_Doug Fondriest_

In celebration of his new album 50, and his own 50th birthday, keyboardist Kyle Hollingsworth performed two shows in Colorado this past weekend, including a guest-filled night at the Boulder Theater.

Hollingsworth’s album release/birthday celebration opened on March 2 with a sold-out show at Cervantes Masterpiece in Denver. Hollingsworth and his backing band opened with some older material, playing “Racer X” off of his 2014 solo album Speed of Life, and “Too Young” from 2009’s Then There’s Now. The keyboardist then played a version of “Boogie On Reggae Woman,” before finally dipping into his new record 50 with a trio of “Tumbling,” “Wyatt Earp’s Tale” and “Stuff.” He closed the first set with a rousing version of Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4.”

Set two kicked off with “Peregrino,” from the aforementioned Speed of Life, and later included Cake’s “Short Skirt, Long Jacket” within a “Pack It Up” jam. Hollingsworth closed with “The Ocean” by Led Zeppelin and encored with the SCI sing-a-long “Let’s Go Outside,” punctuated by a version of “Jungle Boogie.”

On March 3, Hollingsworth and company moved into the Boulder Theatre, welcoming guests like Jennifer Hartswick, The Motet Horns, Erik Yates and Zebulon Bowles as well as SCI bandmates Michael Kang, Bill Nershi and Keith Moseley.

Kang and the Motet horns joined the keyboardist early for openers “Come On” (off of 50) and “Here We Go” (off of Speed of Life). A little later, set one hit its stride during an extended “Finding Our Way” > “Boo Boo’s Pik-a-Nik” > “Deal” segment that somehow blended together the Hollingsworth, SCI and Dead songbooks with ease. The jam featured Erik Yates and Zebulon Bowles for all three songs, and Kang for the last two.

During set two, most of the String Cheese Incident lineup (Hollingsworth, Kang, Moseley and Nershi) took on live favorites like “Joyful Sound” and “Texas.”

Trumpeter-vocalist Jennifer Hartswick lent her talents set two’s lengthy “Take The Ride” > “What Is Hip” > “Rosie” > “Short Skirt, Long Jacket” > “Rosie” jam also featuring Kang and The Motet Horns. They encored with SCI’s “Galactic” and The Jacksons’ “Shake Your Booty.”

For more information about 50 and Kyle Hollingsworth tour dates check out his website.

You can watch a special birthday video played at the Boulder Theatre (featuring Keller Williams, Big Gigantic, Little Feat’s Bill Payne, George Porter Jr. and more) and check out full setlists below.

Kyle Hollingsworth
March 2, 2018
Cervantes Masterpiece, Denver, Colo.

Set I: Racer X, Too Young, Boogie On Reggae Woman, Tumbling, Wyatt Earp’s Tale, Stuff, Ain’t Nobody, World Girl, 25 or 6 to 4

Set II: Peregrino, Here We Go, Prime, Falling Through the Cracks, Higher Ground, Happening Now, Pack It Up > Short Skirt Long Jacket > Pack It Up, Take The Ride, The Ocean

Enc: Let’s Go Outside > Jungle Boogie > Let’s Go Outside

Kyle Hollingsworth
March 3, 2018
Boulder Theater, Boulder, Colo.

Set I: Come On*$+, Here We Go*+, Let me in, Finding Our Way^ > Boo Boo’s Pik-a-Nik*^@ > Deal*^@, Stuff*$+, All Falls Apart*$+, Shining Star*$+

Set II: Wyatt Earp’s Tale, Joyful Sound*%, Texas*%, Shake*$+, Take The Ride*$ > What Is Hip*$+ > Rosie*$+ > Short Skirt / Long Jacket*$+ > Rosie*$+

Enc: Galactic* > Shake Your Body*$+

Notes:
*Michael Kang
$Jennifer Hartswick
+The Motet Horns
^Erik Yates
@Zebulon Bowles
% Bill Nershi, Keith Moseley