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How do you make a Swollen Members concert better? By riding in the morning, that’s how. With Swollen playing at the Fox Theater in Boulder I was committed to the drive, and since I was driving right past Loveland, it was time to get on snow again.
Loveland 11/3
I made a couple of runs, but it really wasn’t worth sticking around for long, the freeze-thaw cycle that we experienced on Sunday had settled pretty firmly on freeze. It’s still snow, but I don’t think it’s worth a full-price ticket unless it’s warm enough to be slush, or until they get some fresh.
From Loveland, I continued on down I-70 to Boulder, and killed some time prior to the show with a hike in Chautauqua Park. The sky was gorgeous, first with a sunset cloud group that could just as easily been a publicity stunt for ABC’s new show V, and then with a huge pumpkin orange moon that rose over the city.
Doors were at 8:30, and there was a sizable crowd gathered when they started letting people in. The Fox Theater in Boulder is a great venue, a step up from the normal resort-town clubs I had seen Swollen in previously. The Fox is spacious, with several levels of stand-up room, a couple of private areas, and bench seating around the sides if you need to sit down.
Bliss N Eso warming it up
Bliss N Eso, a hip-hop group from Australia, kicked off the set list, and definitely got the crowed hyped with a sound similar to Sweatshop Union. This was the first I had heard of them, but I can tell it won’t be the last. The next two sets didn’t do much for me, and while they kept the beats going, the crowd was definitely getting antsy; the “Swollen” chant started up early.
When Prevail, Mad Child, Rob the Viking, and newcomer Tre Nyce took the stage things really got hot. The Boulder show was Swollen at their best, loud, charismatic, working the audience, and truly performing. They played a couple of songs from the new album, Armed to the Teeth, and a ton of classics. I’ve been on the line about Tre Nyce; his sound is a little different, and his tracks on the album didn’t sell me as fitting in with Swollen. The live performance is a different matter entirely, he’s got great energy, and it definitely worked. He’s a little young, he didn’t always know where he should be, and it’s clear Mad Child and Prev aren’t quite used to having that 3rd member on stage yet, but he definitely contributed to the show.
This was the 6th Swollen Members concert I’ve been to, and it was by far the best. Mad Child may still be working through his addiction problems, but he’s clearly got his head back in the game, and looked happy for the first time in several shows. The last couple of times I saw them, Mad Child was pretty withdrawn, had his black sunglasses on all the time, and disappeared as soon as the show was over, allowing Prevail to slap hands and hang out. At the Fox he was energetic, fully participating with the crowd, and looked like he was enjoying himself; it made for a great show.
View the full photo gallery here: Swollen Members at the Fox Theater in Boulder
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“30 Days on the Road” is a blog series tracking my travel for thirty days in October and November; from leaving Alaska on October 27th until Steamboat opens on November 25th. Due to a series of cool opportunities I don’t have to be back at a “real job” until 11/26th, and after a summer that seemed way too long, I’ll be making the most of my free month with as much snow and snow industry fun as I can cram in. The goal is two-fold, first to get you pumped about the upcoming season, and two to help keep track of time as I wander aimlessly for a month.
I’ll also be posting updates on Facebook and Twitter, so make sure and check out the action there too.
[...] You can read the blog post about the concert here: Swollen in Boulder | Day 8 of 30 Days on the Road [...]
[...] Day on Snow 11/1 | Day 6 of 30 Days on the Road 7. One Day Off | Day 7 of 30 Days on the Road 8. Swollen in Boulder | Day 8 of 30 Days on the Road 9. N3L Optics | Day 9 of 30 Days on the Road 10. Keystone Opening | Day 10 of 30 Days on the Road [...]
Great series concept and the members must be great in concert so I will have to see them sometime. Let’s catch up in Steamboat sometime for some powder up on Buff Pass, I have 2 sleds if you are comfortable in the backcountry.