From time to time I like to runaway from home. Admittedly, this is an odd phrase for a 40 year old with no family to runaway from, but that is how I see it. I get an itch to get out of town and I go. As I clicked between Google Maps, Airlines, and sites for the stable of bands I like to see, I zeroed in on Boulder Colorado for the long Columbus Day Weekend. I know many don’t get Columbus Day off, but up in Massachusetts we like to celebrate when explorers get lost. So Colorado it was with two shows on the horizon.

When I bought my ticket for the Fourmile Canyon Revival there were a number of things I didn’t know. I didn’t know anything about the fire and why these musicians were getting together to put on a show. I didn’t know what Flash Seats was. I didn’t know half of the bands performing, and I didn’t fully realize how the beauty of the landscape could impact a show.

Granted, the 1st Bank Center isn’t the beauty of what I understand Red Rocks and the Gorge to be, but as a New Englander visiting Colorado, the beauty of Boulder and the surrounding areas certainly made the music richer. Not to sell the 1st Bank Center short, this 6500 capacity venue is a great space to see shows. There isn’t a bad seat in this intimate venue. You also have to appreciate a venue that knows its audience. When I came back for Phish the next night they were selling grilled cheese and burritos at the concession stand. I went with the grilled cheese, saving the veggie burrito for my traditional post-show parking lot snack.

But I digress…the show was fantastic. Having never seen Yonder Mountain String Band I was thrilled with their set. They were clearly enjoying their performance as well. Reuniting with Jon Fishman for most of the set was fun for us, but also looked to be a lot of fun for them. For me, the cover of the Talking Heads “Girlfriend Is Better” was the highlight of the set.

Trey & Mike (Anastasio & Gordon) answered the question of whether or not Phish would have their own set. The mini acoustic set was a treat. “Waste” was especially fun and unexpected.

String Cheese Incident was another ‘on my radar’ but hadn’t seen bands. They were tight and fun. Having Trey sit in with them for a couple songs was clearly a treat for the band. This lead up to a full stage finale with great renditions of “I know Your Rider” and “One Love”

The revival was a fundraiser to help recovery after the Fourmile Canyon Fire that in September burned more than 6,000 acres destroying 169 homes. Short speeches between sets spoke of the effects of the fire, and everyone thanked the crowd for raising over $300,000 in support. Additionally, the bands gave thanks to the firefighters in attendance. A block of tickets was given to the various fire companies who responded to the massive fire.

The night also proved to be a glimpse into what ticketing should become. Flash Seats is a ticketing company that does not print tickets. The ticket I bought was put into my Flash Seats account. Upon arrival at the gate they swiped my credit card and presented me with a receipt as I walked in. What a great way to curb the scalper and more disgusting ticket agency industry. With a no-transfer rule in effect, this ensured that those who bought the tickets were the folks going to the show. Here’s hoping that they are able to grow into other markets.

The sad thing about my runaway weekends is that I have to come home and go back to work. I came home to Boston with a few trinkets, some great pictures of the mountains, more fuzzy pictures from the shows (when will I learn how to take a good picture at a show?) and the satisfaction of another good runaway weekend.