On Saturday night at Denver, CO’s The Fillmore Auditorium, The String Cheese Incident keyboardist Kyle Hollingsworth threw his annual Hoppy Holidays benefit concert, with proceeds donated to Colorado-based non-profit Conscious Alliance. Bringing along his own Kyle Hollingsworth Band, along with headliner JJ Grey & Mofro, Kyle was also joined by fellow Cheese bandmate Billy Nershi for a special duet set to open the evening, after a fantastic beer tasting from over 30+ breweries.

It was a great event, front to back, with both Kyle and Billy opening the night with a special duet set, which featured stripped down versions of SCI songs such as “One Step Closer,” “Lester Had a Coconut,” and “Round the Wheel.” It’s not often you get to see members of Cheese n a setting like this, which made for this particular hometown occasion to be that much more special.

KHB put on an exceptional set, filled with originals such as “Tumbling” and “Let Me In,” along with covers such as Michael Jackson‘s “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) with Pimps of Joytime singer Kim Dawson shining on vocals, and subtle tease of the Talking Heads’ “Crosseyed and Painless.” Nershi sat in on set opener “Bam!,” as well as an awesome “Texas” later in the set, which witnessed quite a bit of chatter in the crowd with regards to SCI’s upcoming 3-night New Year’s run at the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield (w/ special guests Big Gigantic and The Floozies).

The String Cheese Incident Announces “Big Gigantic Incident”, The Floozies For NYE Run

Jacksonville, FL’s own JJ Grey & Mofro never fails to leave it all out on the stage, with their brand of soul-infused swamp rock. Ever the showman, Grey told stories while playing a fantastic career-spanning setlist, comprised of originals such as “99 Shades of Crazy,” “Country Ghetto,” “Lochloosa,” and “Orange Blossoms” (video below). Grey & Mofro have always been able to deliver that sweet, soulful blues rock with such ease, and this performance was indicative of that. Check out some video and a gallery of photos (courtesy of John Underwood Schumm) from the evening below:

Kyle Hollingsworth Band “Pretty Young Thing” (Michael Jackson cover) w/ Kim Dawson on vocals:

JJ Grey & Mofro “Orange Blossoms”:

“Texas”:

Setlist: Kyle Hollingsworth Band | The Fillmore Auditorium | Denver, CO | 12/3/16

Set: Bam/Racer X, Let’s Go, Too Young, All Falls, Wedding, Falling, You Got the Love (Kim Dawson song), Tumble/And So It Was, World, Let Me In, Happening > PYT, Texas, Peregrino

JJ Grey & Mofro | The Fillmore Auditorium | Denver, CO | 12/3/16

Set: 6 Ways, A Woman, 99 Shades of Crazy, Circles, Country Ghetto, Every Minute, Junior, Gotta Know, Hide & Seek, Lochloosa, Orange Blossoms, Lazy Fo Acre, Ho Cake, I Believe

E: King Hummingbird, Ol’ Glory

 

[all photos courtesy of John Underwood Schumm]