What can I say about a Lucero show that I haven’t already said here, here and here?  Well, nothing really.  They came through town again for the 3rd or 4th time this year and they put on a 2 hour kick-ass show and then they walked off stage, out the front door of the Bluebird and across the street to Goosetown Tavern, where they sat around drinking with their friends and fans.

Ben Nichols just might be the least pretentious lead singer I have ever met.  And Lucero are definitely one of the most hard working, underrated bands around.  They put their everything into every performance (except for maybe the drummer, who lacked any sort of personality on the kit).  Every show has a different setlist and none of them are less than 25 songs.  They have been on tour for a century and show no signs of slowing down.  I asked Ben when the next album was coming out and he just laughed, commenting that they have to get off the road and into the studio because he already has 17 songs written (one of which they debuted during the encore).  But getting off the road doesn’t seem like something these guys know how to do.

This was my 5th time seeing Lucero this year, so instead of actually writing another review, I’m just going to share some thoughts, photos, video and the setlists. This was my last show of 2010 and I don’t think I could’ve picked a better night to close out an amazing year in live music!

Chad Price and Jon Snodgrass opened the show with Drag The River songs.  Perfect opening set, although I did have the two mixed up and embarrassingly called Jon by the wrong name and tried to talk to him about ALL at the bar after the show.

‘It’s good to be back here, we are actually on the extact same tour we were on last time.  We never go home. Social Distortion did get tired and had to go home though.’

‘I think the whiskey’s kickin’ in!’

‘That took some homework, shit ton of words in that one’ – Ben after singing War.

‘It’ll be a lot better, that was a first draft’ – Ben after previewing a new song

sorry, this video is a bit jumpy..but the ground was literally moving and I was drinking.

The band is from Tennessee, but it seems they are always in Colorado and they are one of those bands that always makes a stop in Ft. Collins.  After the show Brian Venable (in a metal shirt as always) said Colorado is a second home to them and that’s why they are always here.

Brian and Ben stood around out front talking to fans for at least 15 minutes after the show without any sign of irritation.  They actually seemed enjoy the interaction, which is not something you see too often.

Members of both bands ended up drinking across the street and even there, where after awhile they were clearly in conversations with their actual friends, they had no problem signing autographs or even engaging in long conversations with people they didn’t know.  The funniest part was right before we left when some SoCal looking blonde walked up and starting hitting on Ben.  It seemed pretty obvious she didn’t know who he was but just saw all the attention he was getting and decided to get in on it.