Charley Crockett brings the country to Mission Ballroom Saturday night in Denver, B+

This weekend, country western star Charley Crockett performed a solid hour and thirty-minute show at Denver's Mission Ballroom for the second night of his two-evening stay. The ballroom was packed with country fans and lots of cowboy hats.

Charley Crockett has performed in Denver many times throughout his career and it's clearly evident in the lyrics of the songs he sings, which he mentions playing at both the Globe Hall and Red Rocks. "This is my favorite city," he joyful explained Saturday evening. Despite living near Austin, Charley always performs in Colorado at least twice a year during his tour.

The show Saturday night was far from perfect, but Charley and his band performed a good show nonetheless. The sound at the Mission Ballroom is always superb, and that added to the positive atmosphere of the show on Saturday night.

It was a brisk January cold night in Denver and even colder in other areas of Colorado. The downtown area surrounding the Mission Ballroom was also hosting Denver's annual stock show, which added a bit of mayhem and high priced parking for the show where it normally was half the amount. Of course, on the plus side, having a country western star like Charley Crockett during the time of the stock show was a plus. Charley himself thanked the booking organizers for booking him during the same time, so he no doubt was having a fun time with it.

Charley isn't too much to speak to the crowd and only said a few things overall, which in itself is always an important thing to do. However, the highlight of the group was his pianist/trombone player who performed a number of great solos throughout the evening. The setlist only included a few hits, but those hits were strong enough to carry the crowd over for most of the night, including an earlier performance of '$10 Cowboy' and 'Trinity River'. 

Overall, Charley's charm comes from his cowboy western outfit and incredible guitar playing throughout the evening. He's worth seeing live, especially if you're a country western fan.

B+

Photos by Mark Matheson coming soon.