Last Wednesday, I went to see a show featuring psychedelic rock known for its ability to set the scene. Cervantes' Other Side hosted four bands with music so atmospheric at times I felt like I was on the set a movie rather than the heart of Five Points. The venue itself was a good setting on its own, but coupled with these bands' western rock style it gave the place a new aura entirely. For those in the know, it was a night of rock that inspired the imagination by taking the audience on a journey through psychedelic sound.

Dark Seas

The journey began when Salt Lake City band Dark Seas took the stage. Dark Seas performed as a five-piece band; Kyle Wilcox on vocals, Diego Mijares on guitar, Rhett Hansen on drums, Irvin Martinez on bass, and a fifth touring member who also played guitar. They got the night started with their blend of western/surf rock injected with psychedelia, as if the band too much time soaking in the mystique of the Utah badlands. Dressed in a trench coat and hat, lead singer Kyle Wilcox delivered dark-tinged vocals in a scruffy, low register over the mid-tempo cymbal heavy rhythms and twangy guitars that made-up the band's instrumental footprint, almost giving the band the feel of twisted psychedelic blues. They did well to start the show and introduce the crowd to the psych-rock sound. They are worth checking out and will have an EP released soon.

Max Pain & The Groovies

Next up was fellow Salt Lake City psych-rockers Max Pain & The Groovies. Max Pain & The Groovies also used a five member setup; David on vocals, Jake on bass, Dallin on guitar, Shane on guitar, and Tcoy on drums. This experimental group took the spirit of rock 'n' roll and put it in the oven, regularly basting that sound with juices of near sludge-like psychedelic rock. The vocals were delivered with a careful balance of force and dark mood that gave the music a garage rock feel with a more trippy and spaced out attitude. The end product was psychedelia with a kick - music that will daze you as much as it will get you dancing. Their live set craftily increased its intensity until it peaked with full rock force at the end. This band is indeed groovy, but with an added layer of punkish awesome.

Colfax Speed Queen

Local heroes Colfax Speed Queen went up on stage next. This four-piece band had Rob Halgren on keyboard, Matt Loui on vocals/guitar, Reed McKinny on drums and Gabriel Tafoya on bass. Together, this band created good ol' fashioned garage rock 'n' roll with impeccable authenticity. The bass, guitar and drum combo have the vintage feel of sixties punk garage while the addition of keyboard adds an extra layer to the sound. The organ tone of the keyboard adds the element of quirky psychedelia to the sound, setting the overall sound apart from just straight garage rock.

Colfax Speed Queen

Colfax Speed Queen's stage presence is centered around lead singer Matt Loui. He doesn't just stand up on stage and spit out vocals as he plays guitar - the music exudes from his pores as he moves about the stage like a true rock star. That energy transfers to the rest of the band and in turn, to the crowd, enhancing the live experience. "In Your Blood" and "My Nemesis Me" stood out, as those songs' uptempo pace and psychedelic keyboard created a very poignant yet atmospheric sound. "Fiends In The Night" was my favorite song of the set - short but intense with a catchy riff that grabs a hold of the listener and never lets go. Fans of rock 'n' roll should not hesitate to check out a Colfax Speed Queen show - they will bring it.

Spindrift

Finally it was time for the main attraction on this psychedelic musical ride - Spindrift. Spindrift also performed as a five-piece; Kirpatrick Thomas on guitar/vocals, Henry Evans on bass/baritone guitar, James Acton on drums/autoharp, Sasha Vallely on keyboards/vocals/flute, and Lucas Dawson on pedal steel/guitar. Those were the musical ingredients they needed to produce their psychedelic spaghetti western sound.

