The String Cheese Incident crowns the Red Rocks run with the Nashville Incident with Sam Bush, Sierra Hull and Jerry Douglas (photos/videos)

The cream cheese incident ended his three-day appearance at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre with a bluegrass-themed Nashville Incident and special guests Sam Bush, Jerry DouglasAnd Sierra Hull.

Multi-instrumentalist Michael Kang greeted fans and revealed that she and her special guests had hosted a three-hour picking party to prepare for the fun to come. Guitarist Bill Nershi warmly welcomed the families in the audience and dedicated the entire weekend to family ties, whether through blood or friendship. He and his bandmates from String Cheese then opened the third evening with “Sweet Spot”.

From there, they threw a surging “Eye Know Why” at the sold-out crowd. Kang then took a few minutes to play “Talkin About Tonight” before belting out the first “Smile” of 2024.

Now that Cheese were fully warmed up, they invited all three of their special guests, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas and Sierra Hull, to raise the energy to a more down-to-earth, jamgrass frequency. Bush, Douglas and Hull emerged from the wings beaming and ready to sing their hearts out. Bush seemed particularly enthusiastic, waving profusely while holding two instruments, a violin in one hand and a mandolin in the other. Douglas positioned himself to the right of the bassist Keith Moseley with his faithful Dobro, while Hull slipped between Nershi and keyboarder Kyle HollingsworthOn the left is the stage platform loaded with instruments. The center of the stage was reserved for Sam Bush, one of the founding fathers of the New Grass Revolution.

Hull sang the lead role in Del McCoury‘s “I Can Feel The Blues Moving In”, before the now fully integrated string coalition plays an incredibly entertaining sequence of Steve Miller Band‘s “Take The Money & Run” in Bill Monroe‘s “Big Mon” and back to “Take The Money & Run” – an unforgettable jam sandwich with Bush playing some sweet violin parts. The fast-paced sensation of “Can’t Stop Now”, first performed by Randy Travisgave way to a bluesy version of Wilson Pickett“Something You’ve Got” by.

Bush then took to the microphone to pay homage to a legend by speaking from the heart about his own direct predecessor in the progressive bluegrass movement, John Hartfordbefore playing one of his hero’s current classics, “I’m Still Here.” Kang briefly mentioned that Douglass was next as he announced the next song, “Duke And Cookie” by the supergroup New Grass Strength in numbersin which Douglas and Bush next to Bela Fleck and others. To the delight of the audience, Kang called them “one of the best bands of all time.”

Before starting the final song of the set, Nershi took a moment to mention how much the pioneering work of the first waves of the progressive bluegrass movement influenced the collective mindset and style of String Cheese when they formed 30 years ago. Nershi specifically called out Revival of the new grass before Bush, a founding member of the revered band, took the lead on “Reach.” The uplifting and soaring tone of the song fit the overall mood of the weekend all too well and served as a wonderful crescendo to the first movement.

Cheese returned for the second set in a psychedelic mood, the sun had set, lights and smoke filled the stage, and special guest Jerry Douglas was already in tow. As they entered a sweet “Rivertrance,” the swarm of drones from previous nights was launched to once again provide a swirling image. Shapes and spheres appeared, twisted inward, and then disappeared in a dazzling spectacle that showcased incredibly precise aerial artistry and precise programming.

After thanking Douglas for helping to make things a little trippier, Cheese took time for “Enjoy The Ride” and “Shine” before welcoming Sierra Hull back on stage. Hull joked about the origins of the next song, one of her own called “Poison,” and described it as her attempt at a collaboration between Brittney Spears And William Shakespeare.

As they wrapped up Hull’s number, Nershi called Bush and Douglass back to run through a medley of “Birdland” > “Wheel Hos” > “Birdland” that anchored the set. To close out the Nashville Incident portion of the show, the band asked Bush to sing one more number from New Grass Revival and brought out their gospel spirit with “Revival.”

As the Nashville group left the concert, String Cheese turned to their own songbook to close out the weekend with some rewards for the loyal fans in the stands. After an energetic Hollingsworth took the lead on “Trip The Light Fantastic,” the set ended with a crowd-pleasing combination of “Jellyfish” and “Beautiful” that wrapped it all up with a sweet sonic bow.

Wanting to dig a little deeper, Cheese brought back Bush, Douglas and Hull for a rousing “Colorado Bluebird Sky,” which quickly turned into an old-fashioned, cheesy picking party. When he finally finished, Nershi motioned for the entire ensemble to gather front and center, where Cheese took a well-deserved bow along with his guests.

Click below to view select videos and a gallery of photos from The String Cheese Incident’s Nashville-inspired Red Rocks finale, courtesy of the photographer Brad Niederman.

The band will return to the stage later this month to conclude their summer tour. For a full list of upcoming shows and tickets, visit the band’s website.

The Cream Cheese Incident – ​​“Sweet Spot” – 14.07.24

Setlist: The String Cheese Incident | Red Rocks Amphitheatre | Morrison, CO | 14.07.24

Set 1: Sweet Spot, Eye Know Why, Talkin’ About Tonight, Smile (Billy & Liza cover), I Feel the Blues Moving In (The Del McCoury Band), Take the Money and Run (Steve Miller Band) > Big Mon (Bill Monroe) > Take The Money and Run, Can’t Stop Now (Wendy Waldman/Randy Travis), Something You Got (Wilson Pickett), I’m Still Here (John Hartford), Duke and Cookie (Strength in Numbers), Reach (New Grass Revival)

Set 2: Rivertrance, Enjoy the Ride > Shine, Poison, Birdland (Weather Report) > Wheel Hoss > Birdland, Revival (New Grass Revival), Trip The Light Fantastic, Jellyfish > Beautiful

Encore: Colorado Bluebird Sky