Last night, OneRepublic closed out the Denver Big Air and the LG FIS Snowboarding World Cup event, performing in front of an audience that spanned the entirety of Bannock Street from Colfax to 14th. And then some. The park managed to squeeze in a lot more heads than the previous night of ski-antics, giving OneRepublic the opportunity to play to a full house in the heart of the city.
The lighting guys must've taken notice of the nauseating effects from Tuesday night and opted not to give the audience the 3D effect of a large, concrete building jumping out to eat you. A cover of "Stand by Me" rolling into a mash of "Seven Nation Army" by the White Stripes managed to wrangle a few cheers from the throng, which became even more boisterous when the number-one hits were dropped.
Following the covers, "Apologize" came trickling out of the speakers, which inspired the teenage girls on hand to shriek and throw their hands in the air and wave them around like they just didn't care. As the ballad came to a close, riders began ascending the staircase to the top of the ramp to prep for the finals and semi-finals.
Ryan Tedder, the lead vocalist from OneRepublic, is touted as one of the biggest things out of Colorado. Proving this last night with a completely packed Bannock Street, as well as a full city park to boot, is surely a testament to the fame he and his bandmates have found. Supposedly, there is a new album in the works for 2011, with release dates to be announced later this year.
"Stop and Stare" helped close down the show, and not a minute too soon. Riders had already begun practicing for the finals by throwing down some simple tricks to keep the thighs primed. I doubt OneRepublic was blaring in the headphones of any of the competitors, but the view surely was remarkable, and you can never go wrong with live music and action sports.
CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK Personal Bias: Family-friendly pop rock has no place at an event like this, if you ask me. For real, Denver couldn't splurge on some decent hip-hop, or maybe even Pretty Lights. But this was a family event, and although beer was served at a high price and plenty of people had cigarettes dangling in the middle of the crowd, the music was G-rated. By The Way: Tuaca, salami and sandwiches, for the consumption of the very important patrons, made the $160 for that ticket well worth it. Random Detail: I think a lot of the snowboarders watching must have recently lost all of their clothes somehow and had to borrow pants from their sisters. Lots of tall jackets covering skin-tight denim.
