This past Saturday night the John Kadlecik Band brought the absolute heat to the infamous Fox Theatre in Boulder to conclude a three-night Colorado run. The Dark Star Orchestra co- founder and former Furthur guitarist was backed by bass slayer Klyph Black, drummer extraordinaire Nathan Graham, and Waynard Scheller bringing it home on the keys. The newly developed lineup of the John Kadlecik Band really seemed to be dialed in and ready to bring the good times straight out of the gate with a “Shakedown Street” opener. From that first song on, the band brought one scorcher after another, with the 625 person intimate venue bouncing up and down.
The John Kadlecik Band has found an impressive and unique way of interweaving classic Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia Band covers in with John Kadlecik’s original tunes. The flawless segues the band played as they transitioned from song to song proved that there is great hope for the future of this rockin’ group. “The Promised Land”> “Mission in the Rain” was the true highlight of the first set, but interestingly, “Box of Rain” and “Ripple” were both played first set as well, which are generally only seen late in the second set or as encores.
After everyone got a good twenty-minute stretch-break in and a moment to catch their breath, The John Kadlecik Band came back onstage in full force with a sweet and eloquent rendition of “Brown Eyed Woman”. John Kadlecik originals “Upon the Lowland Sea” and “American Spring” followed, demonstrating that the band has a strong focus beyond living up to the Grateful Dead standards, which a lot of the crowd expects given Kadlecik’s past projects. These originally crafted curve balls brought back memories of what made me fall in love with John Kadlecik’s beautiful voice and incredible guitar skills. From first seeing him with Dark Star Orchestra in the seventh grade with my father, to having my mind blow into pieces after seeing Furthur joined by Elvis Costello, Larry Campbell and both of their wives at Radio City Music Hall in 2011, John has kept his creativity level high and impressive after so many musical transitions.
The John Kadlecik Band owned the stage the entire night, and left the Boulder, Colorado crowd with some Grateful Dead covers to tide them over until Dead and Company rolls into town Fourth of July weekend. The kids did dance and shake their bones, with a “Throwing Stones” > “Not Fade Away” that had energy to blow the roof off. The common Jerry Garcia Band cover “Brothers and Sisters” capped off a night that everyone will surely remember. The John Kadlecik Band’s time has arrived and there is plenty of room to hop on the bandwagon and enjoy the kind of ride performed Saturday night at the Fox.
