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John Stewart in Colorado
Loveland, June 9 & Woodland Park June 10, 2000
reviewed by Ken Smith
She could have gone to Colorado
We were riding on that road
Said 'I'm going will you follow?'
She said 'Yes' and then said 'No'
- John Stewart
The Rialto Theater, Loveland Colorado
Loveland, CO., grew up as a farming community about 12 miles east of the Rocky Mountains. Its main claim to fame comes but once a year, for on Valentine's day you can have your cards and letters postmarked as being sent from, obviously, "Loveland".
The Rialto Theater is located in the downtown district which is all of 3 blocks wide and 6 blocks deep, if that. Down at the west end of the street is an old railway station, now a dinner house/souvenir stand. At the other end of the same street is the "Heartland Cafe". Rather a fitting location for John's performance, I thought. The theater itself is nondescript. No marquee, flashing lights, box office, or fancy stuff. Just a flat-faced storefront like the ones around it. But once inside, you were transported back to the turn of the century (the last one, not this one). Taking a short hike up to the balcony and looking back down at the postage-stamp size of a stage, one could image the showing of silent movies with the organ music being played from the orchestra pit (more like a trough) in front of the stage.
The show was just John with his 12 string guitar. But really, isn't that enough? (This was my first time of seeing John since the early 70's. Once he put together the loudest folk band in America, I confess, I lost interest. Just a personal-taste thing. No flames, please. To have just the lone guitar was like a step back in time for me). Having discovered the internet a couple of years back, and the fantastic wealth of info on John thru Clack's site, the desire to "call back my youth" hit me full force, and I have been catching up on his music ever since. So, all that was said to say this: the 300 or so folks in attendance were given a great show. The audience was terrific. Even John said it, so it had to be true. All was quiet while the songs were performed, as if everyone had come to see and hear a Master perform, and they didn't want to miss a note. But once the song was finished, everyone enthusiastically showed their appreciation for the talent displayed.
Hopefully the above provided a small glimpse of a performance by truly one of the all-time best. A large "thank you" for those who created the lyrics database, without which the set list below would not have been possible!
1. Wind Dies Down (from Cannons in the Rain)
2. Josie
3. Heart of a Kid
4. Always Young
5. July, You're a Woman
6. Dreamers on the Rise
7. A Walk on the Moon
8. California Bloodlines/Chilly Winds
9. High Flying Eagle
10. Shadows of the Angels Wings
11. Living in the World/Strange Rivers/Ticket to the Stars
Intermission
12. Freeway Pleasure
13. Runaway Train
14. The Eyes of Sweet Virginia
15. The Field Where the Angels Dance
16. The Last Hurrah
17. Let the Big Horse Run
18. Lost Her in the Sun
19. Reason to Rise
20. Run Molly Run
21. Pirates of Stone County Road
22. Cowboy in the Distance
Encore
23. Star in the Black Sky Shining
24. Mother Country
Ken Smith
Woodland Park, CO.
Tres Hombres, Woodland Park, Colorado
Woodland Park was a whistle stop for the Cripple Creek/Victor Narrow Gauge Railway back in the late 1800's. It was built to bring the gold and silver out of Cripple Creek on down to Colorado Spings for processing. Today, the railway is gone, leaving behind a couple tunnels and abandoned rail beds. However, the "gold and silver" still flows, only in the other direction. With the advent of gambling in a few historic mining cities in Colorado, the people of Colorado Springs take what is theirs up "the pass" and leave it with the fine folks in Cripple Creek to "process".
Tres Hombres was the venue for the show. It is located on the main highway thru town, with a killer view of the north slope of Pikes Peak (elevation of 14,100 and some-odd feet. Not the town, the Peak. We are only at 8,600 feet here in town). Tres Hombres sits in a building constructed just before the 1900's, as part of the town's attempt to attract summer tourists. (It worked, because we just can't seem to get rid of those pesky critters).
Across the street, where the railway station sat (past tense), is the rodeo grounds and Saddle Club. There had been a professional rodeo competition earlier in the day, and a Cowboy (with cowgirls...no hogs, as in "strange day", if you get my drift) dance that night.
Well, enough of the local color. We saw John walk up the sidewalk with his guitar strapped across his back. He comes into the room and within, oh, say 10 minutes, the show starts. No real chance for sound check. Short introduction and we're off!
My concerns about this not being a suitable choice of venues for a performer of John's caliber was confirmed immediately. The locals are talking obnoxioulsy loud, waitresses continuing doing what they do, and some "youngsters" 10 feet away continuing their pool game. We (Bloodliners George Brother, Marty, my better half, and I) sat at a table off to one side, with a close profile view of John. I could see him sizing up all of this distraction while singing, and could only imagine what must be going thru his mind. "Three songs and I'm outta here" would have been justified. But, being the true performer that he is, finds a way to make light of it. He comments something to the effect that in the 70's he used to play in places like this where his singing would interrupt a good pool game back then, too. That got their attention, and the game was moved up to the loft, a good 25 feet away.
While the background noise continued, and with numerous occurrences of sound system feedbacks (it took John to tell the soundguy how to adjust the mike gain to end our "ear pain"), John worked thru another song or two. The appreciative audience applauded as best as we could to try to encourage the man. This seemed to draw him into the "circle" of fans, and as soon as a sing-a-long of Daydream Believer ends, Bloodliner George Brother yell out "Under Heavy Fire"! John was in the middle of moving the capo, stops, looks sideways over to George, says "Oh yeah?", moves the capo, and begins playing it for George. This ends to wild applause and a comment by John saying, "That song takes a lot of air and there ism't much of it here". (Remember, in the color section, I said we are up here at 8600 feet)? "Willard" is requested immediately. John nods, and begins playing the request. He flows right into Chilly Winds and ends it with a California Bloodlines sing-a-long. John is "into" the show now, seeing that he has an appreciative group before him.
It's one long set for the evening, with 5 honored requests thrown in to whatever he had planned for us. This was a remarkable 31 songs over a two hour period! What a guy!
Well, this has gotten out of hand, length-wise. The song set follows. Thanks for being an attentive audience. And thank you Lonesome Picker. You're welcome back to our "campfire" anytime.
1. Heart of a Kid
2. July, You're a Woman
3. Always Young
4. Irresistible Targets
5. Daydream Believer
6. Under Heavy Fire (By request from Bloodliner George Brother)
7. Willard (By request)/Chilly Winds/California Bloodlines
8. A Walk on the Moon
9. Wind Dies Down
10. Razorback Woman
11. Big Joe
12. High Flying Eagle
13. Cody (By request)
14. Cowboy in the Distance (Introduced as possibly a young Cody)
15. Freeway Pleasure
16. You Can't Go Back to Kansas (By request)
17. Dreamers on the Rise (By request)
18. Run Molly Run
19. Let the Big Horse Run
20. Some Kind of Love
21. The Last Hurrah
22. Fire in the Wind
23. Midnight Wind
24. Lost Her in the Sun
25. Reason to Rise
26. Pirates of Stone County Road
Encore
27. Ticket to the Stars
28. Star in the Black Sky Shining
29. Mother Country
One closing note worth mentioning. 'Round about the close of Midnight Wind, John looks at his watch and asks "Aren't you getting tired yet? Don't you want to go home?". Of course the response is a resounding "NO"! So the man gives us 6 more songs.
Ken Smith
Woodland Park, Co.