Description
Nathaniel Rateliff – Red Rocks 2020 – Double 180 Gram Black Ice Vinyl Records
Nathaniel Rateliff’s Red Rocks 2020 is more than a live album—it is a document of resilience, creativity, and communion forged in the crucible of a global pandemic. Originally slated to support his introspective solo LP And It’s Still Alright with a sold-out, nine-month tour beginning March 2, 2020 in Minneapolis, Rateliff saw his plans abruptly halted just nine days later when the world went into lockdown. By mid-September, however, he and his hand-picked ensemble reconvened at Colorado’s legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre—this time for a series of socially distanced performances limited to just 125 fans per night in the 9,400-capacity venue. Stripped of the usual crowd roar but buoyed by an almost sacred intensity, these shows captured Rateliff’s full emotional range and the band’s telepathic interplay, culminating in the 18-track live album released July 16, 2021 on Stax Records
Recorded entirely on September 20, 2020, Red Rocks 2020 spans ninety minutes and showcases the many facets of Rateliff’s artistry. Opening with a smoky, languid rendition of “Tonight #2,” he immediately establishes a tone of intimate confession, before charging into the full throttle groove of “All or Nothing.” From there, the set weaves effortlessly between solo-voice-and-guitar moments—such as the meditative “Expecting to Lose”—and lush, full-band arrangements augmented by a string quartet and gospel-inflected backing vocals. Highlights include the shimmering folk-soul of “Shroud,” the yearning falsetto of “You Need Me,” and the gospel-tinged catharsis of “Still Out There Running,” a standout track reprised from his Night Sweats repertoire. The nearly nine-minute opus “Rush On” serves as a climactic finale, its ebb and flow encapsulating both the uncertainty of the moment and Rateliff’s refusal to concede to it
Behind the microphone, Rateliff’s raw, honey-edged voice carries the weight of isolation and hope in equal measure. His band—featuring Abe Fogle on drums, Jerry Brooks on bass, Norman “Keys” Hurt on Hammond organ and keys, Mike “Dino” Campbell on guitar, and a rotating cast of strings and backing vocalists—moves with intuitive precision, carving out space for improvisation while never losing sight of the songs’ emotional cores. The live mix preserves the amphitheater’s natural acoustics, allowing every footstep, breath, and plucked string to resonate against the canyon walls, creating an aural portrait that is at once expansive and deeply personal
Red Rocks 2020 was hailed as a triumph of live recording under extraordinary circumstances—a testament to the power of music to forge connection even when physical proximity is constrained. Available as a two-disc CD, a heavyweight 2×LP on black ice vinyl (complete with digital download card), and all major digital platforms, the album not only filled the void left by cancelled tour dates but also offered fans around the world a chance to witness a landmark performance. More than a stopgap in Rateliff’s discography, Red Rocks 2020 stands as a landmark in pandemic-era artistry: a celebration of the live concert’s enduring spirit and a chronicle of an artist steadfastly committed to sharing his craft, no matter the odds
Brand new, never played and still in the factory plastic sealed
Track Listing
Tonight #2
All or Nothing
Expecting to Lose
Shroud
You Need Me
Right On
What a Drug
Still Out There Running
Early Spring Till
Kissing Our Friends
Oil & Lavender
This
There Is a War
Mavis
Still Trying
And It’s Still Alright
Time Stands
Rush On
