Elephant Revival joined forces with the Colorado Symphony and percussionist Darren Garvey on Saturday night for a magical performance. The addition of the Symphony, conducted by Andres Lopera, added a power and depth to the sounds of the Nederland-based group that was beyond beautiful to experience live. Playing to a sold-out theater, the eclectic folk group’s debut at Boettcher Concert Hall was a resounding success which is sure to go down in the books.

Although the Colorado Symphony briefly appeared during Elephant Revival’s debut headlining performance at Red Rocks earlier this year, having an evening to explore the band’s music with full orchestration was truly a treat for fans at the sold-out Boettcher Concert Hall. The music itself was spellbinding, as listeners were treated to Elephant Revival’s new and old tunes reworked with dramatic overtures and symphonic swells. Together, Elephant Revival and the symphony played two sets, with a brief intermission between the two.

Like more traditional shows, the band sounded tight as ever together and created a healthy setlist with a mix of older crowd-favorites such as “Remembering A Beginning” and tracks off of Petals, their newest album which was released earlier this year. As always, Bonnie Paine’s soulful and ethereal vocals frequently took center stage. Of the songs throughout the night, her vocals were the most powerful in “The Raven.” Appropriately, the song closed out the night and perfectly showcased both Bonnie’s ability to enthrall an audience with her voice alone and the symphony’s perfect contributions to Elephant Revival’s sound. Bonnie’s singing was perfectly accented by the orchestra, which would change between a beautiful cascading melody and eerily sustained harmonic notes by the string section.

While the entire night was a pleasure to witness, it was fully instrumental tracks such as “Single Beds Are Made For One” that truly highlighted the rich texture and depth that the symphony added to Elephant Revival’s songs. Bridget Law led the tune with her enchanting violin playing, though soon the song took on a life of its own as the orchestra joined and helped develop the melody. As the drama of the song grew, the interplay between the band and the orchestra became the core focus, with brief moments in which the xylophone playfully jumped out to pick up the melody before fading back into the background. These moments highlighted why the night was such a gift, as the band members seemed to be just as awed by the full sound that the symphony contributed to their work.

It was also clear that Darren Garvey is beginning to find a home with Elephant Revival after touring with them extensively and joining them at their sold-out Red Rocks show earlier in the summer. He added a crisp percussive element and consistently found nuanced ways to deepen the music, frequently jumping in and contributing on vocal harmonies as well. In “Sands of Now,” his abilities particularly stood out, as he shifted between the drums and a shaker with ease. This track was also particularly noteworthy because of the prominent brass part, which only further contributed to the richness and drama of the sound of the song.

Watch their performance of “Raven” to close out the show, below.

Gratitude and love were the themes for the evening. Elephant Revival is known for their sincerity and intentionality every time they step on stage, and Saturday evening was no different. Throughout the night, members of Elephant Revival would thank their fans filling the hall, the symphony, composers and others who made the night possible, and, in Bonnie Paine’s case, her mother for being in attendance. Furthermore, the quintet made frequent references to how thankful they collectively were to be in the space and hear new iterations of their music come alive with the help of the symphony. This sentiment was contagious and stayed with audience members both throughout the show and long after they left the halls.

Elephant Revival has a few dates to round out 2016 before their winter tour, which starts in February of next year. Dates can be found below or on their website.

Setlist: Elephant Revival at Boettcher Concert Hall, Denver, CO – 11/26/16
Set I: Home in Your Heart, Remembering a Beginning, The Pasture, Season Song, Drop, Peace Tonight, Currach, Ancient Sea, Petals

Set II: Birds and Stars, Echo’s Rose, Spinning, Sea Monster, Hello You Who, Flight Patterns Weather, When I Fall, Furthest Shore, Sands of Now, Single Beds, Raven Song

Photograph courtesy of Lisa Siciliano with Dog Daze Photo.

Elephant Revival Upcoming Tour Dates

12/8/16 – Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater
12/9/16 – Fort Collins, CO – Aggie Theatre
12/10/16 – Colorado Springs, CO – Stargazers Theatre
12/11/16 – Colorado Springs, CO – Stargazers Theatre
2/9/17 – Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern
2/10/17 – Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern
2/11/17 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
2/12/17 – Eugene, OR – Wow Hall
2/15/17 – Grass Valley, CA – The Center for the Arts
2/16/17 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
2/17/17 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
2/18/17 – Crystal Bay, NV – Crystal Bay Club
2/19/17 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory
2/23-2/26/17 – Steamboat Springs, CO – WinterWonderGrass
3/2/17 – Grand Junction, CO – Avalon Theatre
3/5/17 – Aspen, CO – Wheeler Opera House
3/7/17 – Durango, CO – Animas City Theatre
3/8/17 – Durango, CO – Animas City Theatre
3/9/17 – Park City, UT – Park City Live
3/10/17 – Missoula, MT – The Wilma
3/11/17 – Bozeman, MT – The Eagles Lodge Ballroom
4/20-4/23/17 – Driftwood, TX – Old Settles Music Festival
4/21/17 – Fort Worth, TX – Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival
6/16 – 6/18/17 – Hunter, NY – Mountain Jam