Spindrift

Kirkpatrick Thomas guitar had that familiar western twang, and he was no slouch on the fret board when it came to faster paced songs. He also sang in an impressive falsetto voice at times. Henry Evans had a double-necked guitar, switching from baritone guitar or bass depending on the situation. James Acton mostly held down a steady rhythm with the drum set, but added atmosphere on occasion with the autoharp. Sasha Valley's keyboard work added a deeper psychedelic layer to the sound, her vocals added a seductive element to the music, and her flute work definitely seemed surreal every time it emerged. Lucas Dawson was great on guitar, but was most impressive on the pedal steel, making some of the most psychedelic sounds I've ever heard created in a live environment.

Spindrift

Spindrift played an exhilarating set that transformed the Cervantes' Other Side venue into a place in the wild west. Their whole set was wrapped around the psychedelic aspect of their music, and they used that mood to drive both fast and slow paced western style songs. From the very first song that included the "Japexico" flute intro, they had grasped a hold of the crowd. They played on a dimly lit stage with a projection screen behind them. The projection screen added more out-of-this world ambiance to the performance with its vivid trance-inducing colors, and the stage production was enhanced by green slow moving laser lights that speckled the band like stars.

Spindrift

Songs like "Hellbound" and "Theme From Ghost Patrol" instantly evoked the feeling of the wild west. As the songs were performed I half expected cowboys to burst into the room with six-shooters out of their holsters. As much as I loved the fast paced country-western style songs, my favorite had to be when they performed the succession of songs; "Speak To The Wind", "Space Vixens" and the epic "Theme From Drifter's Pass". For these songs, the psychedelia was turned to the absolute maximum - slow and entrancing but captivating with an immense forceful feeling. "Theme From Drifter's Pass" was ten minutes of sheer psych-rock bliss. "Indian Run" was incredible with the added instrumental breakdown, including a blistering guitar solo from Kirkpatrick Thomas. "Showdown" was the perfect way to end the set, sending off the crowd to music as if there had just been a standoff between a hero and villain - without a glittery happy ending of course.

Spindrift

Spindrift was an amazing experience. It may not be music that frequents my rotation, and it may not be music that typically gets a lot of attention, especially since it usually finds its place in the background of films, but seeing it performed live was a wondrous experience in itself. It turned out there is a lot of talent involved in creating this particular sound, and once you see it live, its hard not to get caught up in the moment. If you are a fan of psych-rock, Spindrift is the real deal.

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

There's a show coming up featuring music that'll not only rock your socks off, it just might transport you to a different space and time completely. This is music for people of action. People who've ever found themselves in an abandoned warehouse trying to figure out if they've been setup after a planned diamond heist goes wrong. People who've ever been paid to throw a boxing match but bet the pay-off money on themselves, won the fight anyway, and accepted the fact they'll have to flee from gangsters. People who've fled to Mexico after committing a bank robbery, only to find themselves in a vampire den masquerading as a strip club. People whose wedding was brutally attacked, got shot in the head and left for dead, then came back from a coma years later and used their assassin skills to exact some revenge. Or, people who have seen events like these play out in film and have wondered what kind of kick ass music was playing in the background to drive these crazy plot lines.

This Wednesday night at Cervantes' Other Side, Tone Dynamix will be presenting four bands that create music that sounds like it belongs in any one of those scenes. Each band has gritty, loud, psychedelic rock 'n' roll that adds an epic atmosphere wherever it is played. If you know what films I was referencing above and remember the sweet music that graced each one of those soundtracks, you will not want to miss this show.


The headliner is Delware formed, California based psychedelic rock outfit Spindrift. Even if the name doesn't sound familiar, if you are a film buff there is a good chance you've heard their songs and didn't even know it. These guys make music that sounds fit for fantastical films, and their sound is highly influenced and inspired by spaghetti westerns. Their music has been featured on a long list of soundtracks, most notably in Quentin Tarantino's Hell Ride. Their rock music is both crazy and cool, and when you hear it it'll get your imagination going. Check out "Theme From Confusion Range".
Theme from Confusion Range, Spindrift by popantipop


