They Might Be Giants, Guggenheim Grotto
Thursday, November 5
Gothic Theater
Better than: Seeing an expertly executed live show that didn't include sock puppets.
They Might Be Giants couldn't stick to one sound during their
appearance at the Gothic on Thursday night. The band's show, which
nearly spanned two hours, included a comprehensive range of tunes, a
selection that pulled from their latest release, Here Comes Science, as
well as seminal albums from the 1990s like Flood and Apollo 18.
The Siren Project
Sunday, November 1, 2009
The Church
Better Than: The Project has been in a long time.
Having a show at the Church is a bit of a losing proposition not
because it's not that a cool place to have a show -- although it's a beautiful
building inside and out and the sound system is excellent, the regular crowd seems more into pre-recorded, comfort music. The DJs
played a great mixture of songs familiar to anyone who was ever into
darker music (Goth, post-punk, downtempo, darkwave etc.) as well as
crossover alternative rock, which filled the dance floor. As soon as the DJ announced a live
band would be playing, though, most of the dancers cleared out. Obviously
there's no cut and dry reason why people going to a dance night don't
want to see a live band, even this particular act, but it sure seemed like yet another example of a whole lot of people with their heads in
the past.
David Bazan, Say Hi
November 1, 2009
Hi-Dive
Better Than:Dreaming about an open mike night during a nap.
"Do you guys want to hear a joke?" asks Say Hi frontman Eric Elbogen maybe three songs into their set. We do, of course. "Clean or dirty?" he asks. He gets a bunch of requests for dirty, then a bunch of requests for clean. He tells us he'll do one of each.
Here's the clean one: "How come white people can't tell jokes timing." We laugh appreciatively. Here's the dirty one: "How come witches don't wear underwear? To bet a better grip on the broom."
That one gets an "ohhh" and more laughs from the crowd. "This is a song," he says, and the three-piece plays a song.
Omaha band It's True started things off with some sweet 'n simple
melodies and starry-eyed vocals. They cranked the feedback a bit
because they're no pushovers, but theirs was certainly the odd
performance out on a night of retro feel-goodery.
College Music Marathon October 20-25, 2009 75+ Venues in Brooklyn and Manhattan Better than: Fighting swarms of tourists to see the Statue of Liberty.
This year's CMJ (College Music Journal) Music Marathon offered more music than any avid concert goer could even attempt to comprehend with 1,300+ bands playing at more than seventy-five venues across New York City. The experience proved to be completely overwhelming and provided more shows than any human could attempt to cover adequately. So, in the aftermath of running from venue to venue, here are a few of the festival's standout acts.
As we told you last week, DJ Miss Audry -- the hottest dance-music-spinning, gryo-slanging goddess this side of Mykonos -- has retired from DJing. She spun her last set on Saturday at the Funky Buddha. See photos on the slideshow page.
Everything Absent or Distorted (a love story), The Knew, Jim McTurnan and the Kids That Killed the Man
October 24, 2009
Bluebird Theater
Just Like: Heaven
This was the final moment of Everything Absent or Distorted (a love story), the last song in a too-short set
that was just long enough for the band to play every song they know.
And we were down to something like one guitar and one keyboard and
eight voices singing their souls ragged, and if you closed your eyes
you could feel it. There is something in this world that connects us
all. You're welcome to call it God or fate or goodness or whatever you
want, but it's there and it's the reason we slog through our days. And
finding that thing and holding it for a few seconds or minutes, that
was why Everything Absent or Distorted existed in the first place. They got there, to
transcendence, more often than most bands but especially right then
during their last song ever. If you closed your eyes you could actually
feel it in your spine: This is why pop music matters.
Sunset Rubdown, tUnE-yArDs
Friday, October 23
Bluebird Theater
Better Than: Wolf Parade and Swan Lake combined.
Providing the latest evidence that the loop pedal is the best thing to happen to one-person bands since the harmonica holder, Merrill Garbus, who performs as tUnE-yArDs, opened up the show with a collection of tunes in which she accompanied her voice and ukulele with simple looped beats made with a floor tom and snare, throwing in the occasional collage of layered oohs and ahhs and other vocalizations. (A bassist and guitarist also provided subtle backup on a couple songs.) Of course, this is a tool available to any bedroom folkie these days, but Garbus proved herself far more than just any bedroom folkie. Short and squat, barefoot and with her face painted, she had quite a stage presence before she opened her mouth, but it was her voice, a husky yet slightly nasal alto that she wielded with such power, range and control that I wondered if she was classically trained, that really sold her quirky, jaunty pop songs. Garbus recently signed to 4AD and is on tour not only with Sunset Rubdown but also with art-rock darlings du jour Dirty Projectors, so I wouldn't be surprised to see her profile rise quickly and soon.
