{"id":13007,"date":"2019-10-11T06:28:17","date_gmt":"2019-10-11T11:28:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/garyhayescountry.com\/?p=13007"},"modified":"2023-09-03T20:18:53","modified_gmt":"2023-09-03T20:18:53","slug":"tyler-childers-robert-earl-keen-and-town-mountain-at-red-rocks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/garyhayescountry.com\/?p=13007","title":{"rendered":"Tyler Childers, Robert Earl Keen, And Town Mountain At Red Rocks."},"content":{"rendered":"

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Tyler Childers – Red Rocks- Sept 30 Red Rocks Amphitheatre <\/span><\/p>\n

September 30, 2019<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve not noticed the meteoric rise in popularity of Tyler Childers<\/a> since the release of his 2017 album \u201cPurgatory\u201d, you\u2019ve missed out on one of the coolest stories in the recent  history of country music.  <\/span><\/p>\n

The story goes….An unassuming but supremely talented singer songwriter from  eastern Kentucky goes road-warrioring and releases his first independent album at the age of 19.  He gains a rabid following in his local region and seven years later gains the notice of fellow Kentuckian and Grammy award winning artist Sturgill Simpson, who helps produce his breakthrough album.  On the strength of that album and years on the road, he starts selling out venues and winning his own awards, culminating in 2 sold out appearances at The Ryman Auditorium in 2018 with Margo Price. <\/span><\/p>\n

Flash forward to fall 2019 and our hero is now riding an even higher wave of popularity thanks to his second major album release, \u201cCountry Squire\u201d, and on September 30, 2019, he and his band The Food Stamps bring their road show to the famed Red Rocks Ampitheater<\/a> near Morrison CO, along with old running mates from North Carolina, bluegrass band Town Mountain, and one of his biggest influences, legendary Texas singer songwriter Robert Earl Keen, to open the show.<\/span><\/p>\n

I arrive in Denver day of the show, check in to my hotel, then hustle over to The Thirsty Lion, where my shuttle to Red Rocks will leave.  In the outdoor patio, the place is filled with TC and Kentucky shirted folk all heading to Red Rocks for the evening.  I sit with a group of friends that I recognize, and the excitement is palpable.  <\/span><\/p>\n

After some food and libation, we board the buses and a half hour later arrive at Red Rocks.  In the parking lot, The Wooks, a popular Lexington KY bluegrass band, are doing their Wooky thing, and the folks are loving it.  After a few minutes, I head on up to the top entrance and am greeted with breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and desert.  After a quick stroll through the Museum, I head to the concessions area and get my first glance of the stage.  It\u2019s a beautiful natural amphitheater framed in amongst the red rock formation… really a stunning sight.<\/span><\/p>\n

Next it\u2019s time to stand in the half hour line of hundreds of people to buy merch!  After walking away with a very nice show poster (available for purchase on Tyler\u2019s website), I head to one of the many concessions to grab a snack and a beer, then head to my seat.  I\u2019m fortunate to be on the 16th row, near one end, with a great view of the stage.  Everything around me seems otherworldly, as I\u2019m now surrounded by majestic rock formations, and an awful lot of Kentucky accents. <\/span><\/p>\n

After making some new friends with the folks seated next to me, I run into some more folks that I know, then settle in to wait for the show.   At 7:00 on the dot, North Carolina\u2019s Town Mountain takes the stage with their brand of modern bluegrass music.  They warm the crowd up with a 10 song set, culminating with Tyler joining them onstage to sing a song he co-wrote with banjo picker Jesse Langlais, \u201cLow Down\u201d.  Needless to say, the crowd goes crazy when Tyler appears.  The performance of the song is outstanding and when Town Mountain leave the stage after a crowd-please 45 minute set, there is a sense of anticipation in the air.  <\/span><\/p>\n

After a mere 15 minute wait, Robert Earl Keen<\/a> and his crackerjack band take the stage to rip through a gem-filled nearly hour long set, hitting highlights from his 35 year recording career.  I have been an avid fan of Keen\u2019s for 25 of those years, and this set takes me on a memory filled journey of that time.  The 11 song set is filled with Keen standards such as \u201cGringo Honeymoon\u201d, \u201cFeeling Good Again\u201d, and \u201cComin\u2019 Home\u201d.   By the end of his set, much of the crowd, mostly there to see Childers , and many not familiar with Keen\u2019s music, are on their feet and singing along to \u201cI Gotta Go\u201d.  Keen and band exit the stage to a rousing ovation.<\/span><\/p>\n

The stage clears and one by one, the individual members of Tyler\u2019s outstanding band, the Food Stamps, appear on stage to prep their instruments.  <\/span><\/p>\n

For the record, they are:<\/span><\/p>\n

Drums-Rod Elkins<\/span><\/p>\n

Bass-Craig Burletic<\/span><\/p>\n

Keyboards-Chase Lewis<\/span><\/p>\n

Guitar and Steel Guitar-James Barker Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin, Fiddle-Jesse Wells<\/span><\/p>\n

and are currently one of the best live bands working stages today.  <\/span><\/p>\n

The Food Stamps are on stage, the lights go down… and the familiar strains of (surprise!) \u201cParty Line\u201d start up as Laid Back Country Picker (David Prince) takes the stage! An old friend and former school teacher of Childers\u2019, looking bigger than life in his black cowboy shirt, white boots, cowboy hat, and Telecaster, he expertly leads the group through one of his signature songs, culminating with the introduction of Tyler Childers over the \u201cparty line\u201d onstage telephone.   <\/span><\/p>\n

