Mark Knoplfer, Red Rocks June 24 2008

Tuesday afternoon I lucked into a pair of 9th row tickets (Thanks Tim!) for that evenings Mark Knoplfer concert at Red Rocks. I am a Knopfler fan but had not yet seen him play live. After Tuesday's show I'm not sure I will ever miss a local show of his again. I had high hopes for this show and it far exceeded those hopes. The set really showed off the tremendous range of Knopfler and his band-mates playing - everything from Celtic and bluegrass to straight ahead electric blues and swinging rockers. Highlight for me was the down and dirty blues "Song for Sonny Liston" although the set contained all of Knopfler's classics both from his solo work and Dire Straits era. His solo during "Sultans of Swing" just about brought the rocks tumbling down.

Long time Knopfler bandmate Guy Fletcher has been keeping an online tour journal, you can see his Red Rocks entry here.

The crowd mix was interesting, a wide range of ages to be sure. Sitting in the parking lot before the show and drinking a few beers we noticed that a lot of the crowd were carrying folding seats. We wondered if this meant that a lot of them intended to sit down during the show. Well once the band came on everyone was standing and rocking through the 3rd song, "What It Is." Then, as if everyone in the crowd but us had rehearsed this, the moment the down tempo "Sailing to Philadelphia" started everyone sat down save for a few of us. It was bizarre and frustrating, "Sailing" is one of my favorite songs (who knew a Scotsman could write about American history so convincingly) so we decided to stay standing - as did the people in front of us.

Now the guys next to us were a middle-aged bunch with one of them being particularly fired up about this show. Before the show started he was changing into the tour shirt he just bought and high-fiving anyone who would indulge him. As the show began it became obvious that he was going to prove to his friends that he was the Biggest Knopfler Fan Ever. He was remarking how "Awesome" every song was and flailing about in a middle-aged white guy dance that was annoying and distracting.

So you can imagine our surprise when The Biggest Knoplfer Fan Ever became indignant at the 20-something year old guys in front of us who were still standing when he, Biggest Knopfler Fan Ever, was sitting. His frustration growing he asked them to sit down, they declined (as I would have, it's a freaking rock concert at Red Rocks - stand up or quityerbitchin). Finally he went and found an usher, a nice young lady who could have been the daughter of Biggest Knoplfer Fan Ever.

So the usher comes over and begins to talk to the offending youths. They proceed to remain standing through the entire discussion - which of course drives Biggest Knoplfer Fan Ever absolutely crazy but gives us quite a chuckle. Finally the usher walks away and they begin to sit down. As they are sitting one of the younger gentleman leans over to Biggest Knoplfer Fan Ever and gives him a piece of his mind. I have no idea what he said but it left Biggest Knopler Fan Ever stammering and speechless. Finally his friend responded with "Hey, you don't have to be a dick about it!" One imagines that Biggest Knoplfer Fan Ever and his friends were routinely stuffed into lockers in their high school days and here it had just happened again.

Finally Biggest Knopfler Fan Ever responded, he leaned in and began to make an absolute scene to the point that the usher spotted him from the aisle and returned. She crouched down and lectured her father Biggest Knopfler Fan Ever as if he were a small child. Her point made the usher left and most of the whining from Biggest Knoplfer Fan Ever ceased and those of us who came to enjoy a rock concert were left in peace.

I attend a lot of concerts, I'll probably see 40 shows a year in an average year. Everything from bars and clubs to Red Rocks and the occasional arena or stadium show. I have not seen anyone make a bigger ass out of themselves than Biggest Knopfler Fan Ever in quite some time. Honestly, if someone had poured a beer on him I would have applauded. If someone had thrown a punch I would not have been surprised.

Regardless of the antics of Biggest Knopfler Fan Ever the show was one of the best I have seen, period. There was a tremendous energy from the crowd that the band reflected back intensely. Even when playing the down tempo songs the band played with intensity and passion, nothing was a throw away in the 2+ hour set.

It was quite a warm up for the weekend that lays ahead.