Jess Nelson On July 14, 2026, Kaleo headlined Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado, with Elle King opening. Going in, this show carried weight far beyond the lineup. The last time I saw Kaleo was also the last day I spent with my ex, before I realized I needed to end things. It was also October 12, 2026, the last day I ever drank alcohol. Standing back at Red Rocks for this one, 642 days sober, or California sober since I’ve still smoked weed along the way, this felt less like a concert and more like taking something back for myself. It had nothing to do with the band, honestly, but experiencing that music again in this new context, on my own terms, felt genuinely empowering.
Elle King
I’d never seen Elle King live before, and I’ve always loved her voice, so this was a long time coming. She crushed it. She’s magnetic onstage, funny and warm in that way that makes a crowd fall for her instantly, and she was wearing a shirt with some kind of autism advocacy message on it that I loved seeing. That kind of visibility onstage meant a lot to me, especially since I’ve wondered myself whether I might be somewhere on the spectrum.
KALEO
KALEO mentioned this was their tenth year playing Red Rocks, and you could feel how much that milestone meant to them, especially as a band from Iceland finding a second home in a Colorado amphitheater carved into rock. Their energy was infectious all night. At multiple points their harmonica player took the spotlight for a solo, and frontman JJ’s voice did what it always does, deep, soulful, almost otherworldly in the way it fills a space like that.
I know “Way Down We Go” the way most people do, but hearing the songs I wasn’t as familiar with is what’s always surprised me seeing them live. Their music has this pull to it, the kind that fills you up and invites you to sit with whatever’s going on underneath the surface. At points I just closed my eyes and let myself be fully in it, not performing the moment for anyone, just there, rocking out and feeling every bit of it.
That’s ultimately what this whole night was about. Not the band, not the setlist, but getting to stand in that same place again and feel completely different standing in it.
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