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

Reed Bremmer leads Speedwolf through a set of screaming speed metal at the Larimer Lounge last Thursday, opening for Valient Thorr. (Photo: DenverThread)

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.

“We were psyched to be asked to tour a few days with Superchrist – one of my favorites,” said bassist Jake Kaufmann at last Thursday night’s Valient Thorr show, where Speedwolf played first opener. “And playing with Nunslaughter is just gonna be fuckin’ awesome!”

Although the tour is anything but a vacation, all four members are anxious to get on the road to show off. If their shows are anything like the performance they put on at the Larimer last Thursday, no one’s going to be the least bit disappointed.

Jake Kaufmann, with his new bass, ready to hit the road. (Photo: DenverThread)

Sadly, the Larimer was nearly empty when the band started, but that didn’t slow down frontman Reed Bremmer. As Kaufmann,  guitarist Kris Wells  and drummer Richi Tice wound up the slow anticipation of “Speedwolf,”  what crowd there was in the venue moved up to the front, prepared for the blast. And it came, loudly, and led into a too short (30 minute) set of searing speed and huge, explosive rhythm. They tore through “Denver 666,” “I am the Demon” and others as more began to trickle in. Valient Himself – wild-eyed frontman for the headliners – took in a few songs, and nodded approval before stalking off halfway through the set. Just after that, a few superfans banged heads and pumped fists violently through the rest, and even started a small, but fast, mini-mosh pit.

Despite the low-energy response by the small audience, the band put on a searing show, and warmed up the place for a typically frenetic Valient Thorr show that nearly brought the house down, thanks to Bremmer. During VT’s set, the Speedwolf singer jumped up and grabbed on to swing from one of the electrical conduits above the stage, and ended up pulling it down, and ripping out some wiring. The move ended up shooting some sparks down onto the stage, but only managed to pause Thorr’s performance for about twenty minutes.

Speedwolf Midwest Tour Dates:

More pictures of last Thursday’s show:

Kris Wells, guitarist for Speedwolf. (Photo: DenverThread)

Kaufmann, Bremmer and Wells onstage at the Larimer. (Photo: DenverThread)

A few fans crowding up to the stage. (Photo: DenverThread)

As the band picked up speed, the floor got a little more feral. (Photo: DenverThread)