Jess Nelson Lewis Capaldi at Red Rocks. On paper, already a dream. But on a cold, rainy Tuesday night in Morrison, Colorado, it became something else entirely. There’s something about Red Rocks that already feels like it exists outside of normal time. The red sandstone, the open sky, the way sound moves through that space like it was built for it. The weather was miserable and nobody cared. Ponchos as far as the eye could see, and not a single person who looked like they wanted to be anywhere else. Lewis didn’t just perform at Red Rocks that night. He surrendered to it.
Joy Crookes
If you didn’t know Joy Crooks walking in, honestly same. But she made sure you knew her name by the time she walked off. Her style? Immaculate. Her music? Warm and buttery and the kind of thing that hits you right in the feels before you even realize what’s happening. She warmed up that crowd so effortlessly and honestly, it was exactly the vibe the night needed.
Photos by Jess Nelson Media, LLC. All images © 2026 Copyright Jess Nelson Media, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Lewis Capaldi
I don’t even know if I fully have the words to encapsulate what an absolutely magical experience this show was. Once in a lifetime, if you will.
The rain had other plans, causing havoc on the tech and initiating restart after restart after restart, with some comedy in between each one. I mean, it’s Lewis after all. Eventually, it just didn’t want to cooperate and that’s when Capaldi turned the set into an impromptu acoustic show. No big production…we got Capaldi completely stripped down. Vocals on full display and the band acoustically following behind him – all of them workshopping and figuring it out on the fly, in real time, right in front of us. Songs that needed the full production behind them got shelved, and what replaced them was something you genuinely cannot plan for. That is the power and beauty of music. That is what I live for.
I also forgot how fucking funny Capaldi is. Probably about mid way through the set, he said to the crowd we all looked like condoms (everyone was wearing ponchos). Even said we were “ribbed for your pleasure.” I CACKLED. The man had ten thousand soaking wet people in the palm of his hand and he knew it. Still am cackling tbh and it’s been weeks since the show.
If you’ve followed along on Capaldi’s journey, a few years ago he took a break to focus on his mental health. And it absolutely showed up on this night in how far he’s come, and how much work he’s done to get to a good place. Let this be your reminder to TAKE CARE OF YOU, FIRST AND FOREMOST. Capaldi a couple years ago wouldn’t have been able to handle this (him even saying so while the tech kept giving them grief at the beginning). What an absolute testament – he handled it so beautifully. With so much grace. What an honor to have witnessed such a human moment and experience such magic together. Under the stars. Between the rocks.
I’ll never forget it.
Photos by Jess Nelson Media, LLC. All images © 2026 Copyright Jess Nelson Media, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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