Tour Diary – Aspen, CO (July 9)
Aspen, CO (July 9, 2009)
We have been to Aspen four times in the last four years, which is way too often to play any market, no matter how “transient” the population is suppose to be, which might explain the very small turnout at The Belly Up. We were on first tonight and when we started there might have been thirty people in the audience, which has to be the smallest audience that we have perfomed to in years. By the end of the set the number was edging closer to two hundred, but it made for a very interesting show. The Belly Up isn’t our favourite room. It is a tiered club which is great for sightlines and great for those who are really into the music, because they can get up close to the stage, but the back tier is where the bar is and attracts geese in great numbers. The low ceiling projects their honking to the stage and throughout the club which can be very disruptive. Since there wasn’t anyone there at the beginning of the set we didn’t have to compete with the chatter and were able to settle in to our own groove. We had a very good night of music. Too bad there weren’t more there to enjoy it.
This isn’t my favourite town, as I’ve mentioned in past diaries. It’s hard to not enjoy being in the mountains, but the town is awash in wealth, dripping with rubies and pearls….in a decadent kind of way. It’s just a tad overwhelming. I enjoy watching all of the hyper-fit women (of all ages) sashay around town in their latest Lululemon apparel, it’s great to see such healthy, blond, blue-eyed, white-teethed children enjoying their summer vacations, I like that all of the Range Rovers slow to a crawl when you enter a crosswalk, but it’s all a little too much. Nevertheless, it’s always a welcome stop. After four years I know where to find the best coffee (Ink), the best bookstore (Explore), the best sandwich shop (The Butcher Block) and if I want to go for a hike I know where to find the trail head. All in all a very pleasant day.
I also got a chance to catch Son Volts set. They seemed to be firing on all cylinders as well. They’ve got a great sonic roar going on, which envelopes Jay Farrar’s voice and smacks you in the face, in a most entertaining way. I’m looking forward to hearing more.