Morsel | 2018-12-15 | The Fox Theatre, Boulder, CO [SBD/AUD Matrix]

If you’re wondering where we’re going, I’ve got no way of knowing but won’t you just please check out Morsel at The Fox Theatre?!

With Christmas soon to come, Morsel was feeling the spirit as they took the stage for their set supporting Amoramora at the official after-party for Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio’s two-night acoustic run at The Macky Auditorium. They opened their set with a lighthearted nod to the season; a cover of “Santa Lost A Ho!”. The two-beat ditty was a Christmas classic I had never heard before but clearly resonated with the crowd and served as a fitting opener for the nu-grass group. Wasting no time the band then launched into a bluegrass classic, “Rocky Top”. Their rendition opened with a capella vocal harmonies before launching into the bluegrass staple. The cover choice may seem standard-fare for a bluegrass band but considering it is also commonly a part of the phish live repertoire, it feels safe to assume it was a bit of a nod to the Phish front man as well. This performance was a bit slower than many popular versions but the subdued tempo opened it up to a more soulful interpretation.

Next up the band performed an original called “How We Met”, a minor-melancholic tale of two outlaws running from their pasts. The three-chord melody has a canter that lends itself beautifully to each of the verses and the guitar solo at the end. Not to mention the incisive slide-guitar work throughout the entire tune including the solo. One of the more evocative numbers of the evening. Afterwards the band covered Tyler Childers’ “White House Road” an ode to living for excess. A fun party tune with a fitting set placement to help keep the crowd engaged and grooving. The band executed the tune quite well, layering their soundscape in a cohesive mesh that moved as a unit, allowing each member to accent the sound without overpowering it. The band then performed another original titled “Kick It” which starts as a slow waltz before eventually kicking into an up-beat grass-rock tune. The verses gave me such a nostalgic feel for the oldies from the 50’s and the tempo transitions gave the song an even more charming appeal.

The band continued their set with another nod to the jam band icons with a cover of “Back On The Train”. The bluesy song structure lends itself very well to Morsel’s bluegrass attack and gave way to some more solid slide guitar work. Another nice treat for a crowd that clearly wasn’t going to be making the Trey show. Next up the band performed another original, this one titled “Gemini Bridges”. It featured an extended introduction which patiently built itself into the gypsy-grass groove of the song about the Moab rock formation. The staccato beat and catchy melody were well received and had the crowd dancing throughout.

Slowing things down a bit, the band played a cover of The Beatles’ “Rocky Raccoon”, another tune that played out well with the crowd, anxious to sing-a-long with the “babadattadadas”. It also featured a shreddy guitar solo to take it all home. The set then closed out with the original “Banana Bread, a funk-grass tune about, well, banana bread. A wholesome way to end the show the way it began.

Morsel | 2018-12-15 | The Fox Theatre, Boulder, CO

-= One Set =-
01. (Intro)
02. Santa Lost A HO! (The Christmas Jug Band cover)
03. Rocky Top (Felice and Boudleaux Bryan cover)
04. How We Met
05. White House Road (Tyler Childers cover)
06. Kick It
07. Back On The Train (Phish cover)
08. Gemeni Bridges
09. Rocky Raccoon (The Beatles cover)
10. Banana Bread

Show Notes: The show was billed as the official Trey Anastasio after-party. Morsel and The Great Salmon Famine opened the show. Amoramora was the headliner.

Thank you to Morsel and The Fox Theatre for being cool with taping/sharing live shows. Go see live music and tip your bartenders! #spacetapes

LINK: https://archive.org/…/Morsel2018-12-15.CA14.cards.AUD.SBD.M…