brought a more carefree spirit to the evening, while the band’s musical versatility was on display through familiar covers and extended arrangements.
One of the evening’s most fitting moments came through a combination of “Rocky Mountain High,” “Colder Weather,” and the Eagles’ “Take It to the Limit.” Hearing John Denver’s music performed at Red Rocks has an undeniable connection to Colorado’s musical history, while “Colder Weather” remains one of Zac Brown Band’s most affecting songs.
And naturally, a Zac Brown Band concert wouldn’t be complete without “Chicken Fried.” More than two decades into the group’s career, the song continues to connect with audiences through its celebration of familiar comforts and the things in life worth appreciating. After the deeply personal story that began the show, its themes of gratitude felt especially appropriate.
The evening was also an important stop on the band’s Love & Fear Tour, presented by Margaritaville at Sea. The partnership extends well beyond traditional tour sponsorship and includes a new venture that brings Brown’s musical identity to the cruise industry.
Brown has been named the official godfather of Margaritaville at Sea’s new Beachcomber, scheduled to begin sailing from PortMiami in January 2027. As part of the collaboration, he helped design Same Boat, an artist-curated live music venue aboard the ship. Inspired by his song of the same name, the space will feature live performances and music programming shaped by Brown’s creative direction.
The partnership also carries a connection to the late Jimmy Buffett, whose influence can be heard throughout parts of Zac Brown Band’s catalog. Brown and Buffett previously collaborated on “Knee Deep,” and Buffett appeared on a version of “Same Boat” included on the deluxe edition of The Comeback. The new venue continues that shared musical tradition while introducing it to a different audience.
Fans unable to attend the sold-out Red Rocks performances also have an opportunity to experience the concerts remotely. Both October 19 and October 20 are scheduled to be livestreamed through nugs, the concert streaming platform known for its extensive catalog of live performances and artist recordings.
The October 19 Red Rocks webcast is listed on nugs, along with a separate stream for the October 20 performance. For those who couldn’t secure tickets, the broadcasts offer another way to experience one of the band’s most anticipated stops on the tour.
There is something especially satisfying about seeing a band with such an extensive catalog continue to perform with this level of enthusiasm and musical commitment. Zac Brown Band has plenty of hits they could comfortably rely on, but the breadth of the Red Rocks performance showed a group still interested in exploring different sounds and arrangements.
Grace Potter’s exceptional opening set made the night even stronger, providing a performance that deserved every bit as much attention as its placement on the bill suggested. Her return during the headlining set was an added pleasure.
What stayed with me most, though, was the story that opened the evening. Brown’s willingness to share such painful experiences gave the performance a sense of perspective that extended far beyond the individual songs. His childhood was marked by hardship, and the path that eventually brought him to a sold-out Red Rocks Amphitheatre was anything but straightforward.
Concert photography by Zack Hartman Photography for The Concert Chronicles.
Watch the Red Rocks performances: October 19 on nugs | October 20 on nugs
Listen: Zac Brown Band — Love & Fear on Spotify
More Information: Zac Brown’s partnership with Margaritaville at Sea Beachcomber
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