At last night's Rhinoceropolis show a friend of mine brought up a great point: at Rhinoceropolis conventional club/venue wisdom goes out the window. At just about any other venue anywhere else, there is a sort of code - a set of rules whether written or unwritten that everyone needs to follow to participate in any of that venue's events. But in that respect, Rhinoceropolis is not that kind of place, as this D.I.Y. venue has none of that at all. As long as people are generally considerate to each other everything else pretty much does not matter. People can be exactly who they want to be, and that is perhaps what creates the unique atmosphere of this particular setting - a setting that after this night one of its most beloved inhabitants would no longer call home.

It is not unusual for Rhinoceropolis to host a variety of different acts for a show and party on any given night, so Tuesday's party wasn't really all that out of the ordinary, but what set this night apart from others in the past was that it was a farewell party for Travis Egedy, the man behind Pictureplane. After spending years living and creating in the art space/venue, Pictureplane is making the move to New York, so Rhinoceropolis did what they know best - put on a show - as a farewell party.

Alphabets

Even with a late start on a Tuesday night, people came in steady streams, with a healthy crowd before the opening set from Alphabets. Alphabets is the solo electronic music project of Colin Ward, who creates a sound that is self described as "high altitude dance" and "tree-punk". His performance was a mixture of experimental noise, highly distorted vocals, and highly effective tribal-like beats. Upon seeing Alphabets' performance those self-descriptions made sense - a high energy combination of clunky sounds with an underlying savage attitude - a sort of wild and rebellious punk-rock form of electronic music. Check out Alphabets if you seek the complete opposite of the electronic music that exists in the majority of clubs.

Hollagramz

Next up was a DJ set from another local experimental electronic group, Hollagramz. Hollogramz is the production/DJ duo of Cory Brown and Ron Cole, who create an electronic sound with a raw tropical aesthetic and heavy, sometimes grimey, world inspired beats. When they aren't sharing their original productions, the two collaboratively share their catalog of found sounds that inspire and/or embody the music they like to create. Tuesday night's performance was just that, as the duo took turns laying down two songs at a time, seeing what they could come up with to not only work the crowd, but feed energy off of each other. I'd say they were very successful at accomplishing those goals. Check out a Hollagramz set if you're looking for electronic music that's a little bit darker and a little bit funkier.

Narky Stares

Narky Stares followed next with a DJ set of her own. Narky Stares is Lauren Zwicky, best known for being a co-founder of the monthly all ages queer dance party Damn Gurl - a now award-winning party. Like any good DJ, Narky Stares understands being versatile and adaptable to any situation and can play a variety of sounds. On this night, she provided a set of what she does best - a mid to uptempo mix of high energy dance music that regularly causes sweat fests on the Damn Gurl dance floor that is just one door over from Rhinoceropolis.

ASiEL

Rapper ASiEL came on next, another artist with a Damn Gurl connection as he was a featured performer at the last Damn Gurl party. His performance on this night was very much a reprise of what occurred a couple weeks before - a captivating exhibition of his original songs about queer life driven by heavy beats, earnest presence, and undeniable pride that got the crowd hyped. Not even technical issues could cool down his performance, as he kept his composure and thus the audiences attention through his set.

Pictureplane

If this were a conventional venue, it'd be about time for everyone to head home, but even on a Tuesday night, the party was still well under way at about 2:00AM when Pictureplane was ready for his farewell performance. The energy in the venue was still incredible, and there were still plenty in the crowd to witness Pictureplane's set. The lights went out, save for a pair of flashing tri-color LED light bands on the floor, as Pictureplane went into selections of songs from across his catalog.

Pictureplane

Pictureplane's unique electronic sound consisted of a combination of dark wave, synth-pop, hip-hop, and trance house music that kept the crowd dancing while Pictureplane seemingly poured his all through the microphone. Even though songs would sometimes cut out due to a faulty wire, the party wouldn't stop, somehow growing with more energy as the music and lights came back on after the few brief interruptions. One sure sign of a good party is an audience sprayed with champagne, a trick Pictureplane kept up his sleeve until midway through his set. In between standout songs like "Trancegender" and "Post Physical", Pictureplane was sure to express his love for the crowd and his home, Rhinoceropolis, praising the place for being unlike anywhere he's seen in the world. He ended his set with a song he called the Rhinoceropolis anthem, "Day Glowwwed" from Turquiose Trail.

