Last night, while New Order rocked the 1stBank center, a new order of a different kind came to The Bluebird theater. Lindsey Stirling stomped into town with her non-traditional violin for a sold out show of around 650 fans of all ages and genders.


At 8:20 the opening act came on, a quirky and kinetic performance by The Vibrant Sound, performing as a one-man vocal and acoustic guitar show with a MacBook on backing. The set was short and enthusiastic, and if not fully understood by the crowd, at least they seemed to be enjoying it.


After a short break, Lindsey came on with a bang, opening up with the energetic instrumental "Moon Trance", dancing about the stage while playing the uptempo strains and gesturing with her bow for punctuation.


"Spontaneous Me" followed, giving another chance for her keyboard player and drummer to show their chops, but the attention was always on the whirling and fiddling Lindsey. Sporting torn fishnet stockings, a single argyle sock and sparkly tennis shoes, her feet were always on the move, dancing left and right, bowing and stepping.


The band ripped through "Shadows" and "Electric Daisy Violin" in short order, before Lindsey gave the drummer and keyboardist a breather and took center stage solo. A self-professed nerd, her dabblings in game themes (Zelda and Skyrim) have made her popular with the gaming crowd. With a cappella performer Peter Hollens joining in by video screen, she executed their Skyrim duet on the darkened stage.


Welcoming the rest of her band back, she cooled off with the mellow "River Flows in You (Yiruma)" before introducing Lindsey’s take on Rihanna’s “We Found Love” set to a video of her dancing and performing for and with locals in "Kenya". This is one of the few songs where Stirling contributes her own vocals, and she can definitely hold her own. Courtesy of a few tweaks to the lyrics, the attitude of the song is 180 degrees from the original, and is uplifting and hopeful.


The next number, the Lord of the Rings Medley is a mash-up of different melodies from Howard Shore’s fantastic themes from the popular movies. Stirling is obviously a fan of epic fantasy, having also covered the theme from HBO’s Game of Thrones (also with Peter Hollens), but she didn’t break out that song at The Bluebird.


Taking a turn in a whole different direction, she went "Bad", pulling on a sequined glove and sunglasses to highlight Michael Jackson in a whirlwind tour of the late artist’s musical career (or at least the parts Stirling learned to dance to as a kid). The crowd welcomed this trip to a familiar beat, clapping along.


The autobiographical and very new "Zi Zi’s Journey" (Zi Zi was a childhood nickname) followed, transitioning to the immensely popular YouTube hit "Crystallize" (featuring the music video shot here in Colorado at the Silverthorne Ice Castles). "Crystallize" was one of my introductions to dubstep, and it led me to expand my musical frontiers as a result, beyond it just being a powerful and energetic song of its own.


The final song of the main set was "Transcendence", a song with overtones (and video) about overcoming stereotypes projected by the world around in order to realize your own potential. A fitting riff to close with on the first concert tour of a self-made musician exploring her own genres.


I had intentionally not read or viewed anyone’s accounts or videos of the show in order for it to be fresh to my ears. It was therefore a genuine and welcome surprise when the band returned for the single-song encore wearing masks, and launched into a powerful rendition of The Phantom of the Opera. This song fit right in below the leering masks of the Bluebird’s own theatre decor. This was an intense note to go out on, and for the performers it must have been seven grueling minutes of going to eleven.


The merch table was offering the usual posters and stickers, and had a new offering -- Lindsey Stirling, a 12-track album released in September comprised of all-original compositions, seven of which were performed in the show. Other notable Stirling tracks (including covers and Christmas songs) are available from a smattering of sources including iTunes and her own website. iTunes also has the digital copy of the album for $12.

Stirling’s tour heads west from here to her home territories of Utah and then Arizona before heading up the West Coast. Many shows are already sold out, but additional dates and larger venues are being added. Do yourself a favor and if you’re looking for something new, fresh and beautiful, try to make it to a Lindsey Stirling show. Maybe you’ll enjoy a rocking evening of making violins exciting. Maybe like me, you’ll find whole new genres of music you want to explore (“Dubstep for 40-Year-Olds, a How-To Manual”). For my part, I’ve added a new item to my Bucket List: “Drop The Bass”.

See more pictures from this show in our Facebook photo gallery!

We are getting close to that time of year known as the end of summer.  It seemed endless and infinite for a while there, but it does indeed have an expiration date.  Summer's demise can be a bit dubious; summer is more officially over when the fall equinox occurs on September 22, or one could say Labor Day weekend is the symbolic end, and maybe others would contend that the first day of school is really the nail in summer's coffin.  I think all of those are acceptable answers, not that I really want to dwell on the end of our sunny season.  What also occurs to me as being a sign that summer has ended, is the prevalence of contagious diseases that really come into their own when all the kids are back in school and as we get closer to cold winter months.  For a group whose songs refer to more diabolical endings, death by disease isn't so pertinent to what Murder By Death offer their fans, but it is pertinent to what I experienced this weekend while I was slow to get out this review.  For that I apologize, and would just like to say I'm officially ready for the fall.  Germ-y children everywhere are welcome to find me, and knock on wood, do their worst as I am certain my immune system must be somewhat fortified after whatever it was that I survived and am still surviving.

