The North-Mississippi All-Stars from C-Rodo

The sun had disappeared from the skies above Denver, but to our delight its absence did not result in a temperature dip of 25-30 degrees. Subsequently the ambience of Red Rocks Amphitheatre began to match the tranquil drum space that Sunny Ortiz was generating towards the end of the second set. Unlike times I had been there in the past the lights cascading off the giant rocks did not reveal adventurous outdoorsmen. At this venue it was common for an occasional climber to scale the walls and find safe haven inside an alcove.

The drums had come at a perfect point in the show. The whole second set was played at a blistering pace by the headliner Widespread Panic. There were few breaks between songs and many seamless transitions. The drums started off with Todd Nance trading rips with Ortiz from his drum kit. When he stepped off Ortiz began to explore strange new territories. From the monitors I could see his serene smile while he rotated his head and chopped at his three main congas. I looked at the city off in the distance before chatting with Brad from CSU. We discussed some recent shows that the two of us had attended.

After 20-25 minutes the jam remained strong but with a refocused intensity. The drum kit that had lay vacant since Nance left the stage was again occupied. This time it was not by its rightful owner. Instead Cody Dickinson of The North Mississippi All-Stars added some raw adrenaline to the spacey transition. One by one members of Panic began to return and plug into the groove. Some deafening blasts through the electric saxophone of Cecil Daniels put a cap to an exciting thirty-five minutes of improvisational music. The guest drummer’s performance reminded me of why I was excited to see his band open the show.

Earlier we had climbed the endless slope of geologically magnificent steps to find seating while the NMAS began their set. Our seats afforded us a wonderful birds-eye view of the stage. The song they played was wonderfully familiar. I could recall by the blues melody that it was Lovelight, a tune the Grateful Dead had mastered. On stage the threesome was not alone. John Bell, Todd Nance, and John Hermann of Widespread Panic played along on guitar, drums, and keyboards respectively. Their contributions were stellar and must have lasted for well over fifteen minutes. It featured some wonderful guitar dueling between Bell and Luther Dickinson especially. John Hermann stayed on for a few more songs. He added his wonderful touch on the keyboards to the NMAS’s pleasant variety of soul, gospel, and Southern Blues. Overall my most memorable impression was of the fierce drumming from Cody Dickinson. The intensity in which he belted the skins made me recall TV images of Led Zepplin’s legendary drummer John Bonham.

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