Kessel Run | 2021-09-02 | Ester’s at Oneida Park, Denver, CO [SBD/AUD Matrix]

You know what’s an easy choice every time? Phish themed pizza and some live music courtesy of Kessel Run!

Ester’s in Denver has got some of the best pizza around, and it’s only made cooler by the fact that all the pizzas have names based on Phish songs. So, it was quite apropos that they would throw a celebratory three-day festival of music in anticipation and celebration of the upcoming Phish run over Labor Day weekend. The festival featured a plethora of local jam acts, and it was all kicked off by Denver’s very own, Kessel Run.

The band is in a bit of a flux, as they are currently in between players on both bass and keys; however, for this show they got some help from Magic Beans bassist, Chris Duffy, and Legato keyboardist, Greg Kallfa, who both filled their roles swimmingly, immediately making an impact from the tight-funk opening bass riff to “George Lucas” wrapped in the new keys tones, adding some new color to the Kessel Run compositions. The band performed all the tracks off their self-titled debut EP, as well as a cover of Flock Of Seagulls’ “Space Age Love Song” which was well received by the daytime crowd composed of mostly phish fans and families wondering what the commotion was all about.

Fans excited to see Phish over the next three days were treated to a solid taste of what Denver’s local music scene has to offer. Kessel Run made their mark performing their compositions with a looser feel than usual, accommodating their sit-in hired guns and helping guide fans through the dynamic moments of songs like “Dew” and more aggressive instrumentals such as “Tactic” and “Funkhauser” with confidence.

Kessel Run’s performance was formative, especially considering almost half the band was performing together for the first time. The additional members framed the sound in a new light that was able to breath some fresh air into the compositions and deliver up a set that was engaging, particularly for a crowd eager to see Phish this weekend. When sets like this happen, for free, at an amazing pizza place, all dedicated to the love of music, it makes you realize what makes Denver so special… Kessel Run and pizza.

Kessel Run | 2021-09-02 | Ester’s at Oneida Park, Denver, CO

-= One Set =-

01. (Intro)
02. George Lucas[1]
03. Dew
04. No Moon
05. Space Age Love Song (Flock Of Seagulls cover)
06. Desolate[2]
07. Funkhauser
08. Tactic
09. Blue Tie[3]
10. Skin Crawl

Show Notes: This set was performed as a part of EstePhest which was a multi-day event to celebrate Phish’s Labor day run at Dick’s Sporting Goods Center in Commerce City. This was a free show. Chris Duffy (Magic Beans) and Greg Kallfa (Legato) sat-in on bass and keys, respectively, for the entire set.
[1] “George Lucas” contained a “Ain’t Nobody” (Chaka Khan) tease.
[2] “Desolate” contained a “Star Wars Main Theme” (John Williams) tease.
[3] “Blue Tie” contained a “First Tube” (Phish) tease.

Taper Notes: Mics setup on-stage DFC raised around 2′ DIN configuration. Soundboard patch and mix thanks to FOH Engineer Logan Firth.

Thanks to Kessel Run and Ester’s for being cool with taping/sharing shows. Go see live music and tip your bartenders and waitstaff!

LINK: https://archive.org/details/KR2021-09-02.CA14.omnis.onstage.AUD.SBD.Matrix.flac16