Built to Spill
Doug Martsch’s penetrating voice and squirrely guitar work were on shining display at his band’s Monday-night Fox Theatre show, proving why he’s influenced at least as many current musicians as such indie-rock icons as Lou Barlow, Bob Pollard and Steve Malkmus. The difference, of course, is that Martsch’s main band is still together, and it’s producing some of the best music around.
Improving on its recent appearances in Colorado, Built to Spill barely stopped between songs to tune its instruments. The sold-out set, the first of a two-night stint, bristled with hipster energy as the band tore through tracks from its recent album, “You in Reverse.”
Martsch’s voice sounded clean and strong, and his Neil Young-style guitar jams on “Goin’ Against Your Mind” were part of a hypnotic jam that the band pulled off flawlessly. If the band keeps up this pace, it’ll dispel the naysayers that dismissed past shows as sloppy and overwrought.|John Wenzel
Indigo Girls
The beauty – and the trouble – of an Indigo Girls concert is the predictability of it all.
It’s rare you walk away from one of their shows surprised. So you loved it? Well, you knew you were going to love it.
What was best about Amy Ray and Emily Sailers’ performance at Chautauqua Auditorium on Monday was the fact they were touring in front of an album to be released in September – and much of the set focused on unreleased material.
Yes, “Shame on You” took on new life, “Watershed” was sublime, and the encore-closing “Galileo” was an earthy sing-along. But key were the moments when “Young Perennials” and “Pendulum Swingers” popped out, proving the girls have yet to run out of things to write about.|Ricardo Baca
D.L. Hughley
Front-row tickets to D.L. Hughley’s show were a bit less attractive by the end of the night.
“That’s a pretty girl you got there,” Hughley said of one front-row gent’s date. “How’d you get her here? You save her life or something?”
The comedian played five shows over the weekend at Comedy Works. At his 10 p.m. show July 7, he touched on current events, race and conversed with the front-row audience members. Hughley’s ad libbing, though, made the show fantastic. One woman stood up mid-bit and screamed at another person to stay quiet. Hughley rolled right with it.
“I’m going to bring you along on the road with me,” Hughley said. “You’re my new security guard.”
Hughley even worked in news of the previous 24 hours – the Korean missile launch, the release of the Columbine papers and former Enron chief Ken Lay’s death included.|Scott Lieber
Whirlwind Heat
When this furious synth-punk trio took over a near-empty Larimer Lounge on July 5, they cared not about the thin crowd. They focused on their new blend of hand-clapping rock. And the hot aesthetic change was a welcome one.
This was the band’s first Denver stop since the Jack White-produced “Do Rabbits Wonder” made us scratch our heads and the newer, more accessible “Types of Wood” was released in May.
“Wood” has the Heat playing a little more to the people – and as a result, the fans rocked it at the Larimer with their hands in the air as opposed to scratching their heads.|Ricardo Baca
