Deep Roots

The sold-out Fillmore was already bumping for the opening DJ before Chi-town sensation Lupe Fiasco (above) took the stage as the warm-up for the Roots on Saturday night. Although brief, Fiasco’s set sent the temperature of the room soaring as he bounced around the stage — militantly for his political tracks, gracefully during his love tunes.

The crowd was disappointed when the lights came on and the set ended. But then, seemingly out of nowhere, the Roots crew paraded through the aisles of the venue, brass instruments blaring and drums banging. The party was about to begin.

And yes, the Roots partied through a lengthy set without an intermission. In addition to some of the classics everyone hoped to hear and a couple of tracks from the new album, the Roots covered everything from Biz Markie to Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin to the Wu-Tang Clan.

The Roots dug deep into Denver. — Luke Turf