Trampled by Turtles at the Ogden, 1/10/13

Eric Gruneisen

Dave Simonett of Trampled By Turtles on stage at the Ogden Theatre in Denver last night on the first night of the band's two-night stand. Slide show: Trampled by Turtles at the Ogden

That clarity kept the crowd engaged at a show where the alcohol was flowing freely and where there was plenty of funky smells and smoke in the air. At a casual lyrical mention of going to the mountains during "Bloodshot Eyes" midway into the show, it felt as if the entire theater applauded in appreciation.

And the crowd was considerable. At the first strains of the group's opening tune, every corner of the theater seemed to fill up beyond capacity. Suddenly, it was impossible to find room to move on the floor in front of the stage, in the aisles or on the balcony. That kind of loyalty and energy hints at a pretty powerful show to come on Friday. If last night was only a warm-up from Trampled By Turtles, Friday's crowd may very well break open the Ogden at the seams.

Eric Gruneisen

Honey Honey on stage last night at the Ogden Theatre in Denver. Slide show: Trampled by Turtles at the Ogden

The opening set from Honey Honey felt more like a featured show than a simple introduction. Despite some hiccups in the sound mix, the quartet delivered a powerful performance that mixed bluegrass and rock and roll, country and power pop.

Vocalist Suzanne Santo, who also served stints on fiddle and banjo, played a star role. She sang with feeling that was consistently heartbreaking and she played both her instruments with constant skill.

Guitarist Ben Jaffe also offered plenty of interesting sounds, switching between a full-bodied acoustic and several electrics. Though Santo apologized for some of the errors in sound (her banjo screamed with a good dose of feedback at one point), the damage was minimal. It didn't take away from the promise and power of the players, who could easily pull carry a headlining spot based on their skill.

Eric Gruneisen

Honey Honey on stage last night at the Ogden Theatre in Denver. Slide show: Trampled by Turtles at the Ogden

Personal Bias: I'm steeped in old folk music and traditional bluegrass, so some of Trampled By Turtles' slower ballads hit my heartstrings pretty strongly.

Random Note: Male audience members just couldn't get over Honey Honey frontwoman Suzanne Santo. One dude yelled out a marriage proposal, and another asked in a scream if he could take her out to dinner.

By The Way: At one point, the five members of Trampled By Turtles took a break to take a drink together. Lined up in a row at the front of the stage, the band made a cheers to a "prosperous 2013."

Location Info

Venue

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Ogden Theatre

935 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, CO

Category: Music

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