With the re-opening of public performance spaces, I can think of no better place to welcome live music back to the stage than Red Rocks.
And we get to kick it off with two nights of Bob Weir and the Wolf Brothers this week!
My buddy Albert, who has shared all of my prior “Dead Rocks” adventures from the 80s and more recent Dead off-shoots in 2003 (The Dead) and 2010 (Further), is driving up from Texas even as I write this. Mind you, after those marathon drives up in the 80s, we started stopping overnight, rather than swapping drivers to drive straight through the night. He plans to stay in Raton tonight, pick me up here about mid-day, and we will head for the hills — and the Rocks.
And a good time will be had by all!
This time around, though, the rock & roll road trip is all new-fangled and high-tech, what with digital tickets delivered via phone app. We’re staying in a “cozy retreat” (their phrase) within 10 miles of the place, thanks to Airbnb. We’re both happy to take that upgrade despite wonderful memories of camping in Golden Gate Canyon State Park, with campfires after the shows and lazy camp mornings before wandering down the mountain to that day’s show.
Nostalgia’s got nothing on the real thing, though. We’re all older — hell, that first Red Rocks’ run with Albert and Billy the Kid was 38 years ago — and we’re slowing down.
It’s been 4 years since I saw Bob play in Austin right as we were moving out. We won’t be able to get nearly as close to the stage at Red Rocks as we could there — but I don’t care: there are no bad seats at Red Rocks.
Excited to be heading “home.”
See you tomorrow night, Bob!
Buller's back porch 