Colfax Speed Queen is a rock 'n' roll band from Denver. This four-piece band uses loud riff heavy guitar, deep and fluid bass guitar, pounding drums, and crashing keyboards to deliver the very essence of rock 'n' roll right to the listener's ear drum. Their raw high-energy vintage punk garage sound will definitely please rock fans. Check out "Fiends In The Night".
Colfax Speed Queen - Fiends in the Night by HotCongressRecords


Max Pain and the Groovies are a rock band from Salt Lake City. These guys combine the psychedelic sounds of the desert with the attitude of rock 'n' roll to make hard-hitting music from their five-piece band. They quickly became favorites for their style in their hometown and are coming to Denver to share their infectious sound. Check out "Piano".
Piano by Max Pain and the Groovies


Dark Seas is also a rock band from Salt Lake City, and they admit that they owe their existence to the band just mentioned above. With a slightly more atmospheric and experimental psychedelic approach, this band also delivers energetic throwback punk-garage styled rock 'n' roll. Check out "Wilted Spirit".
Dark Seas - Wilted Spirit by Concerted Effort


The show takes place on Wednesday, November 9 at 8:00PM. Doors are open at 7:00PM. The show is all ages and tickets are ridiculously cheap at $5.

The name of this blog, Concerted Effort, originally came about simply because I liked the play on words. But the more I think about it, the more I realize it suits the philosophy of this blog perfectly. A "concerted" effort can not be a solo effort. By definition, something concerted is something that is done jointly - parts or individuals coming together as a group to achieve a common goal. To me, the best concert experience emerges when the collective effort of the band and audience merge, creating a unique energy and atmosphere that can only be experienced if one allows themselves to be immersed in that moment.

Last night, the atmosphere at the Larimer Lounge didn't quite live up to its potential. It wasn't because the artists did anything wrong, they came out and performed well, as they should. Nor was it because I wasn't feeling it - I was certainly carried away by the music. It was because there were probably fewer than fifty people in the room that night, and I have a good feeling the majority of the people in there did not know what they were in for, as only a fraction of the crowd were really into the performance while many stood idly by.

Small venue. Big possibilities.

It was the first time I'd ever been to a small venue to see bands that I was really excited about, yet the place wasn't packed liked sardines. All in all, I really enjoyed the experience because it was the closest thing to a private performance I've ever been to, and going in to it with that frame of mind made the experience absolutely amazing for me. But I couldn't help but feel it would have been an epic experience had there been more people and/or if everyone there completely wiled out. However, the experience made me realize exactly what I'm trying to do here on this blog.

My goal is to provide the reader with news on the local shows that are happening around them on a daily basis and provide enough information so that they can decide if they want to join in on any particular night, and should the reader decide to go, I also try to provide a preview on what to expect. I know I can't cover everything, but I listen to such a wide variety of music I'll do what I can. I really enjoy spreading the word, and I am grateful for my friends that joined me last night on good faith; Jamie, Lance, Brit, Eli, and Charlie, thank you very much! Without you guys the concert wouldn't have been quite the same.

If you made it this far into the post without throwing your hands up in the air out frustration and asking yourself, "When is this guy actually going to talk just about the concert?", thanks for your patience, because here goes. I did not make it for the beginning of Colfax Speed Queen's DJ set, but I did catch a glimpse and he was dropping some good beats, keeping the four or five people on the dance floor well entertained. Four or five people? Yeah - the place was a little dead at first and it certainly didn't bode well.

ManCub - Substituting for Danny is James on the left, with Alex Anderson on the right.

Then ManCub took the stage, and there was a little bit more electricity in the air. Several more people emerged from the front and back bars to see these guys, and although their set was short, it was pretty good. Danny Stillman was absent, but his sub performed well and Alex Anderson delivered as I thought he would. They played most of 8 Bit Crush, some of The Secret Stache, and something I didn't recognize. ManCub's sound is even more captivating in a loud, live setting. Being such a small venue, I could personally approach these guys after their set and they were very friendly, cool people. I found out from Alex that the reason they were there as an opener was because he was a fan of Walter Meego, and he jumped at the chance to open when he saw they were coming to town. It was awesome seeing Alex come out and join the crowd when Walter Meego came up to perform.