But back to the heart of the matter here:  Murder By Death played back-to-back nights at the Bluebird Theater last week as they began the first leg of what will be mostly a fall tour.  So, in a way, what I'm trying to pull together in this allusion to death is a general feeling that the fall season is being summoned in different ways, some of them more pleasant than others, and what better way to begin the fall with new music, and friends and some boot-stompin' good times.  Boot-stompin' not only for the bluesy, alt-country music of all three bands performing last Thursday but also due to the prevalence of boots on the stage.  Lots of boots.  And they were mostly of stompin' variety.  See pictures from the night conveniently on our Facebook page (boots not so much included).


The 4 On the Floor is a band from Minneapolis, MN whose band name might refer to the four band members incorporated, or the four kick-drums they all have set up as part of their stage ensemble, or to the rhythm pattern also known as 4/4 time; most likely the answer is "D. All of the Above".  Very energetic with a raw, bluesy sound that came from the guitar virtuosity of both vocalist Gabriel Douglas and guitarist James Gould.  They played a great cover of "Why Don't We Do It In The Road?" by Sir Paul McCartney, and offered many great guitar solos and facial expressions.  They also invited the audience to play bloody knuckles with them after the show.  And that's how you get a party started.



Ha Ha Tonka was back in town after just being in Denver this past June with Langhorne Slim, now on tour with labelmates Murder By Death.  I saw them with Springfield-mates, Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin, at the Hi-Dive back in November and they seem to be further perfecting their style of a capella, toe-tappin', indie hoedown music that I had seen for the first time not too long ago.  And I say hoedown only using the utmost respect for the term; the sharp skills both vocally and instrumentally of Ha Ha Tonka would make good use of the intricate fiddle solos and line dancing associated with hoedowns and will admit both are far above my skills to ever attempt.  On songs such as "St. Nick on the Fourth in a Fervor" you would hear an excellent example of the style of loud, choral singing during instrument breaks that this band performs so well.  Then things take a turn for indie hoedown again when vocalist Brian Roberts urges the crowd with the heartland credo: "Everybody say hell yeah!"


For their last number, "12-inch Three-Speed Oscillating Fan," the group invited Scott Brackett on stage from Murder By Death.  The multi-instrumentalist was in charge of the keyboards, accordion, trumpet, mandolin and theremin that evening and it was nice to see him introduced early to shred a little with Ha Ha Tonka.  The song in particular gives the group a chance to really show it's form; it's actually a cover song from another band from Springfield called Big Smith.



Murder By Death was playing an excellent mix of new and old songs, and had mentioned to the crowd that they were making some choice selections so as not to disappoint any fans making it by the Bluebird for both nights of their Denver performances.  They started off the evening with "The Devil in Mexico" with a great audience reaction, and soon transitioned into crowd-pleasers like "I'm Comin' Home" and "Foxglove."  This band is about a decade old, and most likely have had many fall tours under their belt to date.  I always wonder what it is that keeps a band going, keeps them excited and inspired to play the same music night after night, year after year.  Is it the subtle variations that skilled musicians can improvise to their tried-and-true tunes on a whim?  Is it the thrill of getting to play the new material that no one has heard before, mixed in with the old stuff?  I mean, orchestra musicians probably play the same songs their entire lives; maybe as a professional, you constantly seek to make each next performance more perfect than the last.  The band that embraces the macabre should know best that when you have resigned yourself to accepting the routine existence of repetition without meaning, then you have truly embraced death.  Murder By Death look every bit alive when they're playing to a crowded house, even ten years later.


Murder By Death have a new album coming out in September titled Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon.  As the album title might suggest, the band is sticking to their whiskey-stained style of music.  And true to form, the song matter is still brooding and murderous as singer Adam Turla noted while introducing one new song:  "This [new song] is about a lover who died drowned in the river and is trying to take [their other half] down too from beyond the grave.  We're Murder By Death and we're from southern Indiana."  The group deserves a toast for their overly successful Kickstarter campaign and if you pre-order their album, you get a special edition paper lantern.  I really love the creative spirit this band has, and it's very exciting to see them off on what will surely be a great fall tour!

