Nickel Creek • Andrew Bird • July 10, 2024 • Sandy Amphitheater
Reviewed and Photographed by Kevin Rolfe
There is something special about seeing a Bluegrass band in an outdoor amphitheater on a summer’s night. Some might even say that this is the only way you should see a Bluegrass or Americana band. I can’t say I disagree. I’ve seen some of these shows indoors and while it is still awesome, I do prefer the outdoor shows. There’s something in the music that calls for a setting sun, a warm temperature, and a cold drink. These were the conditions for Nickel Creek and Andrew Bird at Sandy Amphitheater. The crowd made sure to arrive early so when I walked into Sandy Amp the venue was pretty much completely full already.
Andrew Bird
We’ve had the opportunity to see Andrew Bird a few times in a variety of ways. He’s been on the Red Butte Garden stage and we got to see him at the Park City Song Summit where he not only performed on his own but also did an amazing panel with Saturday Night Live alum and musician himself, Fred Armisen. He played the straight man in the comedy duo, but the panel was not only hilarious, but it was amazing to see the two working together both musically and comedically. And of course, Andrew was at the Sandy Amphitheater last year. It was good to know he was coming back. Seeing him on the same bill as Nickel Creek we knew it would be a perfect match.
Andrew Bird is an interesting artist. He’s not only a good singer and songwriter but he’s an incredible instrumentalist. Particularly on the violin. He can play so many styles. I particularly enjoyed the more classical pieces. He was able to show off what he’s capable of. The audience was amazing when he played the violin like a guitar or mandolin.
Now if you know Andrew Bird, you know that the violin is not the only instrument he plays. In fact, I’m not totally sure this is considered an instrument, but he’s so skilled musically with this it’s difficult to call it anything else. But he whistles exceptionally well. It sounds like he’s playing an actual instrument. I’ve tried to sound close to what Bird does and I’m not even close. It’s truly an impressive talent.
Andrew Bird wrapped up his set to a standing ovation from the crowd. Little did they know that they would, spoiler alert, get to see Andrew Bird back on stage later that night.
Nickel Creek
Nickel Creek is a band that has been on my radar for a long time, and yet I have never had the chance to see them live. Part of that is due to their lengthy hiatus from 2014 to 2020. But for one reason or another, I just haven’t had the opportunity. They played last year at Red Butte Garden and before that, their last time in Utah was in 2014. So to say I was looking forward to this concert is an understatement. The night did not disappoint. Andrew Bird did a great job teeing up Nickel Creek. So when they took the stage the audience was pretty fired up for them to perform. I’d guess there were others in attendance like me, getting to see these guys for the first time
Nickel Creek is an American Bluegrass band from of all places, Carlsbad, California. I’m sure if you polled a large group and had them listen to Nickel Creek then guess where they’re from I don’t think anyone would have guessed that they were from just outside of San Diego. Probably not considered the hub of Bluegrass, but then again, you never do know. Regardless of the location or the music rooted in the area, Nickel Creek is as authentic and genuine as I’ve seen. Pure talent and an absolute connectivity to the audience.
The band consists of brother and sister, Sean and Sara Watkins on guitar and fiddle respectively. They are joined by Chis Thile on vocals and mandolin. We’ve had the opportunity to see Chris at Red Butte Garden with The Punch Brothers. He’s a virtuoso mandolin player. It was impressive to see what he was able to do on that instrument. There were moments where I looked to the audience and they were just frozen in a stare. They were mesmerized by what Thile was doing. It blew us all away. That being said, the Watkins are no slouches by any means. The consistency and evenness of Nickel Creek is a great strength for the band.
The set seemed to fly by. Nickel Creek featured songs from their 2023 release, Celebrants. Playing six songs from the album. But they didn’t shy away from playing fan favorites. A personal favorite, “The Lighthouse’s Tale” was just the second song played. I was taking photos but I couldn’t help but stop for a moment to take in this beautiful song.
It’s not a surprise that this trio harmonizes so well. They each have strong voices that sound amazing as soloists. So hearing them blend is a real treat. Sara Watkins shined when she took the lead on vocals during “I Should Have Known Better”. Every time she’d hit a high note the crowd would cheer her on. She sounded so good. And to top it off she was playing the fiddle throughout as well.
Chris Thile joked to the crowd that they probably didn’t plan on coming to hear long instrumentals right before they played one. But I don’t think anyone inside Sandy Amphitheater had any issue with the instrumentals they played. I think we were all awestruck by the music we were hearing. And while these guys are incredible vocally, to sit and get to listen to them just play was an unbelievable experience.
Of course, we weren’t shy about hearing songs we love like, “When You Come Back Down” or “The Fox”. People who were with Nickel Creek from the beginning were so happy that they are hearing these songs almost a quarter of a century later. And that they still sound this good. I enjoyed clapping along to “The Fox”. An element of Bluegrass music is that these bands don’t have a drummer. Most of the time the music is so good that I rarely notice. But when we started providing the beat with our hands, I thought, “Oh yeah, we haven’t had a drummer all night”.
When Nickel Creek returned to the stage for the encore they brought Andrew Bird with them. The setlist indicated that they were to play three songs. But they cut “Tomorrow is a Long Time”. My guess is they cut it for time. I believe Sandy Amphitheater is under a 10 PM curfew and we were getting close to that. I didn’t realize they cut the song until after, so in the moment I was just excited to see them gather around a mic and play a couple more songs for us.
They played “To The Airport” and followed that with “Tumbling Tumbleweeds”. This was the perfect closer and a great selection for both Nickel Creek and Andrew Bird to perform together. Bird’s whistling fit perfectly with the song and the harmonies were on full display as the audience sat in awed silence to the closing song.
I’m so glad I finally got to see Nickel Creek live. They have been coming to Utah as far back as 2001 at the old Zephyr Club and I can understand why they keep returning to us. We love them. I’d be content to spend a summer night listening to this beautiful music every year.