I had heard Walter Meego was touring with a full band (five members), but only three guys came out for their set. There was no drummer and no bassist, but these guys still put on a good show. They did not play all of their songs exactly how you would hear off of their albums, but that was not at all disappointing. Like I mentioned before, it was very much like hearing a much more personal and private performance.

Walter Meego performing as a three-piece.

They "Wondervalleyed" the songs they played from their first album, Voyager, by slowing them down slightly and making them a little dreamier - I wish I could have copies of these versions! Everything they played from Wondervalley, though, was pretty faithful to the studio versions. I especially enjoyed "Starlight, "Got Me Goin", and "Ghosts In Love". I think they inserted a song from an earlier (maybe later?) EP that I was not familiar with. To cap off the night, and to really make it feel like a private show, they finished with "Time Machine" on my request - I've never had a band play something I asked for before, even if it wasn't perfect (I don't think they rehearsed it - that just makes it more personal). It won't be something I'll soon forget.

In the end, I had an incredible time. I just wish more people were there to take place in the fun. I'm becoming more and more aware of just the sheer number of performers that are out there every night playing their hearts out in venues both big and small, and the ones that take place in the lesser known, smaller venues are quickly winning my heart. I've had a great time at larger, sold out venues where not a single soul stood still, and those are great. But if you get the opportunity, try checking out a little known or up and coming artist at a small show. It just might seem like they are playing just for you, and the more people that take advantage of these opportunities, the more electric the resulting atmosphere will become.

I've been introduced to many great songs and artists through an unlikely source - TV commercials. Sometimes a song is so powerful, that despite it being chopped up into a 30 second snippet, it ends up stuck in my head and I just have to go on a quest to dig up more. This happened to me back in the summer of 2008, when I saw a Heineken commercial featuring an infectious bass line and simple, yet extremely catchy guitar riff. I immediately began searching the internet to find out what that song was, and my search led to my discovery of "Forever" and the band Walter Meego.


I picked up a copy of their album, Voyager, and put it on heavy repeat. There was something about their blend of dance-pop/club-rock that kept me hooked. Honestly it's hard for me to pick out just a song or two from this album to represent these guys, but check out "Keyhole" - something I would describe as progressive dance. This music was made for the dance floor, but unfortunately I missed my chance to see these guys and experience the music as intended when they came through Denver that year.


Still, Walter Meego kept hard at work and released their second studio album, Wondervalley, late last year. Admittedly, I was not immediately a fan. Walter Meego tweaked their sound a bit on this album - less dance, more chillwave. But on successive listens, the new album grew on me. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is something singer-songwriter about their latest offering - like dream-pop Simon & Garfunkel with a sprinkling of soft rock. "Starlight", a much slower tempo song compared to most on Voyager, seems to be the closest to anything they had before. I think "Time Machine" is a good example of the overall feel of Wondervalley -  a much more intimate sound.


I don't know what sound Walter Meego plans to bring with them tonight to the Larimer Lounge, but I hope it's a little bit of both. The more soothing sounds of Wondervalley would be welcome, especially juxtaposed to ManCub's noise-heavy opening set. But I would be extremely disappointed if they don't pick up the pace with some of my old favorites from Voyager. Either way, I'm just glad these guys have come back for a second round - I'm not missing them this time.

Walter Meego will be at the Larimer Lounge tonight and their set will start at 10:30. The party will get started at 8:30 with a DJ set from Colfax Speed Queen and then a face melting set at 9:30 from ManCub (see yesterday's write-up). Tickets are $10 at the door. Come tonight and get your dance on; I know I will!






Walter Meego - Starlight by buzzbands
Time Machine by waltermeego