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Murder By Death at the Stanley Hotel
Jan. 11th, 2023 04:07 pmJ and I took a long weekend (Thursday through Tuesday) to drive to Estes Park, Colorado, to see Murder By Death play at The Stanley Hotel Concert Hall. We stayed in the historic Stanley Hotel, the inspiration for Stephen King's The Shining. The hotel really leans into its spooky reputation. The whiskey bar served a Redrum Punch and the brunch place had dishes called "Danny Boy!" and "Wendy? Darling?" When we first rode the elevator up to our room on the third floor, an employee was riding with us and, upon learning it was our first visit, assured us that we would get scared.
We didn't. None of the spirits on site wanted anything to do with us, not even Cassie, the dog that scratches at people's doors to be let in and then sleeps in a warm puddle at the foot of the bed. We did happen upon a graveyard in one of our rambles on the property; it was a pet cemetery for one cat and several dogs that lived at the hotel. This wasn't creepy so much as bittersweet. Several of the graves had tokens left on the gravestone and one had a squeaky toy at the base of the stone. It was heartening to see the animals are still loved.
This was our third MBD concert, but the first without any other acts. I discovered I actually like seeing an opening act or two. It enhances the anticipation for the headliners. Before the music, there was a psychedelic slideshow featuring stills from Stanley Kubrick's The Shining.
The hotel tries to appeal to fans of both Stephen King's original The Shining and the Kubrick version. For example, even though the book featured animal topiaries that come to life to threaten the characters, the hotel has a (fledgling) hedge maze, because so many tourists expected a maze. MBD likewise mixed the two versions: their slideshow was Kubrick but their posters on sale featured sparring lion topiaries.
MBD were in fine form and played a mix of old and new songs, including their cover of "Blue Christmas." The floor throbbed with the volume of the music, and at one point everyone was stomping and J imagined the floor caving in. Throughout the concert the slideshow continued, mostly featuring clips from black and white movies, including westerns, a werewolf flick, and maybe even a documentary about Inquisition-style torture devices (no gore, only creep).
It was amazing to be that high up in the mountains (~7800 ft above sea level), and I couldn't stop thinking about how heinous the construction must've been in 1909-ish. Rich people and their whims! One year when the Stanleys invited Harry Houdini to perform at Estes Park, Houdini sent 6 glass cases up the mountain for his big act, and only 2 cases made it intact. So even once the resort was established, it was obviously still a bumpy trip. The air was so dry that every time J pushed the button for the elevator, he got a wicked shock--one and two inch arcs in blue AND white. We joked that the elevator didn't like J, but the one time I pushed the button, I got a little shock, too.
This was our first extended trip without Ash. We agreed that it was time to start doing more things as a couple and let Ash exercise his new-adult privileges and responsibilities. J kept thinking he was leaving something behind when we left the whiskey bar or restaurants, but I told him I knew that feeling from my first women's retreat--it was being without Ash that caused it!
All in all, we had a fabulous time and I would love to do it again. And I may get my chance, since MBD has been performing around New Year's Eve at The Stanley for ten years now.
We didn't. None of the spirits on site wanted anything to do with us, not even Cassie, the dog that scratches at people's doors to be let in and then sleeps in a warm puddle at the foot of the bed. We did happen upon a graveyard in one of our rambles on the property; it was a pet cemetery for one cat and several dogs that lived at the hotel. This wasn't creepy so much as bittersweet. Several of the graves had tokens left on the gravestone and one had a squeaky toy at the base of the stone. It was heartening to see the animals are still loved.
This was our third MBD concert, but the first without any other acts. I discovered I actually like seeing an opening act or two. It enhances the anticipation for the headliners. Before the music, there was a psychedelic slideshow featuring stills from Stanley Kubrick's The Shining.
The hotel tries to appeal to fans of both Stephen King's original The Shining and the Kubrick version. For example, even though the book featured animal topiaries that come to life to threaten the characters, the hotel has a (fledgling) hedge maze, because so many tourists expected a maze. MBD likewise mixed the two versions: their slideshow was Kubrick but their posters on sale featured sparring lion topiaries.
MBD were in fine form and played a mix of old and new songs, including their cover of "Blue Christmas." The floor throbbed with the volume of the music, and at one point everyone was stomping and J imagined the floor caving in. Throughout the concert the slideshow continued, mostly featuring clips from black and white movies, including westerns, a werewolf flick, and maybe even a documentary about Inquisition-style torture devices (no gore, only creep).
It was amazing to be that high up in the mountains (~7800 ft above sea level), and I couldn't stop thinking about how heinous the construction must've been in 1909-ish. Rich people and their whims! One year when the Stanleys invited Harry Houdini to perform at Estes Park, Houdini sent 6 glass cases up the mountain for his big act, and only 2 cases made it intact. So even once the resort was established, it was obviously still a bumpy trip. The air was so dry that every time J pushed the button for the elevator, he got a wicked shock--one and two inch arcs in blue AND white. We joked that the elevator didn't like J, but the one time I pushed the button, I got a little shock, too.
This was our first extended trip without Ash. We agreed that it was time to start doing more things as a couple and let Ash exercise his new-adult privileges and responsibilities. J kept thinking he was leaving something behind when we left the whiskey bar or restaurants, but I told him I knew that feeling from my first women's retreat--it was being without Ash that caused it!
All in all, we had a fabulous time and I would love to do it again. And I may get my chance, since MBD has been performing around New Year's Eve at The Stanley for ten years now.
