Ryan Bingham in Denver, Colorado at the Ogden Theatre on 11-27-15

Photo by The Old Man at the Show

Can the crowd ruin a show?  The people around you can either enhance or diminish your experience.   Unfortunately the inebriated audience at the Ogden Theatre for Ryan Bingham hurt it.

It started before the opening act, Jamestown Revival, even finished.  A scary large Ogre with braids yelled, screamed, and swore at two terrified woman in the balcony for absolute no logical reason.  This of course made the mood uneasy and filled the space with a weird tension for the remainder of the night.   A couple near the front of the stage couldn't take their hands off each other to the extent they got kicked out of the venue.  A circle of 'Bros' near the front of the stage moshed to every fast paced song shoving and elbowing everyone near them.

Consumed by two drunk girls

Two drunk girls beside me were extremely annoying.  They screamed loudly during every pause in the music and asked me if the tiny guitar Ryan Bingham was playing was a banjo.  It was a mandolin by the way.  At the end of the show, I saw the numerous empty cups that fueled their rude behavior.  I have no idea how the drinking machines were still standing.  The majority of the concerts I attend have people enjoying alcohol.  But it usually just makes them (Okay me) dance badly not become annoying and hostile.

Ryan Bingham and his band

Ryan Bingham is a singer-song writer from Texas now living in California.  He won an Academy Award for his song "The Weary Kind" from the film Crazy Heart starring Jeff Bridges.  You have to respect a guy that writes for "The Dude."   More than half of his band is from Boulder, Colorado. They were very talented.  But when they left Bingham on stage alone, he shinned.  Bingham played some impressive Mariachi Style guitar and sang in Spanish during the song, "Boracho Station."  Too bad nobody seemed to notice.  Ryan Bingham had to stop during "Broken Heart Tattoos" a song about his new born to plead with the well lubricated crowd to stop talking, yelling, and screaming.  They didn't.  The band came back to join Bingham for a very lengthy set which included a jam with the James Town Revival an appearance from Country Music Icon Terry Allen, and Bingham's dog Boo.

Jamming with Jamestown Revival, Terry Lewis, and his dog Boo

Towards the end of the night, one of the 'Bros' body slammed the wrong person and ended up getting punched.  A cartoonish fight broke out getting people hurt towards the front of stage. Security broke it up, but Ryan Bingham had to stop the music again.  He wanted to know if everybody was alright stating, "You should feel safe coming to my show.  We can't have that happen."  The music continued but so did the drinking.

Jamestown Revival

Openers Jamestown Revival, were a good match to Ryan Bingham with their Austin, Texas sound.   Lead by childhood friends Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance. One of the highlights was their Eddie Rabbit cover "Driving My Life Away." They tried to slow things down during their song "Medicine" about their troubled friends.  But it was interrupted by the already drunk knuckleheads.

As I was leaving the venue after the long evening with obliterated idiots, I saw a sea of Pabst Blue Ribbon Cans and empty cups.  I asked one of the security guys if he thought the show was out of hand.  He said "tonight was a fun crowd.  Now, the Jam Bands are trouble because they are drunk and on drugs."

The aftermath