Watch Spafford Kick Off Fall Tour In Denver With Nod To Colorado & 34-Minute ‘Backdoor Funk’

Spafford took the stage in Denver over the weekend to kick off their extensive fall tour with two nights at Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom. The Arizona-based jam quartet began the run on Friday by offering up the recently debuted original “Motel 6,” which references The Centennial State, and opened the evening’s second set with an expansive version of live staple “Backdoor Funk.”

The protean “Motel 6” starts as a raucous bluegrass ditty before unfolding into an anthemic rocker. Guitarist Brian Moss composed the song out of an acapella piece birthed years back while Spafford traveled across the Southwest in their early days. Spafford premiered “Motel 6” live at Soundcheck Studios in Pembroke, Massachusetts on July 14 and on Friday, September 8 finally had a chance to play their latest original in the region that inspired it.

“A long time we wrote a song about getting stuck on the side of the road, so we’re going to play it for you right now,” Moss told the crowd before Spafford launched into “Motel 6” at Cervantes. Moss, bassist Jordan Fairless and keyboardist Cory Schechtman joined voices in harmony during the bluegrass-tinged section and then Brian helmed the hard-nosed section of the song.

Check out official video of Spafford’s “Motel 6” performance in Denver below:

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Moss, Fairless, Schechtman and drummer Nick Tkachyk followed “Motel 6” with expansive versions of “When It Falls” and “In The Eyes Of Thieves” before honoring the late Robbie Robertson by performing The Band/Bob Dylan collaboration “I Shall Be Released.” Spafford closed their first set of tour with a jamtronica-heavy “Plans.”

The four-piece returned for the second set in Denver and lit into beloved favorite “Backdoor Funk.” Spafford explored various soundscapes over the course of nearly 35 minutes including major-key bliss, minor-key darkness and dirty funk. Friday’s four-song second set also featured memorable takes on “Fake The Fate” and “Pursuit Of Trance” as well as the high-octane “Fünkenseven.”

View the well-jammed Denver “Backdoor Funk” here:

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Spafford continues their fall tour tonight at The Waiting Room in Omaha, Nebraska. View the full list of dates below along with the setlists and official audio for both nights at Cervantes’.

Setlists (via SpaffNerds.com) and Official Audio (via nugs.net)

Friday, September 8

Set One: Motel 6, When It Falls > In The Eyes Of Thieves, I Shall Be Released [1], Plans

Set Two: Backdoor Funk, Fake The Fate > Pursuit Of Madness [2], Fünkenseven

• [1]: Bob Dylan
• [2]: Trance Version

Saturday, September 9

Set One: All My Friends > Bee Jam > Virtual Bean Dip, Hollywood > Walls

Set Two: Giants in the Light > Machine Elves > Ain’t That Wrong, Weasel > Punk [1] > Weasel

Encore: Frog Gossip

[1]: Ferry Corsten

Source: JamBase.com