edpaffjr.comAfter three years, I feel that the Mile High Music Festival has finally worked out most of their kinks. The layout of the stages was by far the best yet, with very little sound bleeding. We never encountered any lines at the concessions, parking was easy, and the traffic after the shows was light. We took advantage of the new reentry policy to grab jackets and extra chairs when needed. Everything seemed to go very smoothly. The only thing I would change now would be the lineup. There were definitely some good shows, but also some disappointing ones.
Dave Matthews Band was obviously one of my favorites of the weekend. The set wasn’t full of rare songs, but was a good variety of the hits and a couple of surprises as well. Other good acts from Sunday included Weezer, Jimmy Cliff, Ozomatli, and Danielle Ate the Sandwich. I was excited to see My Morning Jacket, however I didn’t feel their live show is as good as their studio recordings. Train was also fairly good, and thanks to Doni’s obsession with them, I was able to get very close for a few songs at the end. The Drive By Truckers also provided a decent set.
Saturday wasn’t as good of a day for me. Things started off very strongly with The Motet. However, I was not impressed with One EskimO or Nas & Damian Marley. ALO and Amos Lee put on good sets, and after a rough start the Steve Miller Band put on quite the show. Phoenix was another that I didnt’ particularly care for. And Jack Johnson was as to be expected, good for a while but playing a bit too long. Rusted Root didn’t sound very good either, or maybe it was just a bad spot for us in the back of the tent.
Overall it was a good weekend. I’m sure I will return again next year, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed for an even better lineup.