Murder By Death are coming through Denver for a two-night stint at the Bluebird Theater.  The Bloomington, IN group were here last year when they played a sold-out show at the Bluebird, hence the extra night this go-round, and were Main Stage guests during the 2011 Westword Music Showcase; it may be safe to say they have a dedicated following here in Denver.  The band's new record label as of this past June, Bloodshot Records, announced that their sixth full-length album, Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon, would be available September 25.  To help fund their vinyl release of the newest album, the band took to Kickstarter and just yesterday were named the site's third highest-funded music project ever.  Very exciting news for this band, and exciting news in general for all of the artists out there who are looking for ways to more directly connect their work with their fans.  Denver hip hop artist Sole told Concerted Effort about his Kickstarter plans a few months back and it looks like he also successfully raised enough money to release his next album on his own.

It will be great to see some new music from this seasoned group, and I'm also looking forward to their addition of Scott Brackett, formerly of Okkervil River, whom has been performing with the band for a while now but I just haven't been able to witness it first hand.



Also playing tonight will be label-mates Ha Ha Tonka, who bring an alt-country sound to the stage befitting the headliners.  I saw them play at the Hi-Dive last year and it was a great performance; perhaps with a bigger venue, we will get to see a few new tricks from these Missouri boys.




Tonight's show is at 8 PM, and doors open at 7 PM.  Ages 16 and up are welcome, and more details about the event can be found on the Bluebird's website linked here.

Deer Tick is back in town tonight, and they brought their friends from Portland, Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside!  What better way to celebrate Mother's Day than to arrange a post-Brunch rendezvous on East Colfax with some quality American folk and alt-country jams; mom especially would love it.

Deer Tick released Divine Providence last year to critical acclaim from everywhere and everyone.  Well not quite everyone; Pitchfork decried them for being borderline frat boys and bloggers labeled the Letterman appearance a borderline sellout.  But the essence of Deer Tick is probably most genuine when they don't pander to what they should or should not be doing: which is why they are such a great act to see live.  The group is no stranger to Denver, having recently played at the Larimer Lounge right after their album dropped and returning to Colorado back in March for the Snow Ball Music Festival in Vail. 

Fresh from his release of an album from a side project called the Diamond Rugs, lead singer John McCauley is touring with the Tick on an extensive summer jaunt that will take them through major festivals, Canada and back to Providence for an outdoor festival of sorts dubbed "Dudesmash".  When do these fellas get a moment to breathe?  I'm not sure, but we're lucky to see them as much as we do.  A new press campaign has the group selling lawn signs for a faux-election that would see Deer Tick get your vote in 2012.  It's a brilliant way to add a "God Save the Queen", punk-rock twist the group's trek across North America, as they most likely will be crossing paths with presidential candidates along the way.

Also playing tonight will be the delightfully refreshing Sallie Ford & The Outside Sound, whose jazz-infused rockabilly music give way to Ms. Ford's amazing vocals.  This group hails from Portland, OR and released their first full-length album, Dirty Radio, just last year with their second slated to be out this fall.   The band is represented by Partisan Records, the independent label that manages Deer Tick and McCauley's Diamond Rugs, as well.




Check out the details for the show tonight at the Bluebird Theater on their website - Doors are at 7:00 PM and the show starts at 8:00 PM

The night was alive with the sound of dads beep-locking their Suburu station wagons, happy hour revelers roaming East Colfax and pure rock n’ roll. The Bluebird was hosting Ben Kweller’s 16 and up show, so there were a lot of younger fans waiting in line to see Ben Kweller when I arrived. I was happily surprised to see that inside the venue’s doors there were some original gangsters in attendance, as well. Take, for instance, the backwards-hat, baggy-jeans fellow who was readily prepared to answer, “Hell YEAH!,” to the first musician to address the crowd with, “Are you ready to see Ben Kweller?” Kweller’s audience disregarded any conventions or stereotypes from the beginning.

While considering this show experience, it got me thinking about whether or not there were any cliches about seeing live music in Denver. I’ve only been living here for about three years now, but I think there are some things that can be agreed has become standard, like someone making a joke about smoking marijuana for instance. Let me also add that I love seeing live music in Denver and wholeheartedly embrace all of the unique or stereotypical experiences that come with the package.

At 8:00 OTD (On the Dot), The Dig began their set as the crowd slowly made their way into the venue. Dad most likely went to go find a brew of the coffee bean variety and was going to “brb”. The Dig was ready, the members of which are family-friendly. David Baldwin and Emile Mosseri vocalized together for most songs, Mark Demiglio kept a solid beat, while Erick Eiser kept things going with double keyboard duty and picking up an extra guitar occasionally. It seems that lately the shows I have been seeing have an unspoken Bassist Motion Quotient (BMQ) that needs to be met, or maybe Mosseri was full of energy because he was manning the mic for most songs; Mosseri was popping and bumping, swaying and swerving like it was nobody’s business. Which brings me to the first cliche: Traveling band complains about the altitude.



