Red Rocks 2020, the forthcoming live album from Nathaniel Rateliff, is set for release on July 16 via Stax Records. The 18-track live record was recorded in an empty Red Rocks Amphitheatre during Rateliff’s mid-September run of socially distanced shows, which was limited to 125 attendees per night in the 9400-capacity venue. Through Red Rocks 2020, Rateliff offers this 90-minute live experience to the fans who were unable to attend his live shows last year. Fans can pre-save Red Rocks 2020 HERE.
In celebration of the upcoming record, Rateliff is debuting a live rendition of his track “Mavis,” which appears on his acclaimed 2020 solo album And It’s Still Alright. Unintentionally, the song speaks to lack of in-person interaction that occurred last year; Rateliff opens the song by singing, “In other worlds, in other worlds I would be with you/And other nights, and other nights I think I’ve seen you.” Listen to/share the live track HERE
Nathaniel Rateliff on Red Rocks 2020:
“We started out 2020 very excited. The solo record was out and myself and the most of the guys in the Night Sweats were gonna hit the road to present the songs to the world. We were looking forward to performing the songs together with a string quartet and how it was going to make us a better band.
We had some of our favourite song writers and friends hitting the road with us. With a grand finale at Red Rocks with Kevin Morby and Damien Jurado.
Then the world came to stand still.
The songs on ‘And It’s Still Alright’ were about finding hope in times of struggles, and now it seemed the whole world was struggling. So a few months into the Pandemic we started to wonder if there was a way to bring the show we worked so hard on to everyone. If you can’t find a light you have to create one.
Somehow, we were able to play 6 nights at Red Rocks with the full 10-piece band and the production we had created for the show. Kevin Morby and Katie Crutchfield drove out from Missouri to join us.
Five of the night had 175 people and one night we filmed to and empty amphitheater that normally holds 10,000 people.
It was beautiful to be there, even if it was 175 people. But the night we recorded this record it was heart breaking.
It was a realization that our world had changed and maybe forever. Needless to say it was a hard night to make it through. But we did it and now we are bringing it to you.”
On March 2, 2020 in Minneapolis, Rateliff kicked off his sold-out nine-month tour supporting And It’s Still Alright. Nine days later the extensive run of dates was cancelled due to the pandemic. The shows aimed to highlight various aspects of Rateliff’s stellar musicianship, showcasing stripped-back moments with just his voice and acoustic guitar to a full 10-piece folk band accompaniment including a string quartet.
