The Cheese flows freely at the Bronco Bowl
String Cheese Incident funked up the joint April 8th at the Bronco Bowl. It could have been the dark, blues club-style surroundings or an energetic crowd poised to get down. Then again, it could have been something in the air.
Before the show there was a parking lot fiesta, with its carnival-like atmosphere, where almost anything could be bought, sold or bartered for.
One woman walked the lot in search of a ticket in exchange for one of the rocks she had in a box.
Many young people could be seen roaming around with their index finger raised in the air to signify their need for a ticket. Even at sold-out shows, tickets are available if you want to try hard enough to get one.
After the huge tailgate with various tunes floating and mingling between 4-Runners and Volkswagens, the group of mostly young people filled the auditorium.
The band began to play as the purple, green and red lights made their way across the room. The venue was at less than capacity and everyone at the show benefited from the others’ loss.
The pit was filled as usual with barely enough room to move around. But the next level up wasn’t crowded in the least. This allowed the rest of the crowd more room to enjoy the music.
Sometimes it’s difficult to gauge the band’s reaction to its audience, but this was not the case. Anyone could see the band loved every minute of it.
From the opening number, “Indian Creek,” all the way through the end of the first hour-and-a-half set and through the encore tune, “Tom Thumb’s Blues,” the band got it done.
There were no drastic or abrupt changes between songs and no stoppage of play. The evening flowed with many of the songs getting lost in the fold and then returning for another verse and chorus – continuity accomplished.
String Cheese played and played. Not that there was any watch-gazing during the show, but the Bronco Bowl rocked out for more than three hours before the guys left the stage for good.
The best thing about bands such as the Cheese is that you really can follow them around, seeing shows night after night, and get completely a different experience each time. With a large and ever-growing collection of tunes at their disposal, the set list changes daily.
The Bronco Bowl show followed a three day outdoor shindig in Austin at Waterloo Park.
Some bands might not be able to completely exhaust themselves and then be expected to play an intense show on the following Monday.
Some bands could easily come out and play an OK couple of sets and head back to the tour bus for a little rest and relaxation.
That’s just not String Cheese style. These guys really give back to the fans and totally play off their audience. This stands in opposition to the bands that tour with one thing in mind – promoting a new album – and who have a set list set in stone.
Few people stood still any longer than it took them to catch their breath. No one was having an outright bad time, though some people might not have known what to expect from their first “incident.”
By the end of the show people were tired, but they kept dancing until the encore was complete.
Everyone realized the show was over and headed back to the parking lot, where far more veggie wraps and burritos were bought and consumed than before the show.
