For the second night in a row, Keller Williams sold out the little heavenly nook of a venue up in Bellvue, CO known as The Mishawaka Amphitheatre, which is currently celebrating its 100th anniversary. With the Friday night festivities acting as a bluegrass hoedown w/ guests such as SCI’s Keith Moseley, as well as Jeff Austin, Saturday night was dedicated strictly to the funk, as Williams brought along More Than A Little and support from Andy Frasco & The U.N.
What can’t be said about Frasco and his band of maniacs? These guys literally have more energy than a nuclear reactor. There is no formal setlist, everything is performed off the cuff, and most of the set you will find Frasco behind the piano, standing on the piano, jumping around on stage, or inviting everybody in attendance to join along in the clear and present good times that are being had by he and his bandmates.
A particularly rowdy version of Creedence Clearwater Revival‘s “Proud Mary” (though this was clearly Tina Turner‘s rendition) had booties shaking, while a cover of Rage Against The Machine‘s “Killing In The Name” had everybody screaming “Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me” to end the set. If you’re not familiar with Andy Frasco & The U.N., do yourself a favor and not only give them a listen, but more importantly go see this band live, especially if you need a jolt of energy in your life.
Keller came out all dressed up in a black suit and ready to bring some sleek, funky grooves to The Mish with his more than capable backing band More Than A Little. His set featured some favorites such as “Freeker By The Speaker”, Rick James‘ “Mary Jane”, and the Jerry Garcia Band tune “My Sisters & Brothers (Promised Land)”, the latter of which featured Frasco on the keys and singing along with backup singers Tonya Lazenby Jackson and Sugah Davis. The Grateful Dead‘s “Feel Like A Stranger” kept the Deadheads in the crowd more than pleased, along with a spectacular version of the Talking Heads‘ “This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)” that was truly apropos given the majestic location of the event.
Another great night at The Mish, as the concert season winds down for the 100th season with upcoming shows from Jackie Greene, Beats Antique, and MarchFourth! among others (check out upcoming dates here). Check out some video from Saturday’s show below:
[photo courtesy of Dylan Langille – ontheDL Photography]