This isn’t so bad, in fact lots of visitors complain about it. But all you need to do is drink more water - just like you would if you were flying in an airplane. You’re playing music, not climbing Pike’s Peak. The Dig is from New York, and it’s always nice to see some motion and energy instead of the overused complaint about altitude sickness. The group effortlessly went through a set of about seven songs, mostly from their yet-to-be-released album Midnight Flowers which will be available May 29. The group mentioned that this was their last night on tour, but kept it short and sweet and seemed genuinely happy to be apart of the tour lineup. Maybe the guys were so quiet because they spent the previous night in their tour van at a Walmart parking lot:

Pull into the wallmart parking lot in salt lake citytonight if you wanna see a couple of badass losers sle instagr.am/p/KE73VKPZyK/

— The Dig (@thedigisup) May 1, 2012

The group is certainly hard-working. They released their first album in March of last year, toured with big pop-punk acts like Thrice, Dashboard Confessional and Portugal. the Man for most of 2011, and somehow found time to record this new album before they started touring a few months ago. With a work ethic like that and being introduced to such a widespread young audience, I’m sure we are going to see a lot more of them.

Sleeper Agent is a six-piece band from Kentucky, and when they took the stage they really “took” it: their equipment spanned the length of the floor, and any space left unoccupied was obscured by the copious amounts of hair presented by these young hooligans. With long flowing hair and bouncy, curly afros, the group headbanged the night away and didn’t restrain a single strand. The group’s laid back appearance added to their fun and energetic performance. There was not a pretentious word spoken and you certainly wouldn’t look at this group and mistake them for the kind of twenty-somethings you see on the cover of an Urban Outfitters catalog.



Drummer Justin Wilson commented on the end of their association with the Ben Kweller tour by mentioning cereal. It was an interesting take on what you may come to expect with an ending:
“You know when you eat Cinnamon Toast Crunch and you get to the bottom of the bag? And it’s like all the cinnamon parts . . . that’s what you guys are getting right now. It’s the best part.” It’s not like they are going home to rest on their laurels - the band will continue to play shows around the country for the summer and promptly begin their tour with Dispatch in September, when they will be visiting us again, this time at the 1stBank Center.



Which brings me to another cliche for live music in Denver: Marijuana. Usually in its physical form, the substance is frequently the subject du jour for visitors of the Mile High City, and typically the punchline for any media outlets that may lack originality and/or a sense of humor. Before Sleeper Agent began their rendition of “VCR” by the XX, once again Wilson spoke up to voice a compliment of sorts to the audience. “This is one of my favorite places in the country to be. Maybe because it smells so nice in Colorado. Everyone is just so nice and chill, and they drive so slow.” The cover was fantastic, it was a great way to showcase the singer’s deep voice with the multitude of fuzzy, loud bass-heavy instruments on stage. And with the young-ish crowd, there was less of a reaction to the drug reference than usual. I’m sure any teenager that grows up in Colorado just thinks it’s too mainstream to be cool anymore. But dads in the audience probably appreciated Wilson’s attempt at subtlety and might have prepared a little side-speech for the ride home, as dads are want to do.



Ben Kweller played all of the hits from his impressive five-album collection of songs spanning the past ten years. The artist is a prodigy of sorts, as his career started before he was legally an adult, and you would be hard-pressed to argue that he had aged much since he began, regardless of how many years had passed. A humble attitude, combined with power-pop rock songs and red-hair must be the modern-day fountain of youth. Kweller’s first five songs included his newest single “Mean To Me”, and his oldest single “Wasted and Ready”; within the first fifteen minutes of the show - Kweller had already shown the audience his hand, so to speak. What would the spritely pop-rocker do next? A lull in the set prompted a teenage girl dressed as a goth cheerleader to wave her glowing bracelets in the air as Kweller tuned his guitar, ignoring the flutter of the stage curtains to his left. Kweller kicked out the classics, not unlike your favorite jukebox and when he started playing “Falling” from of his first album, everyone was singing along and slow dancing.



It’s a mark of artistic excellence to appeal to multiple audiences. Kweller was singing to me, to dads, to the goth cheerleaders and to the backwards-hat homies - I think he had proven himself without needing to try. But then he still tried, which makes Kweller an ace musician; my point will be clear as I explain his next move.

Going back to this idea about cliches, I would certainly say that another general cliche for Denver - like most big cities in America - is Sports. You name it, and Denver probably has a franchise for it . This is not really a cliche reserved for live music but what Kweller presented was highly unexpected and not typical at all. Before going into “Walk On Me”, Kweller addressed the crowd: “This is the type of song where we need to bring out a local legend, right? Maybe a role model type of person. How about the mascot of the Denver fucking Broncos” With an introduction like that, I couldn’t tell if Kweller was hoping to get dad’s approval or make the hipsters giggle, but it was awesome. Bursting through stage right, the Broncos mascot, who barreled out doing high kicks and making a “Number 1” gesture. It was surreal. The mascot danced and paraded around the stage for the entire song, while the band members giggled; I have to say I was impressed, and it made me smile, too.



