Umbrellas line the crowd outside of a soggy Denver Botanic Gardens on Monday. Photos by .
It’s a testament to fans of Colorado’s that despite a drenching downpour Monday night at the , many of them stayed for the full show. Indeed, as the rain’s intensity increased and the temperatures dropped, putting a chill in the air, many of them simply danced harder. It was somewhat reminiscent of Planet Bluegrass festivals the band has played under heavy rains.
This year, the band will celebrate 20 years together. Those years have seen the band survive their share of troubles, including the death of original member Mark Vann of cancer in 2002 and keyboard player Bill McKay’s arrest earlier this year on charges of sexual assault, charges that were dropped due to lack of evidence. Drew Emmitt had lashed out at McKay in a story in the in January over the charges, but then retracted his statements.
However, there was no hint of animosity between the two Monday night, and both shined at various times during two-hour set. In fact, the band started their set a little early as a reward to the faithful, opening with “Gold Hill Line,” a song Emmitt wrote when he was in the Left Hand String Band.
In keeping with the rain, water was a theme running through many of the band’s selections. During “Squirrel Heads and Gravy,” guitarist Vince Herman sang “Raining in the Garden,” as well as “Love them Denver Nuggets.”
The band found their groove early in the set on the epic “Whispering Waters.” Matt Flinner kicked it off with smooth banjo picking, while McKay’s organ added a punch to the song before he switched to piano fills. Emmitt started a long solo with slow, dreamy, dissonant playing before he switched to more traditional picking, building to a frenzy before the band dropped into the last chorus.
In addition to their own songs, Salmon touched on several classics from both the bluegrass and rock canons, including Bill Monroe’s “Walls of Time” and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s “Almost Cut My Hair.” The former featured strong harmonies between Herman and Emmitt, while the band switched to a reggae beat in the latter for a solo by Flinner.
Some classics should probably have been left alone however. Their take on John Hartford’s “Boogie,” which Hartford sung like a dirty old man, was much too bouncy and upbeat, though it did slide nicely into their cover of Hartford’s “Up on the Hill Where They Do the Boogie.” McKay’s take on “She Caught the Katy,” which seemed more routine blues, was out of place amid the bluegrass-base that propels Salmon.
Emmitt showcased his skills on various instruments all night long, punctuating “The Other Side” with raucous electric slide mandolin, adding fiddle on some songs, or ripping a mandolin solo on a long jam in “Breaking Through.”
Salmon ended their set with another water song, a rocking version of “River’s Rising” that featured Emmitt on electric guitar. Emmitt and McKay both took extended solos while fans up front danced in abandon and the rain finally slowed.
While the band is still playing limited amounts of shows each year, here’s hoping they do something for their 20th anniversary on New Year’s.
Candace Horgan is a Denver writer and photographer and regular contributor to Reverb.
is a Boulder-based photographer and a regular contributor to Reverb.
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