jump to the images
pre-show lineup. 5/5
Fast pass. There were individuals that were in line since 5am (I respect the hustle!)…I purchased a fast pass ticket. I arrived probably 20 minutes before doors opened and was somewhere between 70-90 in the fast pass line. After that, we split into two lines. I picked the shorter of the two (it was hard to tell from where we split, it was just luck) and ended up probably within the first 50 to enter the venue. My spot was way better than I anticipated.
crowd. 4/5
Everyone was incredibly kind. My only issue with the crowd wasn’t with the crowd but the fact that the person in front of me recorded every. single. song. (including the opener) on their phone. I spent 90% of the night trying to navigate around a phone. I’m tall so I can’t imagine how difficult that was for the shorter people around.
set list. 5/5
Set List from Setlist.fm
venue. 3.5/5
To be honest, the sound seemed a little off. The staff is incredibly helpful and kind, but multiple people commented about the sound.
band’s energy. 4/5
I think they were struggling adjusting to the altitude and Eli wasn’t feeling particularly well. Their energy was still strong but you could tell they were pushing through.
full recap.
Inhaler became a recent obsession as I hadn’t listened to them until about six or seven months before this show. When tour was announced, I was excited to see them for the first time. Leading up to the show I had been distracted by shows that I was missing or shows I was trying to secure tickets for in the future, so I didn’t feel any pre-show jitters I often get.
Getting to the venue I wasn’t really sure what to expect of the line-up process. I had my fast pass ticket but I had never tried fast pass before. Purchasing the fast pass was one of the best decisions I could have made. While I do enjoy lining up early (and even camping out) from time-to-time, I had a very busy week and couldn’t take the day off to queue up outside. In Denver we also got some early spring snow, so lining up was just not for me.
When I got there, two lines had formed; one fast pass, the other the rest of the GA. I got in the back of the fast pass line and after waiting about twenty minutes in the cold, we started shuffling in. After bags were checked, the line split into two. You couldn’t really see the length of the lines when they split, just that they were going into different entrances. A group of young women chose the left line and so I had gone up the stairs, another great decision. Turns out I was in the shorter, faster of the two lines. I ended up getting in before a lot of people in front of me in the fast pass line did. Scanning the crowd quickly to pick a spot, I actually stood semi behind a taller young man. I’m tall, and a lot of the women around us were much shorter, so I figured the best thing I could do was be kind of near someone else that was also taller.
Sun Room was the opener (pictures to come…). A lot of the people around me knew the words to their songs so I couldn’t figure out if they were people that were following Inhaler on tour, or if the crowd decided become familiar with the opening act. I’m still unsure, but my guess would be that there were a lot of fans there that had been following Inhaler from city-to-city for some time.
After a 45(ish) minute set, we had the set change before Inhaler came on. Time flew by, the lights went out, and after an audio intro, the band came out onto the stage.
They opened with two of their most popular songs (and two songs I really enjoy), These are the Days and My Honest Face. Despite having just released a new album back in February (“Cuts & Bruises“), the set list was a healthy mix of “old” and new songs.
Easily one of the more iconic parts of the night is when Eli steps away from the mic for the crowd to scream,
“I fucking hate that bitch“
during My King Will Be Kind. There were also all sorts of beautifully decorated cowboy hats that were gifts for the band (you can check them out on their Instagram). After they came out for the encore, people started throwing their hats and gifts on stage. Eli briefly put on one of the hats at the beginning of If You’re Going to Break My Heart (their newest single of their most recent album) before knocking it off.
Their energy was great but you could tell that the altitude was getting to them. I believe it was after the second song that Eli made a comment about needing to catch his breath. Later in the set he was request lemon and tea for his throat. Despite these minor setbacks, they brought what they could and kept the crowd engaged and excited. There wasn’t much chatting between songs. They powered through their stacked setlist, making the show go pretty quick. It ended before 10:30pm. I was actually home by 10:30pm.
While watching the show, all of those things that I have on my to-do left my mind…all the tickets I’ve been trying to buy, the fact that I was missing an iconic concert the next night in another state… all just melted away. I really enjoyed this band, this night, and this show. I’m really looking forward to see Inhaler continue to grow and I can’t wait to see them again in the future.
If you are interested in catching Inhaler, they only have a few dates left on the West Coast before heading back to Europe. Check out them out:
images.
