Rob Drabkin's 6th Annual Birthday Bash 1.18.13

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The Bluebird Theater
Denver, CO

Words & Photos By J-man

There was heavy musical competition in Denver, as is often the case on Fridays. Railroad Earth was doing three near sold out nights at The Ogden Theatre, The Motet was celebrating the ten year anniversary of Cervantes and Particle would play host to a packed house at Quixote's True Blue. All of that being said, would you believe that over 500 folks passed through the door of The Bluebird Theater for one of Rob Drabkin's biggest shows to date? Many reading this will wonder, "Who is Rob Drabkin?" While many others, at least 500 in total, are already fortunate enough to know. That evening The Bluebird Theater was packed with excitable fans who turned out early to enjoy Shel and to secure a spot for Rob's headlining set. Following a lengthy stage turnover, Rob Drabkin and his band hit the stage.

Setlist: Stay Here With You, The Boy In The Bubble, A Bird Lost, For You I Would Die, Feeling Good Again, She Comes and Goes, Down To Fate, Duel w/ Bijoux, I Know What I know, Sweet Things, Diamonds, Little Steps

Encore: Lullaby, Stay (The Morning Light Fades), Solsburry Hill

Joined by Dave Preston (Guitar), Eric Moon (Piano), "Bijoux" Barbosa (Bass) and Brian McRae (Drums), Rob had a well selected group of musicians to fit his compositions. Visibly excited and with a huge smile on his face, Rob dove into his set. From the beginning the songs were tight and clearly well rehearsed, with a polished near-studio quality vibe. The Denver crowd was treated to a mix of old songs, new songs and some fantastic covers. Guests for the evening included Rob's father, Harry Drabkin (Tenor Sax), Andre Mali (Trumpet), Darren Kramer (Trombone), and last but certainly not least, the beautiful, Kim Dawson (Vocals). Kim's trained vocals mixed well with Rob's raw and captivating voice. That evening Rob would be releasing his EP as well as capturing a live recording. His new songs sounded great and reflected the musical growth of a storyteller, folk singer and driven individual.

Rob played his cards right by announcing his event early and selling fee-free tickets in advance. Additionally the announcement of the EP's release and that the show would be recorded further excited his fanbase which has appeared to grow significantly since last year's Bluebird show! Once attracting a respectable crowd to the venue, Rob bet the farm and performed an energetic and exciting show! It may just be that next year's show will have to be moved to a larger venue to accommodate Rob's increasing demand. If you haven't done so, stream Rob's new EP and go see him live if given the opportunity.

J-man's Photo Gallery

www.robdrabkin.com

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