"Various Songs Live in These Guitars" Jackson Browne

I saw Jackson for the first time at Red Rocks during the Running on Empty tour.  That must have been in the late 70's, which means I was in my twenties.  My oh my, how things have changed!  Somehow, though, Jackson has managed to stay pretty much the same.

My date for the night was my gorgeous sister, Kerri, who flew in from Minneapolis--for the concert but also to visit with Mom.  We started the night out with dinner and drinks at D Bar Desserts.  (a MUST for anyone who has never been there!)  After enjoying a delicious dinner and some fancy cocktails, we were ready to enjoy Jackson's beautiful music.

We took advantage of the valet parking at Downtown Denver's historic Paramount Theatre, a perfect venue for an intimate Jackson Browne concert.  In fact, I saw him perform there maybe ten years ago.  Because it seats just under 2000 guests, the setting is intimate.  

When Jackson finally took the stage after Sara Watkins' longer-than-necessary opening act, I felt as if I were seeing an old friend.  His warm greeting to his loyal fans, a simple "hello" with a wave as he walked to his piano, transformed the Paramount into a living room.  The audience immediately mellowed, matching the mood and music that is Jackson Browne.

From that moment on, I was lost in the music as Jackson performed so many of my favorites.  He obviously had a set list in mind, but, as is typical at a JB concert, the audience called out their own song requests, and frequently, Jackson obliged.  He would be getting ready to begin a song, and someone from the audience would call out a request, which would cause him to stop, think for a split second, and then change directions and head over to the piano (or back to his guitar at center stage) and grant one happy audience member a wish.  At times, that got annoying to me--I just wanted to hear Jackson, not the front row yelling out their requests (which oftentimes were not my faves).  But Jackson handled all that with grace and charm, and the resulting setlist included most of everything I wanted.

(I had so much fun taking notes on my iPad during the concert!)

My favorite moment happened when Jackson, who had an entire row of guitars on stage with him, was deciding which guitar to use for a request that wasn't on his setlist.  He picked up one and then immediately changed his mind and grabbed a different one and then a different one still.  We all laughed a little bit, to which Jackson explained, "Various songs live in these guitars" and he selected the one that housed "In the Shape of a Heart."  At that point, MY heart was in excellent shape!

Jackson and his guitars

Jackson played for us for 2 1/2 loved-filled hours.  Kerri and I sang along to our favorites, sipped on a few glasses of wine, and tried to sneak in some pictures.  That wasn't easy, though, since we had this crazy-mean usher who watched us like a guard dog all night.  Never mind that EVERYONE in the front row, directly in front of Jackson no less, was taking pictures AND video.  If we even took out our phones, she was there threatening to have us thrown out.  Towards the end of the night, Kerri was at her "that does it" stage, and she jumped out of her seat, went over to her and gave her a piece of her mind.  We didn't see her again after that!

This concert, like so many Jackson concerts, felt familiar, warm, and comfortable--like a trustworthy friend who never disappoints.  And Jackson NEVER disappoints!