The tenth annual Conscious Alliance All-Star Benefit fundraiser in Cherry Hills, CO brought some well-deserved attention to the incredible work the nonprofit hunger relief organization does for families in Boulder and beyond.
Conscious Alliance began as a grassroots effort, raising funds through donations and concert poster sales to support food drives and hunger relief. Over the years, it has grown into a national nonprofit organization, expanding its focus to include various charitable initiatives. Today, Conscious Alliance partners with artists, musicians, and brands across the country to provide meals and essential resources to communities in need, demonstrating how the power of art and music can drive meaningful change.
Gathering together a talented coterie of musicians was show director and guitarist Ross James’ job. Starting off with a rock-solid rhythm section of Umphrey’s McGee drummer Kris Meyer and George Gekas, bassist from The Revivalists, Ross filled out the front of the stage with Mama Magnolia frontwoman Megan Letts and Lyle Divinsky. With The Disco Biscuits‘ Aron Magner on keys, guitarist Grahame Lesh (Midnight North), and a horn section comprised of Parris Fleming from Harry Styles‘ live band and Mama Magnolia’s saxophonist Alex Cazet, the talent gathered on the stage was top-notch across the board and, more importantly, ready to rock for the cause.
Though the presentation was a freewheeling affair, that didn’t mean the effort and end result of the superjam was anything but entertaining. From the opening tune—a loose but fun take on the tonally appropriate Crosby, Stills and Nash staple “Love The One You’re With”, the ad hoc band’s intent on featuring as many of the vocalists on stage as possible quickly became clear. The overall effect was that each tune, from Billy Preston‘s “Will It Go Round In Circles” to Buddy Miles’ seminal “Them Changes”, had a flavor all its own.
The Box Tops‘ “The Letter” featured strong Joe Cocker vibes thanks to the go-for-broke passion from Letts, which carried into “Tumbling Dice”. The Rolling Stones cover saw Letts and Divinsky embodying the tune’s spirit as a duet. While the pair handled the lion’s share of the vocal work, that didn’t keep Magner from turning in some fun falsetto on Supertramp’s “Goodbye Stranger” or any of the other singers on stage from expressing themselves. Divinsky’s subsequent “Dixie Chicken”, from the seminal Little Feat songbook, contrasted nicely with the unexpectedly solid vocals on James Brown’s angry tale of revenge, “The Payback”, by Meyers.
Graham Lesh took over the driver’s seat for a fun take on his famous father, bassist Phil Lesh, and the Grateful Dead with “The Music Never Stopped”. Letts and Divinsky shared vocal duties on a funky romp through Prince’s “1999”, and then Ross stepped up to the mic and made the night’s version of The Velvet Underground’s “Sweet Jane” all his own. Finishing off the evening out with a rousing “Proud Mary” that would have made both song originators Creedence Clearwater Revival and re-interpreter Tina Turner, well…proud, Ross and the band brought whole boisterous and joyful affair to a close. The widespread smiles in the crowd and the ovation that concluded the performance were as much a tribute to Conscious Alliance’s noble efforts as they were to the artists and their outstanding work.
More than just a party, the benefit was a concert with a cause and helped raise over $66,000 in donations that will go to helping people in need. Conscious Alliance will host another event, the Second Annual Mile High Rock Poster Show, on Sunday, August 25th at Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom. To learn more about the organization and donate, head here.
Check out photos from Conscious Alliance All-Stars Benefit below, and scroll down to view the full setlist. The entire show is available to stream via nugs. [Editor’s Note: Live For Live Music is a nugs affiliate. Ordering your nugs subscription or purchasing a download via the links on this page helps support our coverage of the world of live music. Thank you for reading!]
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Setlist: Conscious Alliance All-Star Benefit | Cherry Hills Village, CO | 8/17/24
Set: Love The One You’re With (Stephen Stills), Will It Go Round In Circles (Billy Preston), Them Changes (Buddy Miles), The Letter (The Box Tops), Tumbling Dice (Rolling Stones), Goodbye Stranger (Supertramp), Dixie Chicken (Little Feat) Lyle, Payback (James Brown) > The Music Never Stopped (Grateful Dead), 1999 (Prince), Sweet Jane (The Velvet Underground), Proud Mary (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
The post Members Of The Disco Biscuits, Umphrey’s McGee, More Unite For Conscious Alliance All-Stars Benefit [Photos] appeared first on L4LM.
