Comea Shelter’s Journey Home Festival: Recap

It was an unbelievable night Saturday, as many came out to hear GREAT live music and support  Comea Shelter, all a part of their "Journey Home Festival."

The evening started off with an AMAZING concert with the Sean Curtis Band taking the stage, and they really tore it up!  This local boy, as so many like to call him, and his band were truly awesome, cranking out anything from Jason Aldean to Chris Young, and Florida Georgia Line.

This band really knew how to warm up a crowd, and the good news is, they're appearing at several other shows including opening up for Craig Campbell at Terry Bison Ranch THIS Saturday, June 28th,  and you'll see them performing at the Outlaw Saloon during Cheyenne Frontier Days!

Then came the headlining act, a band originally formed out of Boulder, Colorado, and founded by Jock Bartley who replaced Tommy Bolin in the band Zepher, and Rick Roberts who was in the band The Flying Burrito Brothers.(Rick is currently not with the band.)  Together this formation led to a group that hit the musical map as Firefall.

Firefall cranked us so many hits throughout the 70's and 80's including "It Doesn't Matter," "Strange Way," and a song that started off as a HUGE hit on the FM stations, that was later protested by a feminist group, the song, "Cinderella."  They performed all of their hits just like they did when these songs first came out, to perfection!

Throughout the show, I repeatedly heard comments from people in the crowd, "Livin' Ain't Livin,'" I remember that song!  Or "Goodbye I Love You," I forgot they sang that song, I love that song!"  And, of course, you could hear everyone in the crowd sing along when Firefall  performed  "You Are The Woman."

One of my favorite songs they performed that night was "Mexico," a song that Jock Bartley fondly remembers recording.  He talked with Steve Cooper about that experience, and how when they recorded that song, he laid down the lead guitar work.  Expecting to record it again, the producer told him that he nailed it on the first try.  When Jock went into the producer's booth to check it out himself, he was taken by surprise by a guitarist who was standing their listening to the recording.

"I walked in to check my work, and I turned around, and there stood one of my biggest guitar heroes of all time, Eric Clapton!  He shook my hand and said 'Nice licks.'  It was one of the biggest moments of my life!"

The evening was also filled with lots of fun, great food from Jim's Pizza, Comea Shelter, Texas Roadhouse, and ice cold beer courtesy of Sandford's Pub and Grill.  It was also filled with lots of winners who bought raffle tickets for a slew of raffle items, including a 4-wheeler.

The best part of the whole evening, was seeing such a great community getting together, not only for the live music, food and beer, but to all collectively give to an organization that continually gives to those who need help in our community, Comea Shelter.  What a wonderful way to celebrate the first day of summer!