Show Review - Snarky Puppy 10/1/23 Boulder, CO
Snarky Puppy closed out their Colorado weekend with a night at the gorgeous Chautauqua Auditorium in Boulder on Sunday night. While the earlier curfew meant the show was shorter than Friday or Saturday, the band rose to the occasion and played the selection of Empire Central material to the eager audience.
While the venues in Breckenridge and Denver had consisted of standing room, the beautiful 125-year-old barn in Boulder was seated, marking one of the only concerts I’ve ever enjoyed while sitting down.
Conspicuously absent from the first two shows of the weekend was the lead track of Empire Central, “Keep It On Your Mind.” An incredible opener, guitarist Mark Lettieri’s lead riff echoed around the room before the deep funk groove hit. Saxophonist Chris Bullock took the first solo ahead of the keyboard breakdown that felt incredibly full with the triple-attack of Justin Stanton on Rhodes, Bill Laurance on Mellotron, and Bobby Sparks on organ. Sparks then soared on the Minimoog through the finish.
Next up came the funky intro to “Broken Arrow,” bassist Michael League and drummer Nikki Glaspie locking in on the groove as Laurance peppered in some excellent Rhodes work. Lettieri bopped into the solo with some amazing low-register funk before screaming into the finish.
The guitarist’s composition “Trinity” came next and featured a double-whammy solo from saxophonist Bob Reynolds. His distinctive silky smooth riffing was given two very different platforms within the song – the dark and brooding first solo section contrasts well with the uplifting second section.
“Bet” ripped through next with a great (and rare) trumpet solo from Stanton on the first solo section. The middle “interlude,” if you will, usually taken by some bluesy guitar riffing, was given over to the keyboardists instead, offering a nice break from the norm. Laurance flew through the outro on Moog to close out the tune.
Things slowed down a little bit for trumpeter Jay Jennings’ composition “Cliroy” after League introduced it with some backstory on the band’s Texan heritage. Mike “Maz” Maher took a clean flugelhorn solo, augmented by Sparks on Moog bass, who prodded the music in different and exciting directions throughout.
Special guest Eric Benny Bloom of Lettuce was brought on stage for the ensuing “Take It!,” the funkiest song on Empire Central. Bullock took the first solo before Bloom went to town on the bigger second section, getting into some amazing interplay during a breakdown with League. Glaspie then destroyed the outro, as she is wont to do.
For the second night in a row, “Belmont” was chosen as a late-set ballad. The open space of the Chautauqua Auditorium allowed for the layered keyboard textures to drift out over the crowd as Jennings twirled into a beautiful solo.
“Pineapple” bopped in next as the penultimate song of the set, giving a nice energy boost with an upbeat Reynolds solo. All three keyboardists traded over the outro, going from organ to piano to Prophet synthesizer in turn as huge grins were exchanged among the frenetic riffing.
Sparks took “Sleeper” on clavinet before League encouraged the crowd to remain standing through the “Shofukan” encore, complete with an excellent Stanton trumpet solo.
Snarky Puppy’s fall tour continues tonight in Oklahoma City before they swing through the south to close it out late next week. I’m grateful to have seen this weekend of shows in Colorado and can’t wait to catch them again in 2024!