Every year a large group of musicians from across the country travel to Denver to ring in the New Year with multi-night runs. One such group was The Chris Robinson Brotherhood.
Taking over the ballroom at Cervantes, CRB was a true classic rock love fest. Full of heavy jams, groovy riffs and an enthusiastic crowd this 12/30 show set a great pace for the coming New Years festivities.
With no opener, the Ballroom filled in quickly as the show started at 10pm sharp. After a few songs the Ballroom became its true self… a hot, beautiful, mess of human joy and movement. Lead guitarist Neal Casal’s solos were blistering and brimming with color, while Chris Robinson held down vocals with that classic rock n’ roll sound.
On a personal note this show was difficult to take photos at. First off Cervantes has no photo pit. I feel bad having to force myself through fans who work hard to save their spot, but inevitably kind people let me to the front to get my shots. Secondly CRB policy only allowed me time to shoot during the first two songs.
This meant I had about 15 minutes to capture as much as possible. As much as I enjoy a challenge, I felt like this was a barrier that was unnecessary. However I’m not a performer and I have too much respect for the artists to be obtrusive.
Since I couldn’t shoot I had no choice but to get to dancing. The CRB threw down a loose and fun show to start a New Years run. If you’re looking for a time machine that can take you back to the golden era of classic rock get on this bus. Just open the windows to let all that smoke out.
