The String Cheese Incident Celebrates New Year’s Eve & Day In Colorado

Photos By: Jeremy Williams

Fan can always count on The String Cheese Incident to provide a wild spectacle on New Year’s Eve and Thursday night’s performance at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado was no exception. The band employed 3D visuals, dancers, visual artists, puppets and aerialists to help them ring in 2016. Last night’s New Year’s Day show also featured more 3D visuals as SCI had given all attendees 3D glasses to enjoy the mind-blowing imagery. In addition, two members of Umphrey’s McGee made their way over from Denver to help out on the January 1 encore.

On New Year’s Eve, SCI presented three lengthy, career-spanning sets. Nearly every era was represented throughout the night in terms of originals, while the show also featured a pair of cover debuts. “Way Back Home” led into the countdown spectacle with SCI adding bits of “A Little Help From My Friends” into the vocals after 2016 hit. As if the energy wasn’t high enough, the Colorado jam act unveiled a cover of Lionel Richie’s ’80s classic “All Night Long” following “Way Back Home.” Zeppelins were flying around the room to start the third set which foreshadowed the debut of Led Zeppelin’s “The Ocean” as part of the encore on New Year’s Eve. Other standouts included “Texas,” “I Know You Rider,” “Jellyfish” and “BollyMunster.”

New Year’s Day was filled with classic Cheese starting with the “Round The Wheel” opener. “100 Year Flood,” “Shine” and “Outside And Inside” were part of a first set that ended with a well-jammed rendition of Weather Report’s “Birdland.” “Colliding” kicked off last night’s second set and gave way to “Rhythm Of The Road.” Newish fan favorite “Colorado Bluebird Sky” then led into “Stay Through” and a cover of Bob Marley’s “Exodus.” SCI closed out the second set with “Rivertrance” and “Rollover.” UM’s Kris Myers came out at the beginning of the encore to join Jason Hann and Michael Travis for a drum jam. Brendan Bayliss then emerged with the rest of Cheese for a cover of Blondie’s “Heart Of Glass” and a version of “Let’s Go Outside” that ended the evening. While “Heart Of Glass” was a SCI debut, Bayliss and Myers had performed the tune with STS9 in 2013.

The String Cheese Incident returns to 1stBank Center tonight.

Watch footage of the insane “Way Back Home” > NYE countdown thanks to PhatBeats420:

New Year’s Eve Photos (By Jeremy Williams)

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”139″ gal_title=”20151231 SCI Broomfield Jeremy Williams”]

Setlists (via Friends Of Cheese)

December 31

Set One: Just One Story, Rolling In My Sweet Baby’s Arms, BollyMunster, Look At Where We Are, Song In My Head, Cedar Laurels, Dirk

Set Two: Search, Joyful Sound, Can’t Wait Another Day, Turn This Around, Jellyfish, Black Clouds

Set Three: Way Back Home, All Night Long, I Know You Rider, Sometimes A River, Beautiful, Texas, Valley of the Jig

Encore: The Ocean > Texas

January 1

Set One: Round the Wheel, 100 Year Flood, Shine, 45th of November, Outside and Inside, Birdland

Set Two: Colliding, Rhythm of the Road, Colorado Bluebird Sky, Stay Through, Exodus, Rivertrance, Rollover

Encore: Drums*, Heart of Glass**, Let’s Go Outside**

* – w/ Kris Myers of Umphrey’s McGee
** – w/ Kris Myers and Brendan Bayliss of Umphrey’s McGee