Langhorne Slim and the War Eagles turned the hipster haven Hi-Dive into a sweaty barn dance on Wednesday. Photos by .
You can’t help but admire the effect music has on people. His music turns calm and collected types into crazy jigging maniacs. Slim’s music is like a potent aural drug that rids people of those pesky inhibitions — and sets them free to dance and bop and jig and do-si-do.
I’ll always remember dragging a couple friends out to see him in early 2005 — he was opening for Clem Snide at the Larimer Lounge. Some friends give me a hard time for getting overly excited about shows. “This may be the best show of the year,” I sometimes say, apparently. But I’m happy to report that, when I said that in April of 2005 about the Slim/Snide bill, I was right.
Langhorne Slim opening for Clem Snide? I mean, seriously. Sure, none of my friends had heard of him at that point. He was touring behind one of the prettiest records I’ve ever heard, “When the Sun’s Gone Down,” and his solo set that night made me a believer for life.
Slim’s kept me as a fan and follower by consistent touring and the release of more killer records. And to his credit, he’s done an admirable job of expanding his fanbase. His last two shows have been packed — including Wednesday’s gig.
Langhorne’s ragers — songs like “Honey Pie” and “In the Midnight” — act like fast-action wicks. Slim and his small band ignite them, and after a small hissing intro out comes a raging neo-hillybilly romp. It’s indie-rooted, sure — not all that unlike Clem Snide or the Avett Brothers — which is to say that it’s also rootsy. And suddenly head-bobbing hipsters are turning into fiery square dancers in front of your eyes.
I have a theory about honest roots music connecting with people in a different way (and on a different level) than traditional rock music, but I’ll write that story another time. To prove the theory right, all you have to do is go see a Slim or Avett Brothers show. (Some friends and I flew to Asheville, N.C., to see two nights of Slim opening for the Avetts in December. It was an effing epic weekend.) They’ll make you believers.
As for Slim’s Hi-Dive show, “Restless” was a delightful, introspective jaunt. “I Ain’t Proud” is a charmer — the song equivalant of Slim. (You might say that Slim is the kind of guy who all the ladies wanna be with, and all the guys wanna be him.) Two late-set songs sure to win over even the skeptics were “I Love to Dance” and “By the Time the Sun’s Gone Down.”
“I Love to Dance” is a letter to the ladies, and it’s a fitting tribute to the fairer sex. “By the Time the Sun’s Gone Down” is the most gorgeous song in Slim’s catalog, and its simple song structure is matched by a fun-loving wit that guides the listeners through the maze of his emotions.
Ricardo Baca is the pop music critic at The Denver Post and the co-editor of Reverb.
is a Denver photographer and a regular contributor to Reverb.
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