Over the weekend New Monsoon and Hot Buttered Rum kicked off their joint west coast tour with a performance at Denver, COs Cervantes. A true co-bill, Cervantes set up two stages with the longtime friends alternating sets throughout the night. At the end of Hot Buttered Rums Sweet Honey Fountain, New Monsoon took over the jam, before segueing into its own Patato’s Mission. During its second set, Hot Buttered Rum invited out New Monsoons Jeff Miller for BB Kings The Thrill is Gone, with fiddler Adam Gaulblum emerging for a performance closing version of the Grateful Deads Sugaree. As Hot Buttered Rum closed out its jam, the members of New Monsoon picked up their instruments, before slipping into the Allman Brothers Bands Jessica.
A night later the paired performers continued their collaborations at Ft. Collins, COs Aggie Theatre. During New Monsoons set, a number of the Hot Buttered Rum players emerged beginning with Erik Yates on flute for Painted Moon. Nat Keefe then picked-up his guitar for Continental Divide, before fiddler Aaron Redner and mandolinist Zac Matthews then emerged for En Fuego. New Monsoon then handed over the stage to Hot Buttered Rum for an extended single-set show. During Hot Buttered Rums performance, a number of New Monsoons members performed beginning with drummer Marty Ylitalo and guitarist Jeff Miller on Huey Lewis Need A New Drug. Throughout the rest of Hot Buttered Rums set, members of New Monsoon weaved on and off stage before both Bay Area bands joined together for show closing versions of The Bands The Weight and Bob Dylans You Ain’t Going Nowhere. The paired performers will play tonight at Ketchum, IDs Whiskey Jacques.