On March 2, 2020 in Minneapolis, Rateliff kicked off his sold-out nine-month tour supporting And It’s Still Alright. Nine days later the extensive run of dates was cancelled due to the pandemic. The shows aimed to highlight various aspects of Rateliff’s stellar musicianship, showcasing stripped-back moments with just his voice and acoustic guitar to a full 10-piece folk band accompaniment including a string quartet.
This 18-track live record was recorded in an empty Red Rocks Amphitheatre during Rateliff’s mid-September run of socially distanced shows, which was limited to 125 attendees per night in the 9400-capacity venue. Through Red Rocks 2020, Rateliff offers this 90-minute live experience to the fans who were unable to attend his live shows last year.
Red Rocks 2020 features a wide range of music from Rateliff’s celebrated career, which includes songs that had never been performed live, several tracks from And It’s Still Alright and his previously released solo albums—In Memory of Loss, Falling Faster Than You Can Run and the Shroud EP—as well as “Still Out There Running,” a track from The Night Sweats’ beloved 2017 album Tearing at the Seams. In addition, Rateliff’s close friend Kevin Morby, who was set to open the cancelled Red Rocks dates in August 2020, joins him for a duet on Leonard Cohen’s “There Is A War.”
The cast of musicians includes Rateliff (guitar) with fellow Night Sweats members Joseph Pope III (bass), Mark Shusterman (keys), Patrick Meese (drums, keys, guitar) and Luke Mossman (guitar) along with James Barone (drums, guitar), Joy Adams (cello), Rachel Sliker (viola), Adrienne Short (violin) and Chris Jusell (violin).
TRACK LISTING
Tonight #2
All Or Nothing
Expecting To Lose
Shroud
You Need Me
Right On
What A Drag
Still Out There Running
Early Spring Till
Kissing Our Friends
Oil & Lavender
This
There Is A War
Mavis
Still Trying
And It’s Still Alright
Time Stands
Rush On
Photo Credit: Joe Papeo
TheWaster.com | Red Rocks
7.20.2021
