Colorado favorite Elephant Revival plays intimate benefit concert for Swallow Hill
Swallow Hill Music has been creating community through music in Colorado since 1979. It's an incubator for young talent, and now a band that appeared there in its infancy is coming back for a benefit concert.
Elephant Revival was founded in 2006 in Nederland. The band is made up of highly accomplished, multi-instrument musicians who come together to create "transcendental" folk music. In 20 years, Elephant Revival has become beloved in Colorado and beyond. One of its first gigs was at Swallow Hill Music.
"I know it was one of our first very intense listening rooms, so that is magical and also terrifying at first," said Bonnie Paine, vocalist and founding member of Elephant Revival.
"We had them here in 2010, and we still have the poster downstairs when they first came. Then all of a sudden to see them at Red Rocks and now to have them back full circle is just really a great experience for us as an organization," said Cecile Kerr, Development Director for Swallow Hill Music.
Elephant Revival is playing Swallow Hill again for a one-night-only benefit concert. All the proceeds from the evening will help fund musical programming.
"I think that music changes lives for people. When I think about our work and what it is ultimately is building belonging in our community," Kerr explained.
"I just love what they do for the community and for kids learning music," Paine added.
Paine is also looking forward to getting back to that intimate listening room experience.
"Get as intimate as you can when you have a room like that so you can feel yourself feel. That's what I like about music when you can actually have the space and bring people to a space to feel themselves and then to feel each other whenever it expands," she said.
It will be an evening that promises to leave a lasting impression for all involved.
An Evening with Elephant Revival: A Benefit Concert for Swallow Hill Music is Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 at Swallow Hill Music.
