Tearing at the Seams, the vivacious and inventive record from Denver’s Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, is grounded in old-school r&b and rock and roll, but these songs are far too urgent for the retro or revivalist tag. There are familiar elements of soul and garage rock, but also jazz and folk and even country: the crackling energy on opener “Shoe Boot,” the cathartic sing-along of “Coolin’ Out,” the melancholy folk of the closing title track.
Like his heroes, Rateliff has always been an omnivorous listener and player. Growing up in Herman, Missouri, he started his music career playing in his family’s band at church, and music became an obsession for him and his friends. In 1998 Rateliff and future Night Sweats bassist Joseph Pope III moved to Denver, Colorado, where their first band, Born in the Flood, attracted some major-label interest. But the pair had moved on by then, gravitating first to a folksier sound and later to hard-hitting r&b.
Rateliff had loved soul music since he was a teenager in Missouri, and a set of demos he recorded in the early 2010s gradually grew into Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats. Released in 2015 on the relaunched Stax Records, the album became a massive hit and pushed them out on the road for two long years. The band blasted their way through hundreds of shows in North America, England, Ireland, and Australia, in addition to playing Coachella, Farm Aid, Newport Folk Festival, and the Monterey Pop Festival’s 50th Anniversary.
In May 2017 the band disappeared to the small town of Rodeo, New Mexico, to write songs for their follow-up. Then they recorded in the Oregon studio of Richard Swift, who produced their debut. Together, the Night Sweats have created a set of songs that comprise both an R & B party record and deeply personal confessional from Rateliff, who penned all the lyrics. The album recounts moments in the last few years of his life, some good and others not so much: “I remember finishing one song and just losing my shit and breaking down. These songs are so personal, but not everyone will get that. I get to leave little secrets in there for myself, so that everybody else gets to have their own individual interpretations of the songs.”
Tearing at the Seams shows The Night Sweats tearing at their own seams, at their own sturdy sound, at their long-held definitions of friend and family and band. In the process they’ve become tighter than ever, both musically and emotionally. “I want – and I need – everybody to feel like they’re a part of this band,” says Rateliff. “I want them to feel like they’re contributing artistically and emotionally to the experience of writing and creating this music. The future of this band is to take everything we’ve ever done in the past and just do it with our own little twist.”
Opening the evening is Lucius, a four piece band fronted by the enchanting Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, Lucius has drawn acclaim for powerful songs showcasing taut hooks, along with their mesmerizing stage presence and bold visual aesthetics. The New York Times described Wolfe and Laessig’s vocals as being “especially gorgeous,” while Rolling Stone says Lucius is “powerful enough to knock you over.”
Performance starts at 7pm
Early Entry and VIP access: 6pm
General Admission gates open: 6:15pm
Series tickets packages are available FIRST to Sun Valley Center for the Arts members starting April 2 at 10am.
- VIP seating area Series Package SOLD OUT! (seats are provided within this area, but are not reserved, this area is in front of the sound board, not directly in front the stage): $333 ($363.64 including taxes & fees)
- Early Entry Series Package SOLD OUT! $198 ($217.84 including taxes & fees)
- General Admission Series Package: $126 ($140.08 including taxes & fees)
Ticket release dates and timing:
- April 2nd – SERIES ticket sales to MEMBERS ONLY
- April 9th at 10am – INDIVIDUAL tickets on sale to MEMBERS ONLY (Current Members will be emailed a ticketing link April 9, 10am)
- April 16th at 10am – all remaining tickets released to the general public (Ticketing links will be live on the website April 16, 10am)
Ticket Limits:
- For the 2019 Summer Concert series, each household is limited to purchasing 6 tickets total per concert.
- Center members are eligible to purchase the number of discounted tickets per their membership level. (i.e. $50 Friend Membership = 2 member discounted tickets per event, $100 memberships and above = 6 member discounted tickets per event).
- If The Center determines that tickets have been purchased above the quantity limit per household or a membership is expired or invalid, The Center reserves the right to cancel those purchases.
TO VIEW ALL SERIES & INDIVIDUAL CONCERT PRICING: CLICK HERE
2019 Summer Concert Series Sponsored in part by:
Lutz Rentals, Sun Valley Resort & Zions Bank
Additional sponsorship provided by:
Alpine Lodging
Clear Creek Disposal
Hotel Ketchum
KSKI 94.5
Silver Creek Ford
Wood River Inn & Suites