The crowd swayed and sang along for the remainder of Kweller’s performance that included piano ballads and alt-country jams; Kweller played for almost two hours, and it was full-energy all night. Given that this was the tail-end of a six-week tour it’s surprising this amount of energy was still available., but it was a great way to end a tour any way you put it.

See more photos from this show in our Facebook album!

It was 10 years ago that Ben Kweller's first album was released and the red-headed wunderkind shot to the top of the charts with his pop-rock teen anthem "Wasted and Ready". Now in 2012, Kweller has released five studio albums, the last of which marks the first album he has recorded and released under his new record label - The Noise Company - which is solely managing Kweller releases, but Kweller states clearly on their website that, "it's my full intent to one day find and develop unknown artists as well as help established artists by giving them the honesty, truth, transparency and passion they deserve from the team of people in charge of bringing their music to the public." Kweller's music has a far range, mostly in the power pop arena but swaying between classic rock and alt-country every now and then.





Kweller's Go Fly A Kite was just released in February, and it would seem that 2012 has been pretty busy for the anti-folk songwriter. Starting his tour with a full band in early February, Kweller made a pit stop at SXSW for a handful of dates, has already traveled from coast to coast, and will be heading to Europe for a handful of shows in England in May. Just last week, Kweller made a special appearance on the Conan show on April 25 where he played a song off of his new album (http://teamcoco.com/video/ben-kweller-mean-to-me).

Ben Kweller will be joined by a fellow southern band, Sleeper Agent, based in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The six-piece band released their first album in 2011 and have had moderate success on college radio stations with the single "Get It Daddy". The group was apart of the Coachella lineup, which means we may be seeing more of them around Denver as their popularity grows.





Also opening for Kweller will be The Dig from Brooklyn, NY. They will be supporting their new album Midnight Flowers which should add to the overall rock-and-roll feel of the evening. The Bluebird will be opening doors tonight at 7:00 PM with the show set to begin at 8:00 PM, ages 16 and up are welcome. See more details at the event page here.

Rest in peace chillwave. The genre that emerged just a few years ago and came to prominence over the last year has fallen out of favor. At least that's what some blogs would lead you to believe. With one of the most prominent names in the genre headlining a show in Denver, I went to see if these claims were true. The scene at the Bluebird Theater certainly didn't look like a funeral. There weren't scores of mourners dressed in black. There weren't boughs of flowers and other offerings placed about in memoriam. But there were a lot of people, and they seemed very excited to see what was up ahead.

Memoryhouse

The night began with an opening performance from Memoryhouse, an indie-pop group from Toronto. Although not necessarily chillwavers themselves, this dream pop and nu-gaze act certainly shared a bit in common with the headliner beyond just having the same record label, Sub Pop. Their somewhat laid-back yet lofty songs were carried by melodic vocals and a prominent but subdued wall of sound. Evan Abeele's guitar work brought about a shoegaze quality, while Denise Nouvion softened that textural sound with her charming and emotive voice. Denise Nouvion also handled a sampler/sequencer that provided further instrumental and ambient sound, while a drummer gave the band much more live presence.

Memoryhouse

Memoryhouse began their set with a selection of mellower songs from their catalog that shared the atmospheric and lo-fi aesthetic that was featured prominently on their first EP release, The Years. They gradually picked up the pace, playing some of the more '80s pop-rock inspired pieces off of their full length album The Slideshow Effect like "The Kids Were Wrong". The balance between the deliberate rhythms, noise-tinged guitar and soft melodic vocals presented a sort of more analog version of chillwave, especially with the performance of "All Our Wonder" - a good segue into the next act.

Washed Out

With much anticipation, Washed Out took the stage next. The chillwave project of Georgia-based Ernest Greene (lead vocals, keyboard/synth), Washed Out performed with three backing band members. A backup vocalist/keyboardist, bass/synth player, and live drummer rounded out the rest of the band. Together they created the characteristic chillwave sound; a blend of ethereal synth-heavy sound, heavily effected and reverberated vocals, and retro-esque new wave rhythms.

Washed Out

Washed Out's set began dramatically, with the lights in the Bluebird Theater going completely dark, and a synthesized wall of sound filling the dark void. As each band member took their places on stage, they were dimly lit by floor standing LED lights, creating multi-color celestial figures in the blank space. After the first few minutes of ambient sound and an introduction, the stage came to life with vivid light as the percussion came in. An impressive lighting rig with five evenly spaced towers framed the background, emitting bright flashes of light in ever changing colors, washing out eyes much like the constant wash of sound.

