Frightened Rabbit came to Denver last night and they brought shitty weather with them. It was in the low-30s with slushy rain. Not your typical May day. But these Scottish lads are not strangers to miserable weather in Colorado. Last time they were in town was for the Monolith Festival at Red Rocks last September. That fateful day where we all froze our asses off while trying really hard to enjoy our favorite bands.
But at least last night it was nice and warm in the sold-out Bluebird Theater.
This was the third time I have seen Frightened Rabbit, but it was the first time I have seen them headline their own show. It was a night I came very close to missing. I kept putting off buying tickets because there were so many other shows going on this month, then the weather turned and then it sold out. But I had The Winter of Mixed Drinks on repeat and as I started to realize that I might like this album even better than Midnight Organ Fight (which I loved), I realized I needed to find a way into this show.
I found my way in via craigslist where someone was looking to trade a Frightened Rabbit ticket for a Local Natives ticket. Done! I was in.
Maps & Atlases opened and I wasn’t impressed. Sounded like a mix between Dirty Projectors and Wild Beasts, but not as engaging as either band. I watched from the balcony while enjoying a Newcastle.
Frightened Rabbit took the stage promptly at 10pm. They kicked things off with one of my favorites from the new album, Skip The Youth. From there they worked through tracks from their last two albums (playing nothing from Sings the Greys), announcing it was time to ‘dance’ before busting into The Twist. The packed crowd was loving it and seemed to know every word to every song.
One of the highlights for me was Swim Until You Can’t See Land. If the Lost finale were to end with a black screen, I hope this is their Don’t Stop Believin’!
Scott Hutchison was entertaining throughout the night. Making jokes about the ‘pissin’ fookin’ rain’ at Monolith and how they “brought it back with them’, playing a day show at Twist & Shout and having some preschoolers walk in and how he felt bad singing these songs in front of them because they didn’t need to know the shit life was going to bring, how cider is a ‘man’s drink’ across the pond and how he will use whatever language he feels at his own concert!
They ended the set with Good Arms vs. Bad Arms before coming back for a 3 song encore. The encore started with an amazing solo version of Poke with a crowd sing-along.
Keep Yourself Warm was a perfect close to the night, even if it possibly ruined the chance of some guys in the crowd getting lucky, because ‘it takes more than fucking someone you don’t know to stay warm‘ and the crowd yells…‘you won’t find love, you won’t find love…you won’t find love in a hole!’
Setlist:
Skip The Youth
Modern Leper
Old Old Fashion
The Wrestle
The Twist
Swim Until You Can’t See Land
Foot Shooter
My Backwards Walk
Nothing Like You
Heads Roll Off
Good Arms vs. Bad Arms
Encore:
Poke
Living in Color
Keep Yourself Warm