Pictureplane

As much as I wanted to party deep into the morning hours, I wasn't able to stay for the closing set from DJ Dirt Girl, who likely kept the party as long as people could possibly stand. Still, I was able to see enough to really drive home the fact that Rhinoceropolis is a very unique place - a true departure from conventional club/venue environments. It is just as much a venue as it is a place for like minded do-it-yourself individuals to congregate and hang out. A place where you can watch artists throw amazing performances in the front and then lounge with those same people in the back while chatting by a fire pit. As much as people of Denver will miss Pictureplane, there is no doubt that this place is dear to his heart and he will miss Denver just as much if not even more.

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

There's a bittersweet occasion going tonight. The sweet part is easy, as it'll be a show featuring prominent names in the local Denver underground/D.I.Y. music scene and a set from a visiting DJ. The bitterness comes from the fact that this is a farewell show for someone has been incredibly important to Denver music. That person, producer and musician is none other than Pictureplane, who'll be journeying east to New York, hopefully bringing even more attention to Denver music as he continues to make waves across the nation.


Pictureplane is the project of Travis Egedy, who makes electronic music that incorporates a bit of dark wave with synth pop and even hints of trance and house, sometimes being labeled as witch house. It is a combination of sounds that definitely stands apart from anything else, which is why he has garnered so much attention for his craft. Check out "Real Is A Feeling" from his latest album, Thee Physical.




Joining the lineup are a host of local acts that have become important fixtures at the D.I.Y. capitol of denver, Rhinoceropolis; ASiEL, a queer rapper self-described as the king of hip-pop, Alphabets, an experimental electronic/dance group that plays what they call "treepunk", Hollagramz, an experimental electronic group that fuses a hint of dark wave influence with tropical and tribal rhythms, and Narky Stares, a Denver DJ best known as co-founder of the Damn Gurl monthly dance party.


DJ Dirt Girl is a special visiting guest from Santa Fe, NM. DJ Dirt Girl describes herself as an "intergalactic bounty hunter", so keep that in mind when you hear her set. Expect a fluid mix of spaced out sounds, like a zero gravity combination of grime, electro, dance-punk, house and more. Check out her "Summer of Dirt 2011" mix.


Come out to Rhinoceropolis tonight to bid farewell and party down at the same time. Things will get going around 10:00PM tonight.

Last night was quite an interesting journey - a stroll to the very underbelly of the local music scene and a huge departure from the from the organized, orderly structure of the venues I usually frequent. It was exposure to music in its most raw form, where musicians, onlookers and hosts all boasted a do-it-yourself attitude creating an atmosphere unlike any other. Rhinoceropolis lies quietly on the outskirts of downtown Denver, nestled inconspicuously in a row of warehouses in the heart of an industrial district. Cars zoom by it constantly as if it wasn't even there. You're bound to miss it if you blink for too long, even if you know where it is.

Rhinoceropolis isn't really a venue, and although they exhibit art there, it isn't really an art space. It is a skinny, grungy corridor lined with discarded furniture that makes it seem like the adult version of a secret hangout space; like a tree fort in the woods or clubhouse in an alley you would build and covet as a kid to get away from it all. Events are not really advertised there so news travels by word of mouth, making those who arrive a devoted few who really want to be a part of the experience on any given night. There is no onsite bar, so those who come plan ahead and it certainly reinforces the fact that most who arrive for shows are there for the music.

Civilized was the first band up last night and they were set up in the front room/exhibition space which is no bigger than a typical garage. Their instruments were set up in the middle of the floor, and the audience were no more than a few feet away as they began their set. I've never really been into hardcore and can't say I've ever listened to more than a song and a half of this genre before this night in one sitting, but seeing it performed live definitely shed some light on what the music is about.

