02 Mar Opera House: Spafford Live in Concert, 3/14!
The Sheridan Arts Foundation presents Spafford live in concert for the first time at Telluride’s historic Sheridan Opera House on Saturday, March 14, 2020, 9 p.m. with opening support from Cycles. Tickets are $30 GA standing room; $40 reserved balcony seat. (A $5 ticketing fee always applies.) Tickets are available at www.SheridanOperaHouse.com or by calling 970.728.6363 ext.5.
Please scroll down to watch Spafford and Cycles in action.
On New Year’s Eve in 2009, guitarist Brian Moss and bassist Jordan Fairless joined up to play a show in their home state of Arizona and ring in a new decade. Moss and Fairless had been playing the same open mic nights and after their first successful joint effort decided to team up and officially form a band: Spafford.
After playing shows in their home state, the pair found themselves on the hunt for a new partner to help round out their group. They found keyboard player Andrew “Red” Johnson and asked him to voyage out to Las Vegas in the run-up to their 2011 New Year’s show in Prescott. Johnson agreed and has been with the band ever since. Now, with drummer Nick Tkachyk, Spafford brings its vibrant, dynamic music to the world at large and pushes the boundaries of what a jam band can be.
Spafford is known for their astonishing improvisational ability, which they use to play live off-the-cuff extended jams. Each song is a blank canvas, so Spafford paints a picture in real time each night with a musical palette known only to each other. It’s a private language comprised of their talent as musicians and of their formidable catalog of influences ranging from Steely Dan and electronic acts like The Crystal Method to 90’s alt rock radio hits. Every show is a sonic pilgrimage, the journey of a team of musicians so in tune with each other that a single note is all that is needed to communicates intent and purpose.
Even though the band thrives off the electric pulse of live shows, the same energy also translates into their studio efforts. Their 2018 release For Amusement Only hits to the heart of Spafford: tight, inventive, and dexterous musicianship, coupled with clever retro-pop inspired songwriting. Songs like “Leave The Light On” highlight their influences from the melodic styles of Alanis Morissette to the rhythmic bounce of Bob Marley. Other tracks like “Ain’t That Wrong” and “Slip and Squander” are rich with other signature Spafford signs: vibrant vocal harmonies, complex and catchy arrangements, and sparkling, powerful performances.
Opener Cycles is a three-piece band that blends several musical genres including rock, jazz, hip-hop, soul, funk, and more.
The group epitomizes the power-trio format with ripping guitar, fat bass grooves played out through furious slapping, and viciously dynamic drum beats flowing over intricate tempo changes. Each member has a unique take on his instrument that when played with his friends forms a truly fresh and cohesive sound.
Patrick Harvey commands the guitar with speed and precision reminiscent of Jimmy Herring while using his loop pedal virtually as its own instrument, a skill unique to him. At the heart of the band lies Tucker McClung’s dominant slap-bass chops that captivates audiences and pumps the musical blood through the band. The recent addition of drummer, Collin O’Brien has brought new fire and life into band. With swift chops, fierce fills and decisive tempo, Collin has only further intensified the already explosive sound that is Cycles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECbT2Akjp-A
Telluride band Lavalanche, comprised of locals Tyler Simmons, Mike Enriquez, and John Sullivan perform at the AfterSHOW in the SHOW Bar immediately following the main stage performance. AfterSHOWs are free and open to the public.
The Sheridan Arts Foundation was founded in 1991 as a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization to preserve the historic Sheridan Opera House as an arts and cultural resource for the Telluride community, to bring quality arts and cultural events to Telluride and to provide local and national youth with access and exposure to the arts through education. The Sheridan Arts Foundation is sponsored in part by grants from the CCAASE and Colorado Creative Industries.
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