Ellison Park (right) played to a capacity crowd at the Meadowlark last Friday. Photos by .
I admit it: I love seeing shows at the . It’s difficult to see a bad show there because even if the band is new, ragged or just plain sucks, you’re still cozy at your table or booth and in arm’s reach of what may be Denver’s finest artists. A little gem could be fall into your lap at any time. Last Friday was one of those nights.
Apparently, a lot of other people feel the same way because the place was absolutely packed for the show with , Chris Nelson, and the Epilogues’ .
The crowd was shoulder-to-shoulder when we walked in for Crump’s last song, and I was worried that my girlfriend and I would be standing for the next three hours. As the night went on, the place thinned out a bit and we found a booth right in front. I wondered if the people who left realized what they were missing, as everyone who stayed was treated to a night of heartfelt, down-to-earth music.
Chris Nelson kept the crowd’s attention with his delicate singer-songwriter touch. His music seemed to connect well with many in the audience, and whatever chatter I heard emanating from the bar area seemed was silenced under the power of his words.
Ellison Park and his Parade of Elephants took charge after that and injected some life into the room. I don’t know how he does it, but Park’s voice, combined with his intimate songrwriting, made the set feel bigger than the sum of its parts.
Heckman took the stage last, having just played a set with the Epilogues that night in Greeley. He seemed no worse for the wear and couldn’t wait to share his music with us. His efforts to make it to Denver paid off and he rounded out the night with a blend of his own songs and the acoustic incarnations of a few Epilogues songs, shining just as brilliant in stripped-down in that dark, warm space.
Check out this photo essay of the evening:
Jason Claypool is a digital photographer from Lakewood. He specializes in concert, music and event photography. His work is available as large-format prints. His complete profile, with contact information, is , and his collections are Track his show calendar on .
