Jam band stalwarts Blues Traveler had plenty of surprises up their sleeves when they took the stage at Red Rocks on July 4th. Playing the storied Colorado venue every Independence Day since 1993 (except for a cancellation in 1999), John Popper and co. brought along a few friends and some choice 90’s covers to celebrate the holiday with them.
Early in the show, the band invited out Dead & Company bassist Oteil Burbridge for a fun, reggae-tinged cover of “What I Got” by Sublime, which led into a sick bass duel between Oteil and Blues Traveler bassist Tad Kinchla. Burbridge and Blues Traveler go way back to the H.O.R.D.E. tour days, as Burbridge toured as the bassist for the Aquarium Rescue Unit. Burbridge was in Colorado for the two-night run with Dead & Company that concluded on July 3rd.
Shortly after that, Blues Traveler invited Thompson Square on stage for both “Matador” and “I Can Still Feel You.” After a few more covers, including a traditional “The Star-Spangled Banner” for July 4th, Blues Traveler played their classic hit “Run Around” before busting out a cover of “Creep” by Radiohead.
Following “Creep”, the band went into full gear, playing 11 songs in a row without stopping, fully segueing and keeping the energy high. This run included two more Blues Traveler classics in “But Anyway” and “Hook”, before bringing the set to a close with “Cara Let The Moon.” When the band returned to the stage for their encore, they had Lettuce/Soulive guitarist Eric Krasno join them for a rapid-fire take on “Brother John” to end the celebratory evening.
Check out full setlist details below for Blues Traveler at Red Rocks!
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