Clay Kirkland’s 18th Annual Beat the Reaper – Denver, CO

Clay Kirkland’s 18th Annual Beat the Reaper – Denver, CO

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Don’t miss this upcoming event in Denver, CO. Happening on Friday, January 24, 2025 at Swallow Hill Music – Daniels Hall. Doors open at 8:00 PM.

Swallow Hill Music Presents Clay Kirkland’s – 18th Annual Beat the Reaper

About Clay Kirkland’s Beat the Reaper

Celebrate Clay Kirkland’s 78th birthday with his 18th Annual Beat the Reaper Concert!

Some of the surprises we have seen in Clay Kirkland’s previous “Beat the Reaper” concerts are beginning to manifest for his upcoming 78th birthday celebration!

Kirkland grew up playing cello in the school orchestra and baritone horn in the brass band. He loves large ensembles. His “cast of thousands” in many of his previous “Beat the Reaper” concerts was a whole lot of fun for everyone. His seventieth birthday show featured over twenty performers and represented numerous gold and platinum records.

However, Kirkland also loves the clarity and pleasing volume of a small ensemble. Last year’s concert was basically a semi-acoustic trio with Stef Kull on electric keyboard and grand piano, Paul Trunko alternating between his electric Stratocaster guitar and his Gibson acoustic. Kirkland, meanwhile, rocked harmonica through his vintage Mesa Boogie amplifier and played sweetly into his vocal microphone. Many folks in the audience felt it was Kirkland’s best show yet. Kirkland was pleased to say he could hear every note that Stef played!

At Kirkland’s invitation, joining the trio for a few songs in the second set was another legendary musician representing several gold and platinum record albums, John Ware. He was drummer in the “Hot Band”, which many considered to be the best country band of all time. They were Emmylou Harris’ band for fourteen years.

Ware said that earlier in his career he was hanging out in a recording studio and peeked in to see who the drummer was. The magical rhythmic sound that Ware was hearing was coming from the legendary Earl Palmer, the most recorded drummer in history. To Ware’s amazement, Palmer was playing a packing crate! This inspired Ware to seek his own unique approaches to his drumming. He says that in many of the songs on Emmylou Harris’ albums you are hearing him playing a cardboard box with brushes!

Ten years ago Kirkland was invited to join Ware and several of his musician friends from around the country for a jam session to celebrate Ware and his wife’s seventieth birthday. For the entire evening Ware was playing cardboard box with brushes! The groove was absolutely amazing! In brainstorming for the upcoming show, Kirkland and Ware agreed that the cardboard box was the instrument of choice for “Beat the Reaper XVIII.”

To provide “the bottom” for this show, Ware is bringing his Denver sidekick, Bob Higgins, to hold down the bass guitar role. This secures the goal of a full band sound at a pleasing volume with great clarity. The 8:00-10pm show time ensures an evening of world class music that is “not too late and not too loud.”

Purchase Clay Kirkland’s 18th Annual Beat the Reaper Tickets Below:

Tickets/RSVP Link

Additional Details

Event ID - 748867160837

Event Venue - Swallow Hill Music - Daniels Hall

See Tickets

Eventbrite TicketLink

Event City - Denver

Event State - CO

 

Date And Time

Friday, January 24th, 2025 @ 08:00 PM (MST)
 

Venue

Swallow Hill Music - Daniels Hall
 

Location

71 E. Yale Avenue, Denver, CO 80210
 

Event Types

Concert or Performance
 

Event Category

ColoradoDenver

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