Tyler comes onstage to a roaring ovation and proceeds to preach the gospel of Eastern Kentucky.  In his high lonesome voice, he evokes images of the coal mines, roads winding through the wooded hills of Appalachia, colorful characters from all walks of rural life, one room churches, moonshine runs, the glorious beauty and the shady underbelly of mountain life, and the comforts of family and home. <\/span><\/p>\n

Throughout the show we are graced with artwork by Colonel Tony Moore and Jimbo Valentine from the new album jacket, projected behind the band, giving the rocky amphitheatre a down home feel. <\/span><\/p>\n

Tyler starts us off with \u201cWhitehouse Road\u201d from his \u201cPurgatory Album\u201d, an ode one of the roads near where he grew up and a nod to his days delivering appliances via van truck.  He then hits us with several songs which pre-date \u201cPurgatory\u201d, highlights being \u201cDeadman\u2019s Curve\u201d, and his near perfect \u201cShake the Frost\u201d.  This crowd knows its Tyler, and sings along to every song.  <\/span><\/p>\n

Next he hits us with songs from the new album \u201cCountry Squire\u201d, playing them suite-style with no breaks.  We get the title song, \u201cBus Route\u201d, \u201cCreeker\u201d, \u201cGemini\u201d, and \u201cHouse Fire\u201d, which are the first 5 songs on the album in order.  Throughout the show, the Food Stamps are in top form, but they really hit their peak on this suite and the extended jam intro to \u201cHouse Fire\u201d. <\/span><\/p>\n

We then get a few that he\u2019s not recorded yet, before playing one of his more popular songs \u201cAll Your\u2019n\u201d.  After that, he goes back to \u201cPurgatory\u201d for \u201cI Swear (To God)\u201d, \u201cHonky Tonk Flame\u201d, \u201cFeathered Indians\u201d, and \u201cUniversal Sound\u201d, and finishes off the band portion of the show with their extended version of the Charlie Daniels song \u201cTrudy\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

The band leaves the stage, and Tyler stands alone with acoustic guitar for crowd-pleasers \u201cNose On The Grindstone\u201d, \u201cLady May\u201d, and \u201cFollow You To Virgie\u201d.   <\/span><\/p>\n

At this point he calls his band back onstage, along with Robert Earl Keen and his band, and Town Mountain vocalist Robert Greer, for a rousing show-ending romp through the ever popular REK song \u201cThe Road Goes On Forever\u201d.  Keen, Childers, and Greer trade lead vocal duties, and everybody in the bands gets a shot at throwing a solo in.  One of the highlights of this song for me personally was to see drummer Rod Elkins in the background playing maracas with one of the largest grins I\u2019ve ever seen!   <\/span><\/p>\n

All leave the stage at this point to a tremendous roar from the crowd.  <\/span><\/p>\n

This is one of the highest profile gigs Tyler has had to date, and he and the Food Stamps absolutely nailed it.  I feel as though I witnessed something very special this night.  And judging from crowd reaction and social media afterwards, I\u2019m not alone.<\/span><\/p>\n

LBCP and Food Stamps<\/span><\/p>\n

Party Line<\/span><\/p>\n

w\/The Food Stamps:<\/span><\/p>\n

Whitehouse Road <\/span><\/p>\n

Deadman\u2019s Curve <\/span><\/p>\n

Tattoos <\/span><\/p>\n

Shake the Frost <\/span><\/p>\n

Born Again <\/span><\/p>\n

Tulsa Turnaround <\/span><\/p>\n

Country Squire <\/span><\/p>\n

Bus Route <\/span><\/p>\n

Creeker <\/span><\/p>\n

Gemini <\/span><\/p>\n

House Fire<\/span><\/p>\n

Redneck Romeo <\/span><\/p>\n

Take my Hounds to Heaven <\/span><\/p>\n

All Your\u2019n <\/span><\/p>\n

I Swear ( to God)<\/span><\/p>\n

Honky Tonk Flame <\/span><\/p>\n

Universal Sound <\/span><\/p>\n

Feathered Indians <\/span><\/p>\n

Trudy <\/span><\/p>\n

Solo:<\/span><\/p>\n

Nose on the Grindstone <\/span><\/p>\n

Lady May <\/span><\/p>\n

Follow you to Virgie <\/span><\/p>\n

Everybody:<\/span><\/p>\n

The Road Goes on Forever (with Food Stamps, REK and band, and Robert Greer of Town Mountain)<\/span><\/p>\n

REK<\/span><\/p>\n

Dreadful Selfish Crime                                                                     <\/span><\/a>Corpus Christie Bay
\nLevelland
\nOver The Waterfall
\nShades of Gray
\nWhat I Really Mean
\nFeelin\u2019 Good Again
\nGringo Honeymoon
\nIf I Were King
\nI\u2019m Coming Home <\/span><\/p>\n

I Gotta Go<\/span><\/p>\n

TOWN MOUNTAIN set<\/span><\/p>\n

Won\u2019t Be Satisfied<\/span><\/p>\n

            New Freedom Blues
\nSnowin\u2019 On Raton
\nWitch Trials
\nOne Drop In The Bottle<\/span><\/p>\n

            Life and Debt<\/span><\/p>\n

            Lines On The Levee
\nLawdog
\nI\u2019m On Fire
\nDown Low (with Tyler Childers<\/span><\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tyler Childers – Red Rocks- Sept 30 Red Rocks Amphitheatre  September 30, 2019 If you\u2019ve not noticed the meteoric rise in popularity of Tyler Childers since the release of his 2017 album \u201cPurgatory\u201d, you\u2019ve missed out on one of the coolest stories in the recent  history of country music.   The story goes….An unassuming but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":22197,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13007","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t