Fruition
21 August 2015 - Red Rocks Amphitheatre - Morrison, CO
for The Lot Scene by Parker
Band Members: Jay Cobb Anderson - vocals, lead guitar, harmonica; Kellen Asebroek - vocals, rhythm guitar, piano; Mimi Naja - vocals, mandolin, electric guitar, acoustic guitar; Jeff Leonard - bass; Tyler Thompson - drums, banjo
Setlist: Meet Me on the Mountain, The Wanter, Labor of Love, Wastin’ Away > Blue Light, Never Again, Get In, Mountain Annie, I Don't Mind, The Meaning
Red Rocks. A triple bill. And Fruition to lead the whole affair? You bet your boots, my friends. And what an opener for an evening filled with amazing music! Of course, I must admit my bias before I begin as I simply love this Oregonian band. I’ve had the privilege of seeing them may times now and grow to love them all the more each new time I do. Arriving just in time for the first note, we walked into the moving and magnificent one-of-a-kind venue that is Red Rocks just as Fruition began singing “Meet Me on the Mountain”, that harmonious and lovely selection from the EP they did with Grant Farm last year. A perfect way to begin our delightful evening of music down in that magical bowl between Creation and Ship Rocks. They followed with “The Wanter” and then “Labor of Love”, one of my personal favorites from this band. For anyone familiar with them, it should come as no surprise how well Mimi and Kellen and Jay’s voices all shone out from that hallowed stage. In short, they all sounded just stellar for their first Red Rocks performance — which came as no surprise. They then slowed things down a bit with Mimi up to the mic for “Wastin’ Away” which was a clear crowd favorite and which sounded hauntingly gorgeous as it reverberated all around us off those famous rocks. Brava!! They took “Wastin’” directly into the unmistakable groove of “Blue Light” from their album Just One of Them Nights. And then it was time to speed things back up and for Jay to take the lead for another of my favorites, “Never Again”, this version being fully imbued with all the positive energy and ecstatically happy attitude that Red Rocks itself provides for the musicians who play there. In a (couple of) word(s): terrifically explosive. Then we got a very lovely treat in the form of one Bridget Law of Elephant Revival who joined in on fiddle for “Get In” — but why take my paltry word for it when you can see for yourself?
Sweet and engaging and with the perfect guest to have join them at Red Rocks. “Mountain Annie” — just the name of the song and its unique sound and extremely catchy nature conjures up visions of Fruition for me. One of theirs that I feel is so pleasantly synonymous with the band itself. And, boy, was I sure glad they ended up including it in their set for us! It sounded just exquisite, each vocal spot on, each harmony in tune, and the energy itself. Powerful. Another guest, though, you say? Really? OK, how about Anders Beck from Greensky Bluegrass? Would that make you happy? It sure made all of us in the audience very happy as he took the stage with his electric slide to join in on the rock’n’roll “I Don’t Mind” led by Mimi on the mic. Gritty and intense this was a fun ride for all. Their final selection for the evening featured Kellen on the lead vocals for “The Meaning” which was a slower, more soulful piece that brought their show to a gentle, impactful close. Not bad whatsoever (read: freakin’ unreal and crazy good) for their first time at Red Rocks! I would very much love to see them headlining there one day very soon, and believe that they could, no worries. A truly incredible job, guys, thank you so much for such a fantastic show. And, the crazy thing is, Fruition was just getting things going for the night! Greeksky and Yonder were both yet to come! So, stay tuned for more from this wonderful evening of music!!
Anders Beck joins Fruition