Too much to hear, but lots to savor

By Mark Brown, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published July 20, 2008 at 3 p.m.

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Photo by Tim Hussin / The Rocky

During Brett Dennens's set on Sunday, Ky Widmer, 21, of Vail, holds a beer as Kailee Young, 18, also of Vail, rests. Ninety thousand tickets were sold for the two-day festival, which drew praise from both fans and performers.

Photo by Tim Hussin / The Rocky

Daniel Sproul of the Boulder-based band Rose Hill Drive plays guitar during the band's set Sunday afternoon.

Photo by Tim Hussin / The Rocky

The Dave Matthews Band, Sunday's headliner group, plays during the two-day Mile High Music Festival at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City.

In the end, you're not sure whether you're disappointed or overwhelmed. With so much music on so many stages - sometimes spread sooo far apart - it was quite literally impossible to see all the artists at the first Mile High Music Festival.

It's great, however, if you're just sampling: a bit of the Flobots on a stage here, some John Mayer on a stage there (separated by what must be at least a half-mile of turf), and all eyes focused on the headliners each night. Sure, you might come for the Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, so the Steve Winwood, Spoon and O.A.R. sets are just icing on the cake.

Consistently great sound, no matter what size the stage, was the rule of both days. The sound systems were so powerful that sometimes it was more fun to hear the bands from 100 yards back.

With so many acts to choose from, some were simply missed (sorry, Black Crowes, Hill Country Revue and The Roots; word has it that you were all great).

But those acts that were within reach were uniformly excellent.

* The Flobots' homecoming was a triumph, holding the crowd rapt with songs from the politically charged Fight With Tools album.

* Grace Potter & the Nocturnals were cranking up the power just as much for a packed tent of cheering fans.

* OneRepublic proved itself capable of commanding the big room, with an afternoon set on the main stage going over huge, with their hit Apologize.

* John Mayer's studio recordings are overly slick, but he's a treat every time live. He took the stage 30 minutes early, just to give himself more time to play. His hits were there, including Gravity and Waiting on the World to Change, but the most fun parts were his cover songs, starting with his take on Crossroads early in the set and ending with Van Halen's Panama.

* Rodrigo Y Gabriela's soaring, forceful set may have been the revelation for many fans, creating more sound with two acoustic guitars than seems possible. Big, big breakout hit of Sunday's line-up.

* Tom Petty's headlining set was, for the most part, his standards, and that's meant in every sense of the word. The Heartbreakers continue to astound, one of the tightest, loosest and telepathic bands working.

* The Dave Matthews Band closed out the weekend with a light wind and mercifully cool temperatures, a spectacular light show and Don't Drink the Water, seamlessly fusing Woody Guthrie's This Land Is Your Land into the verses and making its message that much more biting.

Ultimately there was too much music to write about - frustrating yet satisfying.

brownm@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2674

Mile High Music Festival

* When, where: Saturday and Sunday, Dick's Sporting Goods Park

* Grade: A-

• July 21, 2008

  10:53 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Boarder22 writes:

  It was a great show! Easy to get drinks, easy to go to the bathroom, easy to get food. I liked the huge open space, tons of room for everyone. Great, fun crowd and awesome bands....even the cops were cool.....just a great fun atmosphere.

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