In a recent appearance at Denver Colorado’s Botanic Gardens, Arlo Parks, channeling joy and positive energy, performed to an adoring and animated crowd. On the last date of her current tour (and a day before her birthday), the English-born singer sang songs from her 2021 debut, Collapsed in Sunbeams, and her 2023 release, My Soft Machine. Although thunderstorms had threatened throughout the day, the rain held off and the show proceeded as planned, albeit with an earlier start time.
The 24-year-old singer has achieved remarkable milestones in her short (so far) career. Collapsed in Sunbeams reached No. 3 on the UK Albums Chart and earned her nominations for Album of the Year, Best New Artist and Best British Female Solo Artist at the 2021 Brit Awards, in addition to winning the 2021 Mercury Prize for Best Album.
My Soft Machine, released in May 2023, featured “Pegasus,” her duet with Phoebe Bridgers, with whom she had performed on BBC Radio 1 in 2020 and at Coachella in 2022. Of the single, Parks has said, “Pegasus is about experiencing the warmth and lightness of good love for the first time,” perhaps an apt description of the philosophy behind all her music. And just this past March, Parks received writing credits for Beyonce’s, “YA YA,” from her recent album, Cowboy Carter.
Watch Arlo Parks performing “Pegasus” live for The Current on YouTube.
The Denver Botanic Gardens boasts a gorgeous outdoor performance space, its summer concert series this year featuring a diverse selection of artists, from Emmylou Harris and Graham Nash to Angelique Kidjo and Trombone Shorty. The concert space, situated in a grassy bowl in the center of the sprawling grounds, features clean sight lines from all angles and a pristine sound system. And although a sunny, hot afternoon is the norm for Botanic Gardens gigs, a mild, cool evening felt just as nice for Arlo’s performance there on August 8.
Local Denver musician Thom LaFond and his band opened the show about a half hour before the scheduled start time of 6:30, presumably so that we could avoid any weather that might be on the way. After his short set, Arlo appeared onstage, her rapturous voice immediately entrancing the crowd.
Arlo was supported by her long-time musical partner, guitarist Dani Diodato, multi-instrumentalist Sam Harding (bass, guitars, keyboards), and drummer James. Arlo herself is a wonderfully complex and diverse artist. Her given name, Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho, reflects her French, Nigerian, and Chadian background. Her music ranges from accessible, airy melodies to power chord driven, rockers — a reflection of influences that span Elliott Smith, Sylvia Plath, Radiohead, and Joni Mitchell.
Anchoring all of her music, and poetry, is a philosophy that openness, honesty, and vulnerability lie at the core of her art. She identifies as bisexual, noting in a 2019 The Line of Best Fit interview, “I wanted to put [my sexuality] as a facet of myself because it’s not talked about as much for queer people of colour. It’s an important thing for me to show people that it’s okay.”
Indeed, while introducing “Eugene,” from Collapsed in Sunbeams, she told us, “…I feel like when you put up walls to keep pain out, you kind of shut everything out, and it was kind of easier to be numb…this song is about celebrating the people in your life that…soften the walls, and make you feel safe.”
The concert’s song selection and pacing were masterful. Although Parks has only been performing publicly for five years (her first gig was The Great Escape in Brighton in May 2019), and her first headlining tour was canceled in March 2020 due to the pandemic, she has clearly developed into a seasoned live performer. Songs like “Caroline,” “Black Dog,” and “Pegasus,” with their highly accessible melodies and relatable lyrics, easily draw the listener in. Inviting the audience to sing along while introducing “Caroline” she said, “Today’s a special day because tomorrow is my birthday. I know it’s a seated show but please just get a little rowdy, sing a little bit because it’s a birthday show. The next one is ‘Caroline’ and if you know the words…” With its Peter Gabrielesque backbeat, people quickly gathered about the stage dancing and singing, though not before a brief pause to spontaneously sing happy birthday to Arlo.
Stream My Soft Machine by Arlo Parks on Spotify here:
The 90-minute set closed in raucous fashion, the last songs introduced thusly, “I go, like, surprisingly hard energy on this song…so if you’ve been waiting for your chance to get up and have a dance…” And with that Arlo and her band launched into “Devotion,” its chorus Arlo’s promise to her fans, and theirs to her:
“All yours, baby
Come down like a million tonnes
All yours, baby
Flood me with your nervous love”
For more on Arlo’s music and tour schedule, please visit her website.
Here are some more photos of Arlo Parks performing at Denver’s Botanic Gardens on August 8, 2024. All photos courtesy of and copyright Mark Caicedo.
