The Hi-Dive was the site of powerful music Friday night, a somewhat unexpected way to start the weekend with a renewed sense of invigoration. Three locally based bands poured themselves into performances full of genuine emotion and soul, making for an evening of music that although sometimes was serious and sometimes a bit somber, the way it was presented was always accompanied with a strong, enthralling energy.

You, Me & Apollo

The night began with Fort Collins indie folk band You, Me & Apollo. The first time I saw You, Me & Apollo, I was blown away by the combination of soulful blues and indie folk that characterizes this band's sound, and that was just from the solo effort of the band's frontman, Brent Cowles. Friday night, the band was at full force; Brent Cowles was on lead vocals and guitar, joined by Tyler Kellogg on drums, Shawn Keefer on bass and backing vocals, Jonathan Alonzo on guitar and backing vocals, and Morgan Travis on guitar. The full band did well to enhance the soulful core of the You, Me & Apollo sound, adding incredible strength to the live experience.

You, Me & Apollo

Brent Cowles is an incredible talent, with a penchant to reel in audiences with his likable demeanor, powerful voice, and heartfelt performances. From the moment he unleashed his voice on the song "Opener", a captivating energy seemed to grasp the room that grew stronger as the other four musicians on stage contributed to the sound. "A Pearl" came next, a huge song that strikes a balance between emotive soul and foot-stomping, driving danceability. That continued to be the case as they performed songs off of Cards With Cheats and a few new songs. The band managed to combine a certain earnest feel into their music - through strong lead vocals and backing harmonies - that reminded me what I appreciate about classic country songs, yet it was crafted in a way that seemed at home in the present.

You, Me & Apollo

I think those that appreciate honest music should be able to grasp the You, Me & Apollo sound and not easily let go. Experiencing their music was a journey through song where the emotional highs were glorious, and the solemn lows were presented in a way that promoted an empathetic understanding rather than leading to depression. Songs like "Circles And Graves" and "Coming Home In A Coffin" sound morbid by name, but once one hears the way the songs are performed they beg for repeated listens. If you like contemporary folk, soul, blues, indie rock or any combination of those, You, Me & Apollo is a must-see band. And if you aren't necessarily a fan of those genres, you just may become one after experiencing this band.

The Oak Creek Band

The Oak Creek Band took the stage next, a band from Sedona, AZ now based in Denver. The band performed as a six-piece featuring Jenna Watters (vocals/guitar/keyboard), Daniel Watters (vocals/guitar), Paul Morris (guitar/keyboard), Steve Rogers (bass), Carl Sorensen (drums), and Ryan Ebarb (organ). I was expecting The Oak Creek Band to be a contemporary indie folk band, but their performance incorporated a range of styles that included touches of blues, soul, a hint of country, rock 'n' roll and doses of modern alternative rock.  They managed to present the wide range of music in a coherent performance package that came off as a polished showcase of their versatility rather than a jumble of songs that hinted at a lack of identity.

The Oak Creek Band

The Oak Creek Band definitely has a hold of their identity, even if that identity isn't something that can be easily categorized. They are a band that understands how to craft and deliver melody driven music through strong lead vocal work from Jenna and Daniel Watters. They understand the dynamic between each other and understand the personality that each of their voices contain. Jenna Watters has a powerful, deep-reaching soulful voice that brings oomph to the bands sound when necessary, while Daniel Watters has an emotive yet earnest sound that brings about a more introspective sound. The sometimes alternating lead and sometimes co-vocal dynamic of these two provide the framework of the band.

The Oak Creek Band

The music of The Oak Creek Band came to life with the help of the rest of the musicians on stage through their ability to create a range of soundscapes that best accompanied the particular vocals of a song and achieved a desired mood. They created bluesy rock with songs like "Don't Be Fooled" from their forthcoming album. They created a more folk oriented sound with songs like "1934". They created a more energetic and modern rock sound with songs like "Say It Plainly". They created soulful, funky dance songs like "Weight of the World". They can even channel more experimental alternative rock as they demonstrated with their cover of Radiohead's "Talk Show Host". I think those that appreciate rock in its many different varieties will really appreciate what The Oak Creek Band does.

Carbon Choir

Carbon Choir came out last to close the night. This Denver/Boulder indie rock band featured Joel Van Horne (vocals/guitar), Chris Hatton (keyboards), Ryan Fechter (bass), and Scott Weidner (drums). They had an ethereal contemporary alternative rock sound created by emotive vocals, thematic guitar, strong piano/organ accompaniment and a solid rhythm section. The result was soothing rock that had a strong, introspective tone with power lurking behind its solemnity.

Carbon Choir

Carbon Choir started strong out of the gate with their characteristic sound opening with "Sakhalin", a song that should appear on their forthcoming album. Carbon Choir's performance featured mostly new, soon to be released material, rather than featuring many songs from their full length album High Beams. I thought that was a good approach, but for some reason there seemed to be a growing detachment from the crowd as their set went on. Perhaps it was due to the new material being unfamiliar, or people just needed something with more upbeat energy to end a Friday night show.

Carbon Choir

I'm not sure why the crowd wasn't as receptive on this particular night, but for the most part, Carbon Choir went about their set nonetheless with strong, passionate energy, delivering their dream-like songs with authenticity. The showcase of new material demonstrated that Carbon Choir can continue to create a powerful yet lofty rock sound, and I think their new album should contain quite a few gems. Not to be too caught up in the past, but I think hearing some more songs from High Beams would have been nice, although I think if the crowd energy was higher their set may have gone on longer and included some older favorites. Carbon Choir was a promising indie/alternative band, and fans of the genre should keep their eyes out for their new release and future shows.

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