The Pogues Friday, October 23, 2009 Ogden Theatre Better than: expected. Much better.
"Sorry it's taken us awhile to get here," guitarist Philip Chevron said during the Pogues' first show ever in Denver. "Almost thirty years in fact, but we finally got here." But holy Jesus, the epic two-hour set these guys delivered was more than worth the wait.
There had been some less than favorable accounts of frontman Shane MacGowan's at a few other dates on the current American tour, but MacGowan delivered a damn fine performance at the sold-out Ogden Friday night, much better than what a lot of folks might have expected due to his drug and booze-soaked reputation. After the band took the stage as the Clash's "Straight to Hell" played on the sound system, a roadie gave MacGowan a lit cigarette and the singer came out wearing sunglasses an oversized black and white striped sweater that made him look, as a friend pointed out, a bit like a Love and Rockets Bubbleman.
Editor's note: Whitney the Intern is in New York for CMJ, the annual music festival and conference. She filed this dispatch.
An upstanding establishment serving beer in Solo cups on tables lit by candles in bar glasses, Wicked Willy's was precisely the venue one would hope to see an act like The Knew. The small, basement level bar played host to an interesting array of people -- not surprising, considering it's a pirate-themed bar in the middle of SoHo.
Great Lake Swimmers, Wooden Birds, Brothers O'Hair
Larimer Lounge
October 21, 2009
Better Than: Bird watching in the snow.
Brothers O'Hair were clearly the least seasoned and the least purely talented of the three band bill. They were also by far the best live act, engaging the crowd of friends and admirers (we were all admirers by the end of the set) with a combination of Canadian caterwaul and Irish Catholic whiskey music. Their songs fell forward with a hard-work momentum. They were built in obvious, but effective, soft to loud builds. They employ a stand-alone bass drum, played with hard felt mallets, in a march-like intensity, and that is one incredibly foolproof way to make your rock roll. Of the four members, three wore suspenders, and the last one a vest. They wore them like they'd been through three days of sleepless drinking and laboring -- initially respectable, currently functional. Brothers O'Hair moved to Denver from Austin, and we're fucking glad to have them.
Square Rot Hot Congress Prevue House Show
Night of Joy, Fissure Mystic, The Jim Jims, Old Radio, Lil' Slugger, Vitamins
Friday, October 16, 2009
Patrick Kelly's Crib
Better Than: Paying mucho dinero for parking, tickets, and beer at a standard venue.
Nothing screams house show quite like a porch full of smokers throwing back forties like it's nobody's business, especially if said porch is attached to a recently foreclosed apartment building in Capitol Hill.
TheBottesini Project Friday, October 16, 2009 Notably Fine Audio Better than: Any other local collective improvisation group.
One of the great things about Bottesini Project shows is the uniqueness of each performance. Since the shows are based completely based on collective improvisations, there's a freshness and vibrancy about the performances that's not found in rehashed jazz standards or playing tunes that have been completely mapped out. While the idea of free jazz might confuse some people with its loose structure and disregard for musical rules at times, there are times where spontaneous pieces can actually sound like pre-written tunes.
A Hawk and a Hacksaw, The Hand That Rocks the Dreidel and Damon and Naomi
Friday, October 16, 2009 hi-dive
Better Than: Having to see the out of town bands at a bigger venue.
The Hand That Rocks the Dreidel, a four-piece this time out including two drummers -- one with a more traditional, albeit minimal, set and the other with three conga drums of various tones -- kicked this show off. With upright bass giving the music a smooth low-end and Yuzo Nieto's inspired saxophone work and resonant, soulful vocals, the band played what
sounded like a combination of Afro-Cuban jazz and Mexican folk music with a hint of off-the-beaten-path rock.
Gregory Alan Isakov, Elenor, Danielle Ate the Sandwich, Andy Thomas
Bluebird Theater
October 17, 2009
Better Than: A full tank of gas and the lonely, open road before you.
