It was a bitterly cold Sunday night as fans shuffled inside the old Aggie Theater in downtown Fort Fun. The weather had been brutal but that didn’t stop people from making it out for ‘An Evening With’ the North Mississippi Allstars. No openers, no pageantry, just a power trio melting faces in the Choice City one tune at a time. The Allstars were on a short run across the state of Colorado to start their 2024 World Tour with stops in Frisco, Boulder, and finishing in the Fort. However due to the aforementioned weather the show at 10 Mile Music Hall was cancelled. By the time they took the stage here just after 8 PM the band was comfortable. The Dickinson Brothers were joined by Rayfield “Ray Ray” Holloman–a producer, writer, and multi-instrumentalist best known for his work with Chris Brown, Eminem, Robert Randolph and The Word. He did not shy away from adding his many talents to the mix.

They kicked off the night with a shred heavy “Mississippi Boweavil.” Everyone was working hard, but Luther’s licks stole the show from the start. Up and Rolling” had a mellow vibe to it indicating a more sophisticated song writing approach. They kept the crowd dancing with a sick version of R.L. Burnside’s “Po Black Maddie.” It’s unbelievable each time, but this band creates a wall of sound with the simplest of tools. Their anthemic “Goin Down South” made an early appearance before Cody grabbed the mic on “Let Me In Stella.” “Set Sail” was our second title track of the night, this one off their latest. Early in the set Luther reminisced about playing in Fort Collins way back in the mid 90’s. He was glowing a bit when said, “Thanks for growing up with us.”

The band went into a spiritual “Preachin’ Blues.” This song was written by Robert Johnson but never recorded. Luther gave a nod to the weather with “Mean Ol’ Wind Died Down” before the trio ripped into the gospel track “Ship.” Cody again took over singing duties on a dirty “Mud” after which they took it down a notch with “Meet Me In The City.” This band knows how to do it, consummate performers with a huge catalog to pull from. Their set at the Aggie features songs going back to the Allstars’ earliest days. “Shake (What Yo Mama Gave You)” has become another anthem for a band that writes big songs. It ended with a beautiful bass solo from Ray Ray before Luther took us on a journey with “Call That Gone.” “Bumpin’” was another breather before a Ray Ray lead the gospel track “Glory, Glory.” They were about an hour and forty-five minutes into the set when Cody took a chunky drum solo. The band played pass the instrument with Luther on drums, Ray Ray on guitar and Cody on bass for a gritty “All Night Long.” They closed the uninterrupted 2 hour plus set of music with “Snake Drive.”

The trio reemerged with the one two punch of “Rabbit Foot” into “Ho Down.” The brothers have been doing this since they were children. Now pushing 50 they both have a patience and experience that makes every performance special. This music is compelling and just fun to see live. Both Cody and Luther have left an indelible mark on blues and the music community as a whole, but it’s when they play the down home stuff that they really move mountains.