Martinez Tribune The website of the Martinez Tribune.
BY MARIANA GARRICK
Nathaniel Rateliff’s newest album Red Rocks 2020 was recorded a bit differently from what most musicians and listeners are used to. Recorded in the empty iconic Denver open-air amphitheater during a run of socially distant shows in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic last September, attendance was limited to either no guests, or a limit of 125 people in the normal 9,500 person capacity venue. The 18-track live album holds no applause at the end of each song as heard in other live albums, and there’s no crowd to cheer them on. Rateliff and his backing band, the Night Sweats, might have just shown what will be the future of concerts if the pandemic gets any worse.
The sold-out nine-month tour was scheduled to start in March of 2020, but was ultimately canceled due to the pandemic. Rateliff had planned for a series of special guests to perform alongside him, as well as showcasing his own musical talents for the audience. Due to how distraught he was over the situation, he wanted to give back to his fans with a live recording of what they would have enjoyed.
“The songs on And It’s Still Alright were about finding hope in times of struggles, and now it seemed the whole world was struggling. So a few months into the Pandemic we started to wonder if there was a way to bring the show we worked so hard on to everyone. If you can’t find a light you have to create one,” the 42-year old St. Louis native said.
Earlier this year, the singer-songwriter made his musical debut on Saturday Night Live and gained national attention for And It’s Still Alright, his third solo album, which was released a year earlier. Rateliff’s Red Rocks 2020 features nine songs from the critically acclaimed album, and several other tracks that have never been performed live before from previous albums In Memory Loss, Falling Faster Than You Can Run and the Shroud EP.
The rock album is full of heart, which isn’t surprising considering Rateliff is inspired by Americana, folk, and rhythm and blues. The album opens with the steady beginning of “Tonight #2.” The song provides an easy introduction into an album that’s perfect for the summer. The song transitions into “All Or Nothing,” where the sounds of violins played by Adrienne Short and Chris Jusell shine throughout the entire song. The entire album is soulful, and it’s full of feel-good music– which is appreciated during times like this. Their amazing performance in front of an empty arena deserves a round of applause, especially with the funky and easy-going tune of “Still Out There,” which has proved to be a fan favorite.
Rateliff brings up the heart-breaking reminder of the pandemic in “Time Stands,” where he addresses the empty arena and future performance listeners. “I can’t tell you what it has been like this evening with no one else here. But as we look up to 10,000 empty seats, my heart breaks that we can’t share the same air and we can’t hold each other anymore… I’m blessed to be here with my best friends and my family,” he says towards the end of the album.
“We started out 2020 very excited. The solo record was out and myself and the most of the guys in the Night Sweats were gonna hit the road to present the songs to the world. We were looking forward to performing the songs together with a string quartet and how it was going to make us a better band,” Rateliff explained in a press release.
“Somehow, we were able to play six nights at Red Rocks with the full 10-piece band and the production we had created for the show. Kevin Morby and Katie Crutchfield drove out from Missouri to join us. Five of the night had 175 people and one night we filmed to and empty amphitheater that normally holds 10,000 people. It was beautiful to be there, even if it was 175 people. But the night we recorded this record it was heart breaking. It was a realization that our world had changed and maybe forever. Needless to say it was a hard night to make it through. But we did it and now we are bringing it to you,” said Rateliff.
Rateliff’s experience during the making of his album isn’t a rare one. The pandemic took the entire world by storm, and many lives were changed. The six-night run of concerts with limited to empty crowds was an unfortunate situation, but he took his experience and turned it into a treat for fans who could not see the show due to regulations. Rateliff and the Night Sweats, along with special guests Kevin Morby (for a rendition of Leonard Cohen‘s “There Is A War”) and Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee) put on a show like no other, and the only thing missing was the audience. Red Rocks 2020 captures a historical moment in time where the world completely shut down and people did what they had to do in order to make the most out of such a strange period.
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats just started a 30-date summer tour earlier this week in Charlotte. It’s scheduled to include three sold-out shows at Red Rocks beginning on August 23rd.