A local artist sold out the Bluebird for his vinyl release show, which is impressive. This probably says more about the loyalty of Denver's music fans than Isakov's special day, but it's obviously a little bit of both. Isakov put on a damn impressive show. He and his band will make you feel like you're in a woodland cabin with a mug of hot chocolate, a snowstorm outside and your special someone at your side. But come on -- a vinyl release? Is that actually an event?
The Used and the Almost played the Fillmore on Sunday. Photographer Aaron Thackeray (we call him the Awesome) was on hand. See his photos on the slideshow page.
Jolie Holland, with Matt Bauer
The Walnut Room
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Better Than: Walking from Market St. Station to Walnut & 31st in the cold
No one shines like Brooklyn-based indie-folk goddess Jolie Holland.
Just as Neil Young was the depth and edge of CSNY, Holland was the
stand-out talent in the Canadian, all-girl, alt-folk group the Be Good
Tanyas, and for the last half-decade has excelled on her own. Last fall,
Holland drew a large crowd to the Boulder Theater on the heels of her
latest record, The Living and the Dead, and impressively nailed spot-on
versions of most of that album's songs, even though she was so under
the weather that coughing between verses became a theme.
Saturday night
at the Walnut Room, Holland was healthy and full of attitude,
and the vibe was at once magical and slightly heartbreaking: someone
shouted out "you're bigger than this venue!" early in Holland's eighty-minute set, and the singer-songwriter's frequent banter included
repeated complaints about having to tour-manage herself, having a
certifiably insane schedule of "five weeks with one night off," and having to take the wheel for all-night drives to the next city, as
she did after the Walnut gig to reach Sunday's show in Omaha. In
essence, Holland mesmerized the devoted Denver audience as usual, but
at times the reality of her increasingly mismanaged career made the
caress of her dream-like voice seem bitter-sweet.
Yo La Tengo with Cheap Time
Saturday, October 9, 1009
The Ogden Theater
Better Than: Dreams of flying
In concert footage, there are always people near the front, grinning like idiots and swaying back and forth. These people always look like hippies in the worst way. Meaning content to the point of delusion and almost certainly on hard drugs. I have never empathized with these people. But then, on a bitter October night, I walked into the Ogden and Yo La Tengo threw layer after layer of bliss on me, and I'm sure I was that guy.
Dethklok, Mastodon, Converge and High on Fire
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Fillmore Auditorium
Better than: Seeing the Archies, Alvin and the Chipmunks or any other cartoon rock band
"There sure are a lot of nerds here for a heavy metal show," said a
friend while overlooking the sea of fist-pumping, metal-crazed fans
covering the floor of the Fillmore on Saturday night. With acts such as
the seminal hard-core outfit Converge and reigning metal kings Mastodon
on the same bill, you'd expect the crowd to take on a different,
perhaps tougher complexion. So why all the nerds?
Butthole Surfers, Psychic Ills, Circle Number Dot Friday, October 9, 2009 Ogden Theater, Denver Better Than: The flash freezing going on outside.
Circle
Number Dot, who opened this show, didn't sound like they got much
more than a mere line check before hitting the stage. It was initially
hard to tell if it was the act's sludgy guitar sound in
the first two or three songs muddying things up or if it was the mix itself. Once
the sound crew dialed in the mix better, it became remotely possible to
discern the vocals. Turns out the threesome had an interesting take on
mixing heavy rock with psychedelia that bordered on Sleep-esque stoner
rock and the noise rock pioneered by Scratch Acid. Circle played with
good spirits and even through the technical issues you could tell
they'd be worth checking out elsewhere.
The Pirate Signal, 3 the Hardway, The ReMINDers, Fresh Breath Committee, Masta Ace.
Fox Theater
Thursday October 8, 2009
Better than: Anything you have to wake up for on Friday that would have stopped you from being there.
Approaching the Fox last night for the Fresh Breath Committee's CD
release show, featuring the Committee with rap royality Masta Ace,
along with an all star local cast of the Pirate Signal, 3 the Hardway
and the ReMINDers, it warmed my frozen soul (it was cold as hell in
Boulder last night) to see some of the characters streaming in and
around the place -- producers, DJs and MCs and friends of producers,
DJs and MCs. It was a great balance of those who came to watch the
show and those who came to have the show watch them. There were
stilettos and Yankee caps, Rockies gear and Bronco colors, really
pretty girls and some of the meanest mugs I've encountered since
leaving Brooklyn.