Civilized

It seemed when Civilized was playing, that although they had an incredible amount of energy and ferocity, it wasn't just plain aggression and violence but rather passion and emotion that was on display. There was only one guy in the crowd who was out there that night to pick a fight, and before the end of the second Civilized song (which last 40-90 seconds on average), somehow two people were a bloody mess - quite intense, but also quite ridiculous. I can't really comment on the lyrics and vocals of this band and most that performed - the sound crew was having problems dialing in the microphones all night long so all the singers were pretty much inaudible for the whole night. The singer for Civilized didn't seem to notice though, as he still screamed into the mic with passion as if we all could hear him.

Negative Degree

Next up was Negative Degree, another punk band leaning on the hardcore side of the genre. This band also had a lot of intensity and energy, trying to draw the crowd in close for the set, but once a handful of people started moshing the crowd dissipated toward the edges a bit to leave those willing to get to bruising to do their thing. Again, the singer was completely inaudible and by this point, the frustration was spilling out onto the band members' faces and the crowd seemed a bit annoyed as well. They didn't come to see an instrumental punk show, but that's what they got.

Religious Girls was the next band up, and they played in the back lounge area instead of the main exhibition area like the other bands. This band had an unusual setup - only keyboards, sample pads and drums - no guitars or basses in sight. Yet what they ended up doing with those tools was quite remarkable. One member of the band was a dedicated drummer, another on keyboards or sample pad, while the third would play keyboard and drums, often at the same time. I mentioned in my preview that each of Religious Girls' songs feature complex, non-repeating structures and that is exactly what unfolded.

Religious Girls

Ironically enough, Religious Girls was the only band that had audible vocals the entire night, despite the fact that their songs don't actually feature any lyrics. Instead, each member of the band would shout and and chant as if they were performing in a tribal ceremony all while furiously pounding their respective instruments. As weird as that sounds, it was incredible to watch. Their music may not be the easiest listening to hear as a recording, but watching it live is an awesome sight to behold, especially considering the complexity of their song structures - they made it look somewhat easy. If you are a fan of musicianship, catch these guys in a live show.

The Men

The show went back to the main exhibition area for The Men to perform their set. When researching these guys, I noticed they put a lot more focus on instrumentation in their songs than most punk bands. Because of the sound issues, they were pretty much forced to play an instrumental set. I would have liked to hear the vocal portion, but the instrumentation was actually pretty spot on. It was cross-genre punk, or something along the lines of cerebral sludge punk. The music had a punk backbone but with a slight sprinkling of math rock and shades of stoner metal from time to time. I'd like to see them again with a better sound setup.

Hot White without the singer

Hot White came out to end the show, and I suppose with all the sound issues and everything else running a little long, they cut their set short and the vocalist did not appear at all. The drummer and guitarist seemed to come out and play just two songs as a courtesy to the remaining faithful crowd that was there. I certainly appreciated that, but will reserve commenting on the band's music until I can actually see them all together in a full performance.

Overall, it was a good night and a fresh experience. The homegrown setting and attitude of the bands and crowd made it very wholesome in terms of witnessing music. Minus the issues with the sound and the lone aggravator at the beginning of the show, everything else went pretty smoothly. It's definitely a curious scene and one worth checking out in the future. If you're tired of the typical venue setting, Rhinoceropolis is a refreshing change of pace. You can mingle with the devoted crowd, many of them musicians themselves, and you can witness the music happen right in front of you - inches away if you please. It certainly isn't the place for everyone and they definitely don't pretend that it is, but it has a certain appeal, especially for the lover of the most underground offerings of music.

I'm switching things up a bit and going to a place I haven't been yet to check out a show. Rhinoceropolis is more of an art space than a venue, but they consistently bring in heavy hitters in the underground music scene. Tonight is no exception as the Rhino will feature indie-punk rockers The Men, experimental rockers Religious Girls, local neo-hardcore group Civilized, local punk rock group Hot White, and local hardcore punk group Negative Degree.


