String Cheese Incident Breaks Out as ‘Drift’ at Kettlehouse Amphitheatre

Photo credit: Erik Kabik

On Saturday, June 29, The String Cheese Incident stopped by the Kettlehouse Amphitheatre in Bonner, Montana, in the midst of their summer tour, for the first show of a two-night schedule. The psychedelic jam band has been touring the country over the past few months, with multiple North American tour dates scheduled through November. Notably, the Big Sky State performance featured a cover of 2001’s “Drifting,” which graced the stage for the first time in nearly 15 years.

Kicking off the night’s first set, The String Cheese Incident opened with “Rain,” then segued into setlist staples including a cover of Tom Petty’s 1994 classic “You Wreck Me.” The band ended the first set with an atmospheric jam that built to fan-favorite electronica “Rosie” for a high-speed, high-energy final run. The second set was filled with signature SCI jams like the meandering opener “Rivertrance,” which preceded an expansive 16-minute rendition of Keller Williams’ “Best Feeling” and a string-heavy “Whiskey Before Breakfast” with a percussive interlude. After segueing into more recent material, the band leaned into their lyrical side with the upbeat closing track “Let’s Go Outside.”

Returning to the stage for an encore, the band performed “Drifting,” last performed at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom on December 9, 2011. The outburst was prefaced by a story from Bill Nershi about his daughter’s love of the song, making the rare rendition of the beloved track a Inside Outside even sweeter. The eccentric ensemble then closed the evening with the fast-paced folk-rock “Colorado Bluebird Sky,” perhaps as an ode to the venue’s picturesque setting.

String Cheese Incident will take to the stage July 12-14 for a highly anticipated return to the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado. The band’s 2024 tour will continue through early November. For tickets and more information, visit stringcheeseincident.com/#tourdates . Fans can catch the full setlist from June 29.

The String Cheese Incident
Kettlehouse Amphitheatre – Bonner, Mont.
06/29/2024

Set I: Rain, out, in, sun, one more time, you destroy me, that’s how it is > Kettlehouse Jam > Rosie
Series II: Rivertrance, Best Feeling%> Whiskey Before Breakfast > Birdland > Flying West Jam > The Remington Ride > Flying West Jam > Birdland, Finally, Hold On, I Can’t Wait Another Day > Bonner Jam > Just One Story > Let’s Go Outside
Enc.: Adrift,* the blue Colorado sky

Remarks:
% Keller Williams Coverage
Tom Petty cover
*Bust-out of “Driftin”, last performed on 09/12/2011