Time, A Clock, Damon JeVon, Agent Strange and Doctype
Thursday, October 8, 2009
hi-dive
Better Than: That Alex Jones documentary on Bohemian Grove.
A Clock from Fort Collins kicked off Thursday's night show at the
hi-dive, with his skilled sidekick, a DJ named Deadbeat, spinning jazz
and R&B. Throughout his set, A Clock engaged in mid-tempo lyrical
phrases that moved from spoken word into an explosion of rapid-fire
slam poetry. With songs about self-discovery and self-affirmation, A
Clock put in a solid set.
Fear Before, Solar Bear, My Body Sings Electric
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
The Marquis Theater
Better Than: A junkyard bonfire
Solar Bear began the onslaught at around 8:30, and for the rest of the evening the only respite to be found was between sets. The three bands are demonstrably different in important ways, especially on record, but live, the whole show went something like this: Guitars were alarms, ringing high clear tones. The drums, they're artillery in this type of post-hardcore music: relentless and crashing on heavy downbeats. And the bass brought looming dread, and the vocal was depravity and panic and bile. As a whole, this stuff comes across as a malignant swarm, a grinning, drooling, emaciated, flesh-tearing creature. Which is sort of weird because the members of these bands are largely supremely normal looking dudes with downright gentlemanly demeanors between songs.
Juliette Lewis, the Ettes, American Bang Fox Theatre Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Better than: Lewis' show with the Pretenders and Cat Power this past August.
I wasn't expecting much before seeing Juliette Lewis open for the Pretenders and Cat Power during a ninety-degree afternoon last August at the Botanic Gardens at Chatfield. Sure, some friends had pumped the actress/singer up, saying she put on a phenomenal show at the Marquis two years ago. I still wasn't completely sold, but a few songs into that afternoon's set, I was convinced that she indeed was kind of awesome, but I wanted more than just a half-hour set. Well, I got that and a whole lot more during her set last night at the Fox.
Pretty Lights, Lifesavas, Mr. Anonymous Saturday, October 3, 2009 Ogden Theater Better than: Watching a disinterested DJ hide behind his equipment.
Derek Vincent Smith doesn't categorize himself as a DJ. The driving force behind Pretty Lights has made a point to stress the distinction in interviews, pointing out that he doesn't spin records and instead combines unlikely musical textures. And this is not merely a case of semantics, as Smith made clear this past Saturday night. Performing for a sold-out crowd, Smith and drummer Cory Eberhard offered a energetic set with great showmanship, despite a simple setup that included Smith on a laptop with a Monome controller and Eberhard keeping time on a humble kit. Flashy lighting schemes and eye-popping graphics beamed on three large screens behind the duo helped make the set seem more epic and complemented the act's kaleidoscope of hip-hop beats, vintage soul grooves and
heavy synthesizer snippets.
Insane Clown Posse, The Dayton Family, (həd) p.e. Friday, October 2, 2009 Fillmore Auditorium Better Than: The spectacle of a white trash cult on parade that many expect.
Standing in a line around the block for this show with people randomly chanting things like, "Magic, magic ninjas whut!" and "Faygo! Send yo' momma straight up to the sto'. Tell that bitch to get some Faygo!" didn't exactly instill confidence in me that the ICP show would be anything less than an empty spectacle with the trappings of an aggressive pep rally mated with professional wrestling. But the fans of ICP are wildly enthusiastic and curiously really cool to each other.
Maybe it was the last minute switch of venues from the Auraria Campus to the 3 Kings Tavern and Oriental Theater, but it was pretty slim turn-out for Saturday night's section of the festival at 3 Kings. Although not many folks came out that night, there was still a lot of solid local talent, as well as a few national acts.
VENDETTA FESTIVAL Saturday, September 26, 2009
Bar Standard
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Exdo Events Center
This past weekend marked the third annual Vendetta Festival, a
gathering of some of the best industrial and dark dance acts from
around the world. We made it to two out of three days of the fest, the
biggest of its kind in this country, and caught a number of more than
thirty acts who performed. Here's a complete rundown of what we saw.
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