The Men are a quartet that comes from Brooklyn, NY and are making a stop in Denver tonight as part of their busy tour for the release of their new album Leave Home. They will be bringing along with them their hard-hitting layered-noise punk along with them. They seem to put a lot of focus on the instrumentation - there's quite a bit of order going on in what might initially seem as chaos. Guaranteed to be a high energy show. Check out "Bataille" and "Night Landing".


Religious Girls musical style is as different to The Men's as the distance is between where the two bands call home. Religious Girls come from the west coast - Oakland, CA. They are made up of multi-instrumentalists who have all been part of different rock genres before they came together as a band; math rock, pop, metal and noise-rock. The resulting product is hard to describe but quite amazing. Each song is a different musical journey using complex non-repeating structures matched with echoed tribal chant-like vocals. It should be incredible to see and hear live. Check out "OG" and "Colorwheel".

Photo from Westword

Civilized is a Denver punk project that I believe used to known as Ego Complex. If that's the case, then expect to hear something like the YouTube video below.


Hot White is a trio of local experimental punk rockers featuring a female lead singer. I think they sound pretty rad - check out the video below.

Photo from Westword

Negative Degree is the last band on the bill and are another local punk outfit featuring a more "traditional" punk sound. Check out "Service Industry" and "Punch Out".

Obviously I don't know that much about these bands yet and because they are so underground, information is pretty hard to come by. Hopefully I've found enough to give you an idea and I'll definitely have a better idea after tonight. The show starts at 9:30PM and costs $5.

The Men - Bataille by sacredbones
Night Landing - The Men by Vincent Van Golgoth

Religious Girls - "OG" by Creeping Wave
Colorwheel by Religious Girls









Service Industry by Negative Degree
Punch Out by Negative Degree

It's another busy night of concerts in the Denver area, and although I won't make it out tonight, I'm here with a brief report. I figure I won't mention the sold out shows since those that want to go to them should already have their tickets in hand, while those who would want to go have a very slim chance (or expensive chance) of doing so.


In Boulder tonight will be the hip-hop group The Cool Kids. I was a big fan of their first album, The Bake Sale. It got a lot of play in my rotation back in the summer of 2008. They are currently touring for their new album, When Fish Ride Bicycles. If you are a fan of the first album, the new one should not completely disappoint. Along with more popular sounding, radio-friendly songs like "Swimsuits" and "Summer Jam", they still have songs with bumping minimalist beats (think "Mikey Rocks") with songs like "Gold and Pager" and "Bundle Up". Should be a good, dance-able show. The music starts at the Fox Theatre after 8:30PM.


I didn't find out about these guys or this show until yesterday, but if you want to get bloody tonight, check out Iceage at the Rhinoceropolis in north Denver. This band hails from Copenhagen, Denmark, and they seem to draw the rage of old viking warriors out of their post-punk-something-or-other sound. The band members are young - they average about seventeen years of age - but that youth just gives the band more energy. Check out "White Rune" and "New Brigade" and see what I mean. I think these guys sound awesome but I don't know if I'd last a minute in the pit. If you are looking to beat the crap out of someone tonight, do it at the Iceage show. The pit gets going at 9:30PM.


The last band I'll talk about, Ludo, is also a new band to me. Compared to Iceage, Ludo delivers a sound that is like delicate flowers. Not that it isn't good - these guys are just purveyors of indie pop-punk. To be honest, I kind of like this St. Louis band - catchy but still energetic. Check out "Love Me Dead" and "All The Stars In Texas" to see if this is more your style. If it is, you can see them at the Marquis Theater tonight, show starts at 7:00PM.

The Cool Kids - Summer Jam (feat. Maxine Ashley) by lilpoops
The Cool Kids – Bundle Up by Hypetrak

Iceage - White Rune by Pgm_Denmark
Iceage - New Brigade by MASSES

Ludo- Love Me Dead by collie2266
08 All Stars In Texas by Heitorr_