Thursday night I went to the Bob Dylan concert at Red Rocks. Opening for Dylan was My Morning Jacket.
This was one of the largest concert crowds I've ever seen. It was a breezy and beautiful night at Red Rocks, the atmosphere was electric and enthusiastic. Unfortunately MMJ came out and played an uneven set, a far cry from that magical night I saw them perform in Boulder a few years ago.
Next up was Dylan, he appeared on stage to an eager and adoring crowd, then he proceeded to deliver one of the most boring shows I've ever seen at Red Rocks. Yes, the man is a legend, and he's wrote some remarkable songs. But I was very underwhelmed Thursday night. This was my second time seeing him and definitely my last unless he does an acoustic tour in small venues.
In other news, here is a my review of the current watercolor exhibit at the Arvada Center. I like watercolors, who knew...?!
To conclude my trilogy of museum visits, today I explored the Arvada Center. Touted as the seventh largest cultural attraction in Denver, the Center is lavish and comfortably spacious. Here, the art has room to breathe and the viewers have space to wrap their heads around the the stunning collection of watercolors.
I was thoroughly impressed by the watercolors I observed today. The colors were beautiful, alive and natural. Some of the most ordinary subjects were awakened with a brilliant mixture of colors, exceptional shading, and smudgy detail. Each picture seem to endlessly bleed and flow into a natural form. I never knew watercolors could look so flawless. I also took notice of the framing today, some of the frames enhanced, while others subtracted from the beauty of the art.
I loved the homegrown feel of the exhibit upstairs (by local artists). One of my favorites included Littleton's S. Williams- Denver Dusk. It romanticized the city and gave it that cool, melancholy, smokey-jazzy vibe. It said to me- whether your just venturing out for cigarettes and milk, or enjoying an expensive dinner at a posh restaurant. The city is quietly mysteries... full of possibility and despair.
In the downstairs gallery (watercolors by Western artists), I fell in love Celeste, a work of art by Al Zerries. At first glance, Celeste is simply a portrait of a beautiful woman in a colorful dress, but at second and third glance you'll notice a strong, sexy and independent woman. There were two or three alluring portraits of women that were eye catching. Their bodies didn't necessarily look soft in watercolors but perhaps it's the enticing use of color that pulled me in.
My only knock against the Arvada Center isn't so much the fault of the Center, but more about the patrons. Many visitors today were extremely loud. My daydreams were frequently interrupted by intrusive voices and boisterous conversations. Even at the DAM (Denver Art Museum) on free Saturday, I didn't remember it being this loud. But all in all I enjoyed my visit today and I am now a big fan of watercolors! (I'm sure Jason and Mike think I'm a sissy now... but I'm still cool).
"Nothing stinks like a pile of unpublished writing." - Sylvia Plath
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