Leftover Salmon | 12.29.07 | Boulder
By Team JamBase Jan 14, 2008 • 12:22 pm PST

Leftover Salmon :: 12.29.97 :: Boulder Theater :: Boulder, CO
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With arms flailing crazily, Herman greeted the crowd and spun into fan-favorite “Zombie Jamboree.” Instantly, the Boulder Theater became a dance playground. Emmitt tore things open with his electric twang and slide on the mandolin during “Unplug the Telephone.” That great combination of Herman’s quirky personality and Emmitt’s unparalleled musicianship was sorely missed the past few years, and for one night in Boulder it was back again. “Bend on the River” found Emmitt on violin for a straighter bluegrass feel, during which Herman let out a one of his classic yelps.
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Since the death of Mark Vann in 2002, Noam Pikelny has taken the reins on banjo for Leftover Salmon. While no one can replace Vann, Pikelny continues to impress. A smooth, fast solo from Pikelny made the bluegrass sound explode, setting the crowd off and inspiring Herman to jump on washboard for a tune.
It was one of those nights where each minute the show went on it got better. Every move was somehow better than the last, and it felt like it would never end as the band played on. After encoring with the Rolling Stones’ “Let it Bleed,” the crowd continued to rage and coaxed Salmon back for a second encore, which included Jeff Sipe‘s five-year-old son on drums and a collective, vocal-only version of “Wake and Bake.” Fans clapped and sang, and it all ended just as naturally as it began.
It was a wild year for Colorado music fans. 2007 saw the departure of Colorado greats String Cheese Incident and the return of Colorado’s original slamgrass heroes, Leftover Salmon. Here’s hoping for more Salmon and Cheese in our live music diets in 2008.
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