Coming on the heels of his most recent solo release, fittingly titled 50, The String Cheese Incident keyboard wizard and brewmeister Kyle Hollingsworth brought his band up to Fort Collins, CO’s Aggie Theatre to begin a three-night celebration for his 50th birthday this past Thursday night.
Hot Buttered Rum joined the party with a solid support set, which included a sit-in from the birthday boy on “Cherry Lake”, from the San Francisco-based bluegrass’s 2016 album The Kite & The Key, Pt. 3 – which Hollingsworth also produced. The quartet also performed a cover of The Beatles‘ 1965 track “I’ve Just Seen A Face,” which was well-received by the Aggie faithful, and got them plenty warmed up for the main event.
Hot Buttered Rum “Cherry Lake” w/ Kyle Hollingsworth:
Kyle never lets his fans down. He has a knack for writing well-crafted songs that delve into both the funk and singer-songwriter realms, all while taking the listener on a joy ride. His latest effort, 50, is a fine example of that. With a backing band consisting of long-time KHB member Dan Schwindt on guitar, and bringing along sensational vocalist Paige Sandusky, the band delivers a multi-headed beast of a performance. “Finding Our Way” from the new album tells a story about a young boy from Baltimore that heads out to the Rocky Mountains, meets up with some other traveling souls and forms a band….have we heard this one before? The harmonies between Hollingsworth and Sandusky throughout the evening were on point, especially on this tune.
Kyle Hollingsworth Band – “Finding Our Way”
The second set was a display of funk, disco, and straight grooves, but not before the band and crowd sang the SCI quinquagenarian a proper “Happy Birthday” as the clock struck midnight. The laid-back number “The Way It Goes” from the keyboardist’s 2009 album, Then There’s Now, brought out plenty of smiles in the Aggie. But when the band burst into a cover of Chaka Khan‘s “Ain’t Nobody”, with Sandusky taking the lead on vocals, things ramped up a few notches. There wasn’t a body in attendance that wasn’t getting down and singing along to the Queen of Funk’s classic 1984 cut. The rest of the evening was a straight dance party befitting of the birthday celebration.
The 3-night run continued last night at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom in Denver, with a final show at Boulder Theater on Saturday night. SCI bandmate Michael Kang, TAB’s Jennifer Hartswick, The Motet horns, and more will join the group tonight, with some other special guests expected. For more information, check out Kyle’s tour dates here.
Check out the photo gallery from Conrad Meyer Photography.
