It’s been seven years since last graced a stage in Colorado. After the band went its separate ways, the three members all had success with other projects: Mandolinist Chris Thile released solo albums and helped found the supergroup Punch Brothers. Fiddler Sara Watkins released a solo album and joined a supergroup titled Works Progress Administration with her brother Sean. Guitarist Sean Watkins released a solo album and in addition to Works Progress Administration started a duo with Switchfoot member Jon Foreman titled Fiction Family.
However, as successful as all those projects are, it’s hard to imagine any of them playing the to a nearly packed house, as Nickel Creek did Tuesday night. Thile enthusiastically stated that “It’s our first arena show ever!” as the band took the stage to deafening applause. The band kept up a running gag about playing in an arena throughout the night, encouraging each other to stand on the monitors and strike an arena rock pose.
While Nickel Creek released a new album, “A Dotted Line,” the band didn’t go too heavy on it during its nearly two-hour set, mixing in plenty of material from its first three albums as well. They opened with “Rest of My Life,” the opening track from their latest album. Thile and the Watkins siblings showcased absolutely stunning harmony vocals on the chorus.
Along with instrumental showmanship, the band’s wry sense of humor stole the show throughout the night. Sean Watkins talked about writing “21st of May” after seeing a billboard in Los Angeles about the predicted Rapture and thinking he should write one more song just in case (Thile added, “It was a close call, but we made it.”). Thile and Sara Watkins told the story of how they’ve named some of their instrumentals; evidently “Smoothie Song” got its name because when they played it at the Four Corners Folk Festival in Pagosa Springs, someone brought smoothies up the stage for them and then the crowd started yelling they should call it “Smoothie Song.” Sean also joked about having to dip into a “bitter box” to write “Somebody More Like You,” since he’s normally an upbeat person.
While the band didn’t jam songs out to the extent that they have in the past (“The Fox” used to sometimes go 15 minutes and mix in other songs on the fly), they did find short passages to play around with the melodies. Thile started “Ode to a Butterfly” with almost staccato mandolin playing while bassist Mark Schatz kept time by rapping his fingers against the body of his bass before the band picked up the intro to the instrumental.
All three members took turns on lead vocals, with Sara’s heartfelt vocals on “Reasons Why” one of the highlights. The cover of Mother Mother’s “Hayloft,” which is on the new album, had Sara and Chris alternating verses from the girl’s and boy’s perspectives in playful fashion, and when Sara took a quick fidldle solo, Thile started jumping up and down on the stage next to her.
It’s unclear whether this is a one-year reunion, or if the band plans to continue touring and making music together. However, since they haven’t made it clear, you should get out and catch them on this tour, in case it’s another seven years before we can see them play live again.
Setlist
Rest of My Life, Scotch & Chocolate, This Side, Destination, When You Come Back Down, Smoothie Song, Reasons Why, 21st of May, When in Rome, Tomorrow Is A Long Time, Ode to a Butterfly, You Don’t Know What’s Going On, Somebody More Like You, The Lighthouse’s Tale, Anthony, Elephant in the Corn, Doubting Thomas, Hayloft, The Fox E: First and Last Waltz, Helena, Cuckoo’s Nest, Where Is Love Now
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is a Denver freelance writer/photographer and regular contributor to Reverb. When not writing and shooting, she plays guitar and violin in Denver band .
