Brandi Carlile at Red Rocks w/ Alanis Morissette and Stephen Wilson Jr
There’s a line in a Season Five “Simpsons” episode where, after Lisa and Grampa remark on how unheard they are, Homer gleefully retorts, “I’m a white male, age 18 to 49. Everyone listens to me—no matter how dumb my suggestions are,” then chows down from a package labeled “Nuts and Gum – Together at Last!” It’s the type of throwaway gag that’s gained relevance to me as I’ve aged through (and past) that demo, and it came to mind again during Saturday night’s Brandi Carlile show. Among the 9500 strong at Red Rocks were a majority of folks who’d spent a good chunk of their lives unheard, or worse. But that’s never the case at a Brandi show – it’s loud, joyful and cathartic, because she’s loud, joyful and cathartic. She listens, because she’s been there. She sings so that others can sing along – SCREAM along – and get through.
Saturday evening’s show began with microbiologist-turned-songwriter Stephen Wilson Jr. With his amplified nylon-string guitar and his three-piece band (drums, bass and pedal steel), Wilson created a wall of sound destined for the world’s greatest amphitheatre, matched by his songwriting chops (“Billy,” “Preacher’s Kid” and the crowd chant-inducing “Gary”). After playing “Father’s Song,” Wilson announced his own Red Rocks headlining debut, slated for Father’s Day 2027. Book my ticket now.
Carlile’s show began solo, on a darkened, elevated stage, singing the title song from last year’s Returning to Myself as the rest of her band emerged behind her. Backed by a gigantic screen, Carlile played a healthy mix of new tunes and past favorites, dedicated to the “old-school Bramily.” Red Rocks can take a toll on flatlanders – after finishing “You and Me on the Rock,” Carlile exclaimed, “There is nowhere to breathe in that song – my life just flashed before my eyes!” But she was game – more than game – to nail the high note in the dramatic “Right on Time.”
After Wilson returned to the stage to wow the crowd (and Carlile) with his viral take on “Stand By Me,” the evening took a brief detour to Stump the Band, with Carlile and her longtime bandmates, Phil and Tim Hanseroth, taking shouted and sign-fed requests from the crowd. Included was the trio’s first-ever single, “What Can I Say,” backed by black and white photos of the Seattle-based band from when we were all a little younger. The screen was also used to display protest photos during a fiery take on last year’s “Church & State” [note – there’s an excellent, slow but intense version of this tune featured on the upcoming Returning to Myself (Sad Gay Version)]. Carlile all-timers “The Story” and “The Joke” also made appearances, the latter wrapping the main set and teeing up the evening’s biggest surprise. After a rousing “Hold Out Your Hand” led off the encore with the band joined by their kids on vocals, Carlile launched into her familiar cover of Alanis Morrisette’s “Uninvited.” Screams erupted as Morrisette herself emerged to take the second verse, a moment so stunning that Carlile took a joyful spill onto the stage. She credited Morrisette with opening the doors for other boisterous, uncompromising women to follow their own rock ‘n’ roll dreams, but Carlile herself has repaid that debt and then some – women (and men), singers and otherwise, have places to be themselves because folks like Carlile refuse to stay quiet.
Go here to order/stream Returning to Myself (Sad Gay Version) (out September 25):
https://shop.brandicarlile.com/products/returning-to-myself-sad-gay-version-vinyl-signed
https://brandicarlile.lnk.to/SadGayVersion
Check out tour dates here: https://shop.brandicarlile.com/pages/tour-dates
Enjoy some of our previous coverage here: REVIEW: Brandi Carlile “Returning to Myself”