Washed Out

Their performance on this night seemed to have an extra emphasis on synth, as thick pads were just about as dominant as the heavily effected vocals. It had an entrancing effect on the crowd, as the audience seemed to bask in the abundance of warm sound. Although sometimes that meant songs stacked next to each other seemed very congruent, it kept the audience in a perpetual groove that was carried throughout the night. Standout songs like "Hold Out" and "Amor Fati" seemed to come towards the latter part of the set, which carefully built and grew the crowd's energy. It wasn't until the last song of the encore that Washed Out performed "Eyes Be Closed", which received an incredible roar from the crowd and was definitely the peak of the night.

Washed Out

By the look of Thursday's show, chillwave is alive and well. A crowd of both young and old came with much anticipation and seemed to leave the show satisfied. The carefully crafted combination of light and sound created an other-worldly atmosphere, allowing the crowd to dance the night away in a living dream. Perhaps naysayers are just a little bitter, or the genre just grew faster than they were ready for. They can continue to mourn, while everyone else will happily enjoy the ride.

See more pictures from this show in the Facebook photo album. Like the Concerted Effort page to stay updated.

Washed Out, the chillwave project of Ernest Greene from Georgia, is back in Denver. After gaining acclaim from his self-made EP Life of Leisure, rising to the spotlight after the release of his first full-length Within And Without on the Sub Pop record label, and making a stop in Denver late last year as an opener for what ended up being a phenomenal sold out show, Washed Out is back on tour to share his ethereal synth-pop with this city - this time in a headlining role. If Washed Out's last performance was any indication, there are already plenty of fans keen to this act's sound, so much so that Washed Out's relatively brief opening performance seemed very much like a tease. Now headlining the Bluebird, Washed Out should be able to fully satisfy listener's appetites. Check out "Eyes Be Closed".


Memoryhouse will join Washed Out on this tour as an opener. Memoryhouse is pop duo based out of Toronto. Evan Abeele and Denise Nouvion create a lofty pop sound with a dreamy and gentle lounge character to it. Interestingly enough, the project originated with the intent of the two not creating a band, but instead a full-on multimedia project that would feature both music and visual art as a way to merge together poetry and photography, but the quality of the two's music led them to the Sup Pop record label and allowed them to release their full-length album The Slideshow Effect. Check out "All Our Wonder".

The Bluebird Theater doors open tonight at 8:00PM and the show starts at 9:00PM. The show is 16+ and tickets are $25. Tickets and more information are available online here.

A cool spring evening in Denver welcomed Manhattan-based Cults as their tour made a stop at the Bluebird Theater. The Bluebird is a great venue on East Colfax close to City Park; my only complaint ever has been the utility closet size of the restrooms. As the weather has turned to the warmer side, back to the colder side, warmed up again, but then cooling down again with winds and light rain, it typified the current period of transition for both the city and the attendees of the night’s event. As Denver was trying to decide whether it should be Spring or Summer, many of the ticket-holders seemed to be in flux as well.

Mrs. Magician

The night kicked off a little after 8 p.m. with Mrs. Magician. This San Diego outfit came out and needed no introduction as they let their wave of surf rock do the talking, going through most of their first and recently released album, Strange Heaven from Swami Records. In fact, there was little to no small talk from this band. Lead singer Jacob Turnbloom had a masterful pop voice, and certainly warrants a comparison to the Beach Boys when coupled with the “Wipe Out” –esque riffs provided by guitarist Thomas Garcia. The band had a spiffy, So-Cal punk look about them, and Turnbloom provided the attitude to match with repeated choruses like ,“There is no God . . .” and “Fuck the world . . .,” backed up with ample ooh-ooh’s and woah-oh-ohh’s. This music spoke to that delayed sense of maturity that lends itself to fun, carefree days; Mrs. Magician brought “the summer” and their performance was a great way to begin the evening.

Spectrals

The night progressed as Spectrals took the stage. Spectrals is commonly known as a one-man act consisting of Louis Jones from across the pond; for his first U.S. tour, he came accompanied with three supporting bandmates. And what a colourful group they were (note my spelling – it’s a sign of respect). What better way is there to describe the songs on Bad Penny, Spectrals’ debut, than “sweet”. A somewhat welcome contrast to the jaded, love-done-me-wrong perspective of Mrs. Magician, the Spectrals sound was a buzzy, doo-wop string of sweet sounds and sweet words. Most of the band looked like they were college-bound (or university-bound for you anglophiles), with the great exception of their “bouncy” bass player who reminded me of the cool uncle I always wish I had.

Jones stopped to say a few words to the audience, which was nice. It’s nice to be addressed every once in a while. And it was sweet (he’s a sweet boy). Jones had a catchy pop voice just like Mrs. Magician’s Turnbloom, with the added velvety non-native tongue that made all of his songs sound like aimless, drifting rivers of sound even through their very simple and structured format. The set had a sentimental tinge, and a lounge-y sound that wasn’t quite holding up to the growing anticipation of the crowd as more people filed into the Bluebird’s lower level.

