Kyle Hollingsworth Band Celebrating New Release With Bill Nershi, Jeff Franca

“Denver rocks,” Kyle Hollingsworth says. “What I like about the Denver crowd is the willingness to go on that journey — to be open to extended jams and different forms. Denver crowds have more of a sense to let it rip.”

Hollingsworth, who plays keys for the String Cheese Incident, is gearing up for his Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom event dubbed “Come Join the Carnival” on Friday, January 30, to celebrate the release of Kyle Hollingsworth Band’s latest album, All We Are.

His SCI bandmate Bill Nershi will join the band for the night, along with Jeff Franca of Thievery Corporation on percussion. Meanwhile, at Cervantes’ Other Side, Dave Watts and Friends will concurrently host a birthday celebration featuring Jans Ingber, Todd Smallie, Gabe Mervine, Scott Messersmith, Lucas Parker, Nate Miller and Ryan Benthall.

The Kyle Hollingsworth Band spent last fall performing a series of late October shows to further explore songs from All We Are, which was released in August.

“They got better and better,” Hollingsworth says of the shows, “and we did an opening set for Widespread Panic in Milwaukee in the lot.”

Having time and space to work on performing newly released songs created room for growth that will be explored at Cervantes’. “By the end of the tour, we got everything under our fingers,” he says.

All We Are flows from the opening title track straight through the reprise at the end of the album. The beginning blends indie rock with psychedelic elements, creating expansive sonic landscapes. “‘All We Are’ has so much sonic space,” Hollingsworth says. “How do we translate that into a live setting?”

Recreating studio production in a live environment can be challenging. Hollingsworth says the album was designed to create space for improvisation while using production techniques not always associated with live performance.

“It’s almost more exciting to blow off your expectations for a live performance and use the studio as an art form,” he says. “It’s a way to craft songs that don’t need to be performed live. I wanted big echoes like Bon Iver or Radiohead. I don’t know how they’re going to translate live.”

Hollingsworth and Nershi have played together for decades as members of the String Cheese Incident, but appearances together on a Kyle Hollingsworth Band stage have been rare. “I’ve played with Bill once or twice with KHB,” Hollingsworth says, “and it’s always to honor the music that we’ve made together.”

The improvisational approach the two developed in SCI will be applied to new material from All We Are, creating opportunities for exploration.

“What I’m looking forward to with Billy is having him stretch and for both of us to get a little uncomfortable and get out of our comfort zones and see what that brings,” Hollingsworth says. “I think that stretching will bring great things back to String Cheese.”

Hollingsworth says working with Nershi in a new context allows both musicians to evolve.

“It might be fun to say, ‘I did that really fun thing with KHB and we reinvented this tune in a different way,’” he says. “I’m looking forward to jumping off the edge a little bit with Billy.”

Franca’s psychedelic percussion style will add another improvisational layer to the performance. Hollingsworth says the collaboration will provide new creative possibilities.

Hollingsworth says Denver audiences are particularly receptive to extended improvisation.“I’ve never played with Jeff. I’m a huge fan of Thievery Corporation,” he says. “For me, that will be another place to get the unexpected. We’re going to open up some space for him to improvise and lead us into new territory.”

Kyle Hollingsworth Band with David Watts and Friends, Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom and Cervantes’ Master Piece Ballroom Other Side, 2637 Welton Street, Friday, January 30. Tickets are available via the Cervantes’ website.