The spring thaw has brought shows back to Red Rocks Amphitheatre and a new season is kicking into full swing with an appearance by Bleachers on Monday night. The New Jersey rockers recently began the latest leg of the From the Studio to the Stage Tour and the awe on the faces of the fans was mirrored by the band the entire night.
Indie singer Samia got things started in the late afternoon light and an already packed venue was ready to sing and sway along. Her quirky set was punctuated by a stellar backing band and soaring vocals that reached all the way to the top of the massive venue. The evening chill was setting in but fans stayed warm dancing along to “Honey”, “Big Wheel” and more.
Even though the wind was whipping through the mountain, the audience huddled closer together for the chance to see Bleachers play the iconic Colorado venue. Singer Jack Antonoff appeared under a lighted Recording Studio sign to begin the night with tracks from the band’s latest album and the party was in full swing by the time they hit “Jesus is Dead”.
The stage was set with platforms and plenty of places to climb- an option that Antonoff used frequently as he jumped between the piano and guitar throughout the set. Bleachers was determined to play a set so energetic and thunderous that it triggered an avalanche of sound down the mountain and the fans were more than happy to oblige. Hearing “How Dare You Want More” echoed back by thousands of people sharing such a special collective experience rendered the band nearly speechless as they swept spotlights up the mountain to see the sold out crowd.
Drawing from every corner of their discography, favorites like “Wake Me” and “Everybody Lost Somebody” put the focus on the killer saxophone solos and Antonoff’s own exceptional guitar skills. Newer tracks like the piano-driven “Self Respect” and “Tiny Moves” were wonderful additions to a setlist of staples and it wouldn’t be a proper Bleachers show without some fan-requested chaos in the middle.
For Colorado, this meant a hastily put together acoustic rendition of Lana Del Rey’s “Margaret” and a campfire sing-along to “45”. As the end of the show neared, Antonoff explained that Bleachers’ lack of encore means that they leave everything on the stage- and they did just that with the absolute gut punch of “Stop Making This Hurt”, “I Wanna Get Better” and “Don’t Take the Money”. All three boast truly epic, rafter clearing choruses and both band and fans left their blood, sweat and tears in the park that night.
As the lights came up and the party ended, the night’s live recording of “Dream of Mickey Mantle/Me Before You” was airdropped to every fan- just another souvenir from an unforgettable show.