As the audience grew, it was interesting to note the (slight) diversity of ages in the crowd. There were pockets of 18-ish kiddos, a smattering of young twenty-somethings, but mostly I noticed a lot of polished younger people of ambiguous age. By “polished” I mean that they had a conservative appearance, but were still youthful and socially represented by a subtle immaturity. The best way I can think to describe it is the feeling your parents must have when compelled to say, “Aww, look at you – all grown up!” These people, I imagine, are the types who have a serious job but still hit the “Snooze” button fifteen times and leave for work with mismatching socks.

Cults

A full house softened to the dimming lights as the video tech put on a projection of T.V. static and Cults came ambling out on stage. It was a great entrance I must say – with their eye-catching video for “Go Outside,” I was happy to see they were tying in a few visual nods. Madeline Follin’s sultry vocals awakened the audience to “Abducted.” The band members were dressed in shades of black and white, letting Follin stand out in a casual-turned-classy golden frock paired with a jean jacket. True to their eponymously-titled album cover, at first sight one could not help but notice the abundance of hair; I loved it.

Comprised of three supporting members to the core duo of Follin and Brian Oblivion, who played guitar but also a little of everything, everyone on stage was ready – you could just tell that they were taking this seriously. Much like the audience members I am trying to describe, the band’s youthful sound (and faces) was bolstered by the care taken in appearance and posture. Follin frequently tugged the edges of her dress in a mock curtsy during her performance; Oblivion was in a collared shirt and tie; all band members rarely interacted with each other unless it was to make a subtle motion to adjust a sound effect, or start a song.

Cults

It is the small things that can really make a good show a great show. For instance, it’s nice when you are going to a show where the headliner has only one album to play from – that means no matter what, you are going to hear your favorite song(s). But, it also means you are extra surprised when the Cults play something you have never heard before; in this night’s case, it was a cover of the Leonard Cohen song, “Everybody Knows.” The one song of the night that wasn’t from the singular album they were performing from, “Everybody Knows” had a constant and infectious beat and instantly got the crowd singing along.

Speaking of singing along, it was incredibly endearing when later in the set as Oblivion introduced “Go Outside,” he mentioned that he heard everyone singing and he thought it sounded great. He was voicing his approval of our collective non-performance and (gasp) encouraging it; I rarely hear a musician that is so pleased and secure in his or her own masterful work as to not be concerned that they are being upstaged by the crowd.

The set ended with “Oh My God” and at last, someone broke out the ubiquitous peace pipe (never attend a Denver show without it!). As puffs of smoke surrounded the main stage, the band’s focused stage presence cracked just a little. Thank god – I mean, how perfect do you need to be, Cults? The bassist, Nathan Aguilar (who in my opinion bears a striking resemblance to Michael Cera in a long black wig), broke his concentration and somber demeanor to momentarily boast a grin. From my viewpoint, I know it must have been completely reactionary to the carefree haze. Cults, your music sounded great; I left the Bluebird and almost felt compelled to say out loud, “Aww, look at you – all grown up!”

Erin Yepis is a new contributor to Concerted Effort. Look for her to share more concert experiences through writing and photography in the near future! Check out the Concerted Effort Facebook page to stay updated!

I feel like I just said this, but new music just keeps popping out of Denver. Last night, the Bluebird Theater hosted another album release party to keep the influx of new music going. This time, a large crowd packed inside the Bluebird Theater walls to celebrate the release of Tennis' sophomore album, catching opening performances from a variety of local supporting acts along the way. By the end of the night, the concert demonstrated that the local scene is as vibrant as ever, showing how this city's music is worthy of a much larger reach.

Moon Tides

The night began with an opening performance from Fort Collins based band Moon Tides. Similar to the roots of the headlining band, Moon Tides performed as a duo; Dillon (vocals, guitar), Lexa (drums, vocals). The two created a dream-pop oriented form of surf/coastal influenced indie rock built from uptempo drums with simple beats, textural guitar, and well produced pre-recorded backing instrumentation. The songs were well written, with vocal melodies and lyricism that grabbed the listener and a dreamy pop feel that was emotive but upbeat.

Moon Tides

Moon Tide's set began with "Swimming", a succinct piece with fast paced drums, guitar and a very catchy melody. The last time I saw Moon Tides, Lexa did not perform, and her absence seemed to have an affect on Dillon and the performance seemed to suffer. This time, with the complete band intact, Dillon's heart seemed to be in place and his vocal delivery seemed much more genuine. The two had a good dynamic on stage, although Dillon still seemed a bit apprehensive to really let himself go. Dillon's vocal delivery was sometimes shaky - not as assertive as I've heard in the studio releases they have put out. Also, although the production of the songs were solid, having much of the instrumentation coming from a computer as opposed to live musicians detracted from the live experience. Still, their songs are well written and have a great sound. Fans of the surf-rock genre should definitely give this band a shot.

