Rubedo at Unit E, with Achille Lauro, CougarPants and Hindershot, 5/4/12

Tom Murphy

CougarPants at Unit E

CougarPants played next with its usual ability to take an older aesthetic and completely reinvent it. Robin Walker has the kind of voice you'd probably have heard in the '40s being used to great effect in a jazz combo. Her playful personality' coupled with a strong ability to express such a broad range of emotions' gives this band the ability to be melancholy and humorous at the same time in exactly the proper portions in any given point in the song.

See more photos in Rubedo at Unit E slide show

Jessica Hughes, meanwhile, has perfected accenting the rhythm of the song to match Walker's own idiosyncratic phrasing with a delicate touch to the rhythms but also with creating rhythmic textures by utilizing multiple parts of the drum kit. For a couple of songs, Walker picked up a bass and made it look easy. There was no ukulele this time, even though Walker is one of the best practitioners of that instrument around. Rather, she used the keyboard to make haunted carnival sounds and beautifully moody melodies. CougarPants is always a surprisingly versatile and never boring band that can laugh at itself with grace when things go awry.

Tom Murphy

Hindershot

Without missing a beat, someone in Hindershot said something about the recently deceased MCA from Beastie Boys. Then the guys launched straight into a cover of "Fight For Your Right To Party" that did great honor to the original. People sprayed beer on the band, on the audience, threw cans and otherwise acted like idiots, just like the song suggests.

The band's originals showed a group of guys who are not only energetic performers but who write interesting and layered, yet not overly complicated, guitar rock worthy of The Chameleons and Deerhunter -- the kind of shimmery but strong and moving music that looks and sounds like you're there witnessing something great that maybe the rest of the world hasn't quite clued into yet.

See more photos in Rubedo at Unit E slide show

At one point, Stuart Confer said, "This is the most fun I've ever had other than Disneyland because Disneyland rules." Then he ripped on people who don't love Disneyland and then asked people not to hurt people who weren't into Disneyland. True to his word, Confer and the rest of the band played like they were having the time of their lives and that made for one of the group's finest performances.

Later on, the beer and can throwing got a bit hectic, and Confer said, "It's great being in a band. People treat you like shit and throw beer cans at your dick." Apparently someone had good aim and the comment sure didn't stop the projectiles and other tomfoolery. At the end of the show, in a moment of wild stage gyrations all around, Confer's guitar became unplugged, and he tried to get it working again with the effects to no effect. But the song and the set was pretty much over, and he yelled out, "I wrecked it. I wrecked it all. We're done!" It was a heckuva way to go out.

Personal Bias: I've been able to see Rubedo grow up as a band and have enjoyed the arc of its development.

Random Detail: Ran into Kalyn Heffernan of Wheelchair Sports Camp. Apparently she's a big fan of Rubedo as well.

By the Way: Gregg Ziemba also helps to run Unit E.

Location Info

Venue

Map

Unit E

1201 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, CO

Category: General

0 user reviews	Write A Review
Save to foursquare