Three Nights of John Kadlecik Band June 8th-10th, 2012


Quixote's True Blue
Denver, CO

Words By J-man
Photos By Jon Prins
Audio By Corey Sandoval (
Kind Recordings)

With the announcement of the three night John Kadlecik Band run at Quixote's True Blue, Furthur fans, as well as Dead fans, were abuzz. To have "The Jerry" in what many would consider to be a mecca for Grateful Dead fans, seemed only to make perfect sense. Several renovations/improvements had taken place as of late around Quixote's, just in time for what would be a huge weekend. An upgraded sound system was installed courtesy of John O'Leary in the courtyard, which is now being referred to as Owsley's! Additionally, several aesthetic changes have taken place throughout the venue. Quixote's has truly become complete and that weekend was the perfect weekend to showcase the new and improved center of The universe.

John Kadlecik Live at Quixote's True Blue on June 10, 2012.



Set One: Too Many Mornings, The Harder They Come, Seen Love, Bird Song, Dweller On The Threshold, Fast Enough For You, Any Road > Fire On The Mountain > Any Road Reprise

Set Two: Good Guys & Bad Guys, Also Sprach Zarathustra, Cleaning Windows, Russian Lullaby, Get Out Of My Life Women, Lazy River Road, Desert Trance, Hey Pocky Way, It's Alright, Walls Of Time, Not Fade Away

Encore: John Banter, Sing Me Back Home

Openers for the weekend included the impressive Larkin Poe. Their instrumentation and approach made for captivating sets of music. A few times throughout the weekend people were overheard saying "who is this band?" Also present was Spoonfed Tribe, bringing a heavier and contrasting vibe to the table. Most notably was Imagine feat. Ray White and Melvin Seals! Their Friday set was enjoyable, but Saturday stole the weekend. Ray's banter with the crowd entertained to no end and was a perfect fit with the weekend's headlining act.


With Quixote's approaching a sell out, The John K Band hit the stage. From the get go it felt like a Jerry Garcia band show, both due to John's guitar playing and due to his selections of songs. For those who came expecting to hear Dead tunes, they quickly discovered the error in their assumption. As the evening progressed folks danced the night away. Night one turned into night two with many of the same faces present to join in on the celebration. The music's energy began to climb on Friday and where as many bands would have climaxed on Saturday and opted for a mellow Sunday show, The John K Band kept the energy rising well into Sunday, with a handfull of the weekend's highlights arising during day three.

Musically, I was thrilled with what was presented. The chemistry of John's band was good, with guest saxophonists, Pete Wall and Justin Jones helping to round out the full sound of the band. Without a doubt, John stole the show with mind-bending solos, ripping guitar work and Jerry tones (literally) for days. Clear highlights included Melvin Seals and Ray White sitting in with John K Band as well as Sunday afternoon's "bust out" of "Fire on The Mountain!"

What started as one night at Quixote's for many, turned into three. There is no place in town like Quixote's True Blue and last weekend was further proof of that. Operating a music venue can be a constant roller coaster of ups and downs. Right now Quixote's is on a huge upswing. Special thanks to Jay Bianchi for one of the best weekend's in Denver in some time! As the weekend came to a close, my cheeks were sore from smiling, my stomach hurt from laughing and my knees were sore from dancing... I guess that's all apart of what comes with a weekend at the center of the universe.

www.johnkmusic.net

www.quixotes.com

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