There were 31 concerts at Red Butte Garden this summer, and I had the good fortune to volunteer at 16 of them. One I went to as a regular concert-going guest. For most of my volunteer assingments, I worked clean up after the shows. I worked at the recycling stations four times and checked wrist-bands at the Pavilion once. All the rest were clean up. That's just fine with me because I get to enjoy the whole show and then spend 20 to 30 minutes cleaning up the venue when the show is over and the crowd is leaving. I don't mind it at all. Plus I don't get stuck in traffic.
To close out the season in my own way, I have come up with a ranking of my favorite shows. All views expressed here are my personal opinions and I approve this list.
1. Gary Clark Jr. This is the show that I saw as a guest, so it's not a huge shocker that this show was my favorite because I actually chose it. I enjoy the hell out of Gary's music; I love his style and his voice and his guitar playing. This was the third or fourth time we have seen him and I can't wait to see him again. He's fantastic.
2. The Mighty O.A.R. with American Authors. I'm just guessing no one had more fun at O.A.R. than I did. I had a space in the pavilion and I danced to every song. I didn't sit down! The band is so fun and their music is upbeat and great. Big thanks to Nicole and Austin for turning me on to this band. A bonus was American Authors. They were energetic, sounded great and put out a good vibe. Really fun show all around.
3. Jason Isbell. This was my first time seeing/hearing Jason Isbell, and it will not be the last. He was great. I have since listened to his music through my headphones and enjoyed it all over again. The way he puts words together is so beautiful. He was my best take-away of the summer. Both MT and I were blown away by this guy.
4. Nathaniel Rateliff. His music and his look kind of remind me of Zac Brown. I like Zac, so it was easy to like Nathaniel. He's a little more gruff and unpolished and I was totally into it.
5. Lyle Lovett. I was surprised by how much I liked Lyle. I didn't think he had the greatest voice, but he has a charming presence and his songs are freaking catchy. The Big Band was awesome and everything about the show on that Sunday night was fun.
6. Mandolin Orange. Another surprise. I like to listen to an artist's music in the day or so before the show if I'm unfamiliar with their songs. My impression of Mandolin Orange was that they would be so mellow that I would just read and chill while they were playing. When they came onstage, though, I put my book away and just listened. They were enchanting. The harmonies were so sweet and pure. The woman plays the fiddle/violin on some songs and I just loved it.
7. Galactic. I love funk and jazz. These guys were fun. Made me want to get back to New Orleans right away.
8. Shakey Graves. He's a little quirky, but I liked him. I was humming some of his songs for quite awhile.
9. Steve Miller Band. Steve Miller has been around forever! He has lots of hits and I had lots of fun dancing and singing along at this show.
10. Lucinda Williams. Her show was cool because she performed her iconic album Car Wheels on a Gravel Road front to back and then busted out some straight up rock. She has a distinctive voice. I was glad to get the chance to see her in action.
11. Howard Jones. HoJo was an '80s staple. I was happy to hear those songs that I loved during my college years. He was charming.
12. Seal. He's kinda quirky too, but seems to have a good heart. He sounded great. I would have been fine if he had performed Crazy like every other song. It's just one of my favorite songs ever. Kinda weird, I know. I love the beat.
13. Mark Knopfler. There was a lot about the Mark Knopfler show I didn't like. For one thing, it was damn cold that night (not Mark's fault). It was not a Dire Straits show and he only did a few Dire Straits songs. It was not billed as a Dire Straits show, but I was still kind of disappointed that he didn't do more of their songs. His solo songs were not my favorites.
14. The Wood Brothers. This is the one show I didn't stay until end. They were fine and the opening act was fine and when The Wood Brothers brought out Colter Wall (the opening guy) and they sang an old-timey song together, I liked that. I had to get there pretty early for my assignment (Pavilion), so when I got tired and my shift was over, I bailed. I only missed about the last 30 minutes.
The three bands that are left on the list I can't put in any order. I really didn't care for any of them. They are all fine musicians, but they are jam bands and that style is, well, not my jam. When the song goes on for ten minutes or so, I lose interest. The best thing about each of them was that I got a lot of reading done. It was all fine background sound for my reading pleasure. I know for certain each of these bands have devoted followers, but for me Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Umphrey's McGee, and Gov't Mule are just not my cup of tea.
Overall I feel extremely fortunate and #blessed to be able to volunteer at Red Butte Garden on these concert crews. The other volunteers I have met are lovely people. The concert crew staff is amazing and friendly. I'm excited to do it again next summer!
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