Let it be known that anytime Rob asks me if I want to go see a band play, my answer will always be yes. We’ve always shared a connection to music, and for the most part, we tend to enjoy the same music and always have. He gravitates toward some pretty obscure sounds that sometimes take me awhile to learn to appreciate, but once I’ve acquired the taste I’m usually all in with him and sincerely learn to love (and crave) it as much as he does. Back in our early years together, we saw some really great shows together, but there were times when an opportunity would present itself to go see a musician we loved play, and we would sometimes talk ourselves out of it. Too busy, too expensive, can’t take the time off work, whatever the excuse was. When Chris Cornell died in May of 2017 (on my 31st birthday), we felt devastated in a way that we haven’t completely healed from, and I know Rob has grieved the absence of Chris’s music and life far greater than I have. And when that happened, we both decided to never put off taking advantage of seeing musicians we love play the music we connect with given the chance. So now, we seek out opportunities to go and connect with something we love, and we’ve never regretted any of the time or dollars invested in that pursuit. I wish we could have seen Chris and Soundgarden play many more times than we did over the years, but that chance is gone and so we lean in where we can.
All of THAT to say, several months ago when Rob realized Big Wreck would be wrapping up their North American tour with a show in Denver and that it would be the closest they would come to where we live, he floated the idea of going out to see them, and I immediately said YES! I had quickly grown to love Big Wreck’s music, and an opportunity to see them play in a city I had never visited during Christmastime felt like one hell of a way to blow a few vacation days. So we booked the tickets and made our plans to cram as much into our 48 hours in Denver as possible! This post will capture the sights, sounds, and smells of the first 24 hours.
Travel into Denver was breezy and fairly efficient, and we landed in the early afternoon. They offer train services directly out of the airport and into the heart of downtown for a little over ten bucks a person, with an estimated travel time (with stops in between) of about 40 minutes. We found the train and hopped aboard. It was not a fancy train, felt like a subway car but wasn’t crowded and was clean and well lit. Also super proud of myself on this trip; we didn’t check any bags, only had one carry one each, and I packed absolutely perfectly for the length of the trip and the weather. It was very cold when we were there, and we used our two feet as our main mode of transportation around the city, and my big coat and hot pink toboggan and gloves were a most prized possession.
One thing…actually two things struck me pretty instantly upon arriving in Denver and setting off from the airport. First, the air smells like weed pretty much everywhere. High volume (haha get it) of individuals smoking it everywhere, which shouldn’t have surprised me but it did. Coming from a state where that scent is considered very naughty and carries a high criminal penalty, it was so shocking to just sense it everywhere. Secondly, the homeless population is shocking. It was evident almost immediately at the train station, but notable throughout the entire ride toward downtown. Each side of the tracks were littered heavily with trash and debris with several homeless (some active, most abandoned) camps along the way. I know one shouldn’t judge a place by the way the land looks around the train tracks leading into the city, but it was a pretty dismal sight that remained pretty consistent the entire way in. I would continue to be reminded of this through our trip, because the homeless population is everywhere in the center of the city. I lost count at the number, which left me feeling sad and overwhelmed with grief and guilt and …helplessness.
Arriving at Union Station, we footed it toward some late lunch at a spot we found with a simple google search that turned out to be a great choice! Onefold was a casual breakfast/coffee place that was open until 3pm, and we landed there around 2. Huevos Rancheros, Duckfat Sweet Potatoes and a gin and juice hit the spot. Rob ordered breakfast fried rice with poached eggs and we shared everything like we typically do, and I didn’t know it at the time, but this meal left me so full for so long it prevented me from eating any dinner later! (spoiler alert, I made up for it the following day).
We finished up our lunch and chose to uber to our hotel simply to get there and feel settled a bit sooner. This was the only time we travelled by car the remainder of the trip, and even so, I still closed in over 15,000 steps this day. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency downtown which was a great stay and super affordable. It was decorated beautifully for Christmas and wound up being in a good central location for everything we interacted with and wanted to do while we were there. When we checked in, we sort of just chilled for a few hours. I needed to take off my pants for awhile and take a pepcid (remember, big lunch) and Rob studied google maps working out logistics for the rest of the evening because he’s very dependable in that regard.
Eventually I put the pants back on, layered on my warm clothes, and we set out toward Great Divide Brewing Company, at the tap room nearby. About a mile away from the hotel, it honestly felt good to walk and move around a bit and we got to experience the downtown vibe at sunset. There was a lot of really significant civil work going one of the busiest streets being totally shut down and inaccessible, but in between temporary crosswalks and blocks of street barriers, we saw some sparkly lights and fun holiday sights. The velvet nitro stout was perfect for a chilly evening, and I would have loved a second one had I not been SO DANG FULL STILL.
Leading up to our trip, anytime I told someone we were about to go see a show in Denver, literally everyone’s next question was “Oh cool are you going to Red Rocks!?” We were not. Instead, Big Wreck was playing in one of the smallest live music venues I have ever been inside, a tiny little joint called The Marquis Theatre which could probably only hold about 150 people max. Two openers were scheduled, a musician named Daniel Greaves and a band called Texas King. In general, opening bands tend to underwhelm me and often I think they can be a really obscure choice compared to the show I’m really there to see. But I thoroughly enjoyed both sets from these two very different but really talented musicians. Daniel’s music was haunting and complex and his comfortable presence on stage was mesmerizing. Texas King was the polar opposite, being a really upbeat and forward punky rock band that had incredible chemistry together and huge dynamic personalities. I should mention that after waiting on line for the doors to open, Rob and I got a spot right up front, touching the stage!
Big Wreck came on a little after 10pm, and immediately opened with the first song on their new album “Pages” called In Fair Light. Ian Thornley is …well it really just can’t be overly stated how unbelievably talented he is both musically (his guitar talent and vocal range) but lyrical writing as well. He’s been making music with Big Wreck and as a solo artist since the mid 90s. His catalog of music is overwhelming. When he opened his mouth to start singing that first song, a wave of nostalgic comfort lit me from the inside. Like I was hearing something I had heard a million times before, that rooted me back to a place a long time ago, when in reality I’ve known this music for less than a year. It was peaceful in a way I did not expect it to be.
It’s difficult to discern this from the photos below, but it’s impossible not to notice the striking similarities between Ian Thornley and Chris Cornell. The first song I ever heard of Big Wreck was Albatross – a truly beautiful song that took my breath away because if I closed my eyes I could convince myself it was Chris singing. The style of writing, the vocal range, everything was so utterly familiar. And then to see Ian in person…his physical characteristics… it becomes even harder to separate them in my brain. So I think, to hear him sing in front of me, despite only knowing his music a short time, instantly tied me back to hearing Chris Cornell live so many years ago. And it felt like I was seeing an old friend again. Like in some ways I had another chance.
Big Wreck played an incredible set for over an hour, showing off a lot of their new music and playing some vault songs, and of course two of their most popular, Albatross and Oaf. After the show ended and Rob and I walked the mile back to our hotel around midnight, the air so cold and still, it was euphoric. The stark contrast of the reverb noise of the amps still thrumming through my ears and chest, and then the late winter night sobering us up. Coming out of a live show so important and meaningful is one of the best sensations – everything is heightened and clear and you just feel…grateful to have had the chance to experience it. Grateful that you got to live at the same time as someone else, and to have just a little part of who they are shared with you through sounds. To feel connected to the relationship the words and sounds have with one another. It makes the world feel a lot less infinite…and the ability to connect with others a lot more possible.
I am already excited for the next time I get to see this incredible band play! Stay tuned for Denver in December Round 2; a lot more food and fun ahead!
The Wayfaring Friend 
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