Samurai Buck

Next on stage was Samurai Buck, although he came on as a sort of interlude DJ. I was expecting a performance from this talented beat producer, but his purpose was to provide music in between set changes. Because of that, I'm not really going to review what he did, but I can say that I do enjoy his experimental and psychedelic approach to hip-hop style instrumental music. If that sounds intriguing to you, check out Samurai Buck's music online. Hopefully I'll get a chance to Samurai Buck in a featured performance role soon.

Mike Marchant

Mike Marchant was the next band on stage. Mike Marchant is local esteemed singer-songwriter with a folk-rock style, and on this night he performed with a backing band. There were five band members on stage in all; Mike Marchant (vocals, guitar), Mark Weaver (bass), Grant Israel (guitar, vocals), Fez Guzman (drums), and Andy Hamilton (keyboard, guitar, vocals). Mike Marchant's songs are well written such that they have a certain feel that comes across whether Marchant chooses to deliver them acoustically or give them the full band rock treatment. This night Mike Marchant gave his music the rock treatment, yet these versions were just as appealing as the acoustic driven recordings I heard before.

Mike Marchant

Much of Mike Marchant's set were a mix of mellower, folk/Americana style songs delivered with a grand and genuine stage presence. Songs like "Lower Downtown Curses", "Mexico", "Surround Me" captured audience attention as people soaked up the sounds and stories of each song. "You Were A Runner" was a standout track, a song with not only well crafted lyrics, but also a great melody and instrumentation that can easily lodge into one's head. For the end of Mike Marchant's set, the band picked up the pace with a couple uptempo rock pieces - getting the crowd to dance along and ending the set on a high note. The final song, "Sex In The Shadows", had a false, mellow ending, right before Mike Marchant and his band craftily and suddenly exploded into a dramatic instrumental finish. Mike Marchant definitely has appeal to fans of folk rock, but I think it extends further into the indie category as well. Fans of indie rock should definitely check Mike Marchant out.

Tennis

After another set-change interlude by Samurai Buck, the stage was set for the evening's celebratory headliners. Tennis took the stage, performing as a four-piece band - Alaina Moore (vocals/keyboard), Patrick Riley (guitar), James Barone (drums) and a fourth member on keyboard and guitar. Tennis emerged last year after the release of their debut album, making an authentic sounding surf-inspired indie-pop record despite the band being from land-locked Colorado. They returned to the studio and created another record, Young And Old, that expands on the surf-pop sound by incorporating a little classic rock 'n' roll influence. Their performance mixed both new and old material to celebrate their album release.

Tennis

The night began with one of Tennis' newer songs, "Deep In The Woods", that was on their Origins single. This song continued their breezy, summery, bright lo-fi/surf sound that they showcased heavily on Cape Dory.  One of their earliest songs, "Baltimore" came next, getting the crowd in a warm mood. Then, Tennis began to unveil some of their new material. Tennis had worked with The Black Keys' Patrick Carney in the production of their new album, and "Never To Part" was the first track off that new record that they performed.

Tennis

The new song started out like Tennis' early material, but seemed to gain a subtle amount of force to it by the end. "Robin" came next, a song that took the core sound Tennis and seemed to wrap it around retro pop-rock. "It Falls Feels The Same" was very stylistically Tennis, but also subtly more forceful towards the end. The crowd roared when "South Carolina" was performed next, showing that Cape Dory was still firmly in the crowd's mind.

Tennis

Tennis treated the audience to a brand new, recently written and unreleased song that featured Patrick Riley on the keyboards. Tennis referred to the song as an experiment - but by the end of it it seemed to be a successful one. "High Road" came next, a song that seemed to balance the lo-fi/surf aesthetic with forcefully soft retro rock. That retro theme was carried on with "Waterbirds", a 6/8 time piece with a very vintage feel to it, a feeling that lingered with "Traveling" thanks to it's organ-toned keyboard line.

Tennis

For the remainder of the show, Tennis brought singers from the local band Paper Bird to the stage to sing backing vocals for the remainder of the show. Their vocal harmonies brought a new dimension to the performances of Tennis' songs. It really brought out the new production in "My Better Self", and enhanced the live performances of older songs like "Pigeons" and "Marathon". Tennis saved the single "Origins" until the nearly the very end, performing it before the final song "Petition". Those pieces seemed to really show what new ideas Tennis was playing with by working with a producer, and the crowd seemed to react very well to those songs in particular. Tennis didn't end their set there however, coming out for an encore performance of two old Tennis favorites, "Bimini Bay" and "Long Boat Pass", the latter of which had the song clapping along throughout. Tennis' performance revealed their new album explores new ideas without distancing themselves from their characteristic sound, so fans of their first album should enjoy Young And Old.

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