Cody Jinks, Clint Black, Ward Davis Rock Red Rocks

photos: Kevin Martinico

With all due respect to the other excellent venues out there across the United States and world, few match the majesty of Red Rocks in Colorado. There is a reason some fans will skip a performance of one of their favorite artists at a place much closer, and take vacation time, book a flight, and make a weekend out of seeing them in Red Rocks instead.

On Saturday and Sunday, October 1st & 2nd, the trio of Ward Davis, Clint Black, and Cody Jinks held forth from the Red Rocks stage in what has become an annual pilgrimage for some Cody Jinks fans. Though forecasts called for rain and thunderstorms both nights, luckily the weather cleared up by show time, with Saturday being attended by more of a younger and rowdier crowd, and Sunday being more for the older and laid back folks.

Ward Davis, whose written and co-written many Cody Jinks songs, opened the shows. Of course Cody Jinks sauntered out to sing with him on “Old Wore Out Cowboys”—a song Davis originally cut with Jamey Johnson and Willie Nelson. Jinks also came out to sing with Clint Black on “A Better Man” during the country legend’s set. Jinks and Black have struck up a friendship and mutual respect over the years, and have been touring together through the later part of 2022. Sunday night’s show at Red Rocks was this pairing’s final show together in 2022.

Clint Black had a special guest of his own. His daughter Lily Pearl Black is getting ready to release an EP, and she came out to sing the song “Cry Pretty” to the crowd. Lily Pearl has been performing with her father and mother Lisa Hartman Black for a few years now, but might finally be getting ready to strike out more on her own.

The Cody Jinks Red Rocks sets were almost like family reunions. Similar to what transpired the first time Cody Jinks played Red Rocks, his mom came out to sing “Mamma Song” with him. Cody’s 10-year-old son Larson also came out the first night to sing “Loud and Heavy” with pops—a song that Larson owns a songwriting credit on for being the inspiration for the tune, and a lucrative one since the song has been Certified Platinum.

And along with Ward Davis coming out to sing “I’m Not The Devil” with Cody (one of the many Cody songs Ward wrote), Ward, Cody, and Clint Black reprised their new remake of Black’s “Nothing’s News” on the Red Rocks stage.

Photographer and reporter Kevin Marinico was at Red Rocks both days to capture the moments for Saving Country Music. You can find his photography below, and check out all of his photographs from the two nights at I Listen, CO.

Ward Davis
Clint Black
Clint Black, daughter Lily Pearl Black
Cody Jinks
Chris Claridy and Cody Jinks
Cody Jinks and mom
Ward Davis and Cody Jinks
Cody Jinks and the Tone Deaf Hippies
Cody Jinks, Clint Black, and Ward Davis


(MOSTLY) COMPLETE SET LISTS:

Ward Davis Set List:

Papa and Mama (Ray Scott cover)
Time to Move On (Tom Petty cover)
More Goodbye
Another Bad Apple
Old Wore Out Cowboys (with Cody Jinks)
Nobody’s Looking
Sound of Chains
Ain’t Gonna Be Today
Big River (Johnny Cash cover)
Get to Work Whiskey
I Got You
Roll (Cody Jinks cover)
Black Cats and Crows

Clint Black Set List:

The Shoes You’re Wearing
Summer’s Coming
When My Ship Comes In
Untanglin’ My Mind
Mama Tried (Merle Haggard cover)
Killin’ Time
A Better Man (with Cody Jinks)
One More Payment
Tuckered Out
Like the Rain
A Good Run of Bad Luck
Cry Pretty (with his daughter, Lily Pearl Black, on vocals)
We Tell Ourselves
Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way (Waylon Jennings cover)
Nothin’ but the Taillights

Cody Jinks Set List:

All It Cost Me Was Everything
David
Fast Hand
Ain’t a Train
Same King of Crazy as Me
Nothing’s News (Clint Black cover with Clint Black and Ward Davis)
Big City (Merle Haggard cover with Clint Black)
Big Last Name
Shoulders
I’m Not the Devil (with Ward Davis)
Mamma Song (with Cody’s mom)
Tell’em What It’s Like
Somewhere in the Middle
Cast No Stones
How It Work
No Words
Lifers
Hippies and Cowboys

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