Category: Live Reviews

Live reviews of Denver shows, including both local and national acts.

Threading the Scene: Denver’s Deadbubbles’ unbeatable live show comes easy, but packs plenty of raw power
November 14, 2009 Off

Threading the Scene: Denver’s Deadbubbles’ unbeatable live show comes easy, but packs plenty of raw power

By Billy Thieme

Arlo White has always wanted to be in a band. “Ever since I was a kid,” he told me during a recent discussion, “I’ve always been focused on the idea of being in a rock band . . . .” After years of trying repeatedly to pull friends, friends of friends, people he’d meet at shows – and just about anyone else – into his dream, he’s finally met it with Denver’s Deadbubbles. This band is one that Jack Black’s character in “School of Rock,” die-hard rock ‘n roll fan Dewey Finn, would be proud of – one that mixes passion and simplicity with solid knowledge and respect for the classics.

DenverThread Live Review: Vitamins w/The Outfit, Meadowlark, 11/7/09
November 11, 2009 Off

DenverThread Live Review: Vitamins w/The Outfit, Meadowlark, 11/7/09

By Billy Thieme

The Meadowlark Bar continues to set the bar for live national and local lineups in a hip, comfortable environment night after night. Last Saturday’s lineup was no exception, and featured The Outfit and headliners Vitamins, both originally from Greeley, after being supported by Johnny Burroughs (also a Greeley native) and Seattle’s garage-bluesy The Curious Mystery. The last two groups stole the night, and each packed the place with what looked like two separate crowds.
Vitamins’ style ranges from sweeping, ethereal arrangements that recall Cocteau Twins and Ride, to grooving psychedelic noise pop reminiscent of Sonic Youth or Yo La Tengo. Strong, anchoring euro-jazz bass lines and often sparse, lilting vocals also add an otherworldly, Stereolab quality to it as well. Their mixture of these influences creates a sound that’s almost entirely their own – but not quite. For a relatively young band – they formed in 2005 in Greeley, and transplanted themselves in Denver not too long after – they’ve come a long way in a short time, but still seem to favor different influences on an almost song-by-song basis. Overall, though, the variety makes for one of Denver’s more exciting live shows.

Live review: Art Brut @ Bluebird Theater 11/6/09 – Reverb
November 9, 2009 Off

Live review: Art Brut @ Bluebird Theater 11/6/09 – Reverb

By Billy Thieme

Argos’ stage persona, always confident and mumblingly hilarious, seemed to continuously morph. He channeled Mark E. Smith, Lester Bangs, John Lydon and Joey Ramone — sometimes all four at once — in front of the constantly wild antics of Catskilkin and Future. All of it was backed by the rhythm section formed by Feedback’s raucous bass and Breyer’s pounding drums.

Valient Thorr @ the Larimer Lounge, 11/5/09 – Reverb
November 9, 2009 Off

Valient Thorr @ the Larimer Lounge, 11/5/09 – Reverb

By Billy Thieme

Lead singer Valient Himself, as wild and provocative a character as you’re likely to find across the metal spectrum, carried both the crowd and the band with his over-the-top antics and supercharged metabolism, screaming to the head-banging mosh pit about conspiracies behind the government, endless partying and the eventual rise of an army of partially robotic and undead police, destined to take over the state if we don’t maintain a vigilant watch every second.

Speedwolf hits the road to tour the midwest, after opening for Valient Thorr at Larimer Lounge
November 9, 2009 Off

Speedwolf hits the road to tour the midwest, after opening for Valient Thorr at Larimer Lounge

By Billy Thieme

One of Denver’s hardest working metal bands, Speedwolf, is about to embark on a week-long tour of the midwest to spread their raucous brand of speed metal to the heartland. Starting out in Des Moines, IA on Thursday, November 19, the band will play shows back-to-back every night for six nights, traveling through Chicago, Lakewood (Ohio), Lansing, St. Louis and Kansas City before heading back home to Denver (dates are listed below). Seems exhausting, but if any band can pull it off and live to tell about it, it’s this one.

After months of playing multiple shows around Denver nearly every week, the band is excited to take their high energy, explosive speed metal show on the road – and answer to the public that’s been calling them out. They’ll be sharing stages on the tour with bands like Borderline Insanity, Animal Mothers, Calin’s Murder, Music Hates You, Wastelander and Die Wasted, among others, but they’re most excited to be playing a few with Nunslaughter and SuperChrist.

e-town with Moby, Nellie McKay @ the Boulder Theater, 10/25/09 – Reverb
October 27, 2009 Off

e-town with Moby, Nellie McKay @ the Boulder Theater, 10/25/09 – Reverb

By Billy Thieme

Moby is an erudite speaker, full of easy wit and loads of charm. He seemed thoroughly at home as he and host Nick Forster talked about things as provocatively disparate as religion, politics and climate change. When asked about his Christian beliefs — something Moby has been repeatedly chided about over years past — he retorted that “the agenda of the Christian right has almost nothing to do with the actual teachings of Christ.”