Spiritualized brought the righteous aural absolution to the Ogden Theatre on Wednesday. Photos by .
On Wednesday night the was graced with one of latter-day psych rock’s most groundbreaking, engaging bands. The range in audience age alone suggested the strength of legacy as well as their progression and vitality. The band has brought in a new generation of listeners with their hypnotic, minimalist sound while giving longtime listeners a trip back in time with music from past albums.
Singer and guitarist Jason Pierce (formerly of Spacemen 3) continues to trademark his sympho-electric narcotic-rock sound with Spiritualized’s latest CD, “Songs in A&E.” After a bout of double pneumonia and intensive care-recovery, Pierce finally finished the album (released in May) and has hit the ground touring.
The line up consisted of seven people, including two bluesy gospel singers dressed in white that polished the band’s divine sound. There’s no visual over-production when you see this band live, the spare haze of strobes and back-lit performers allowing the audience to transcend with the music.
Pierce stood far right and at the edge of the stage, equipped with a guitar, his standoffish expression accented with sunglasses, a no-fuss shirt, a pair of jeans and shoes. He engaged the audience by delivering sound rather than a persona. The show opened with “Amazing Grace” and transitioned perfectly into “You Lie You Cheat,” from the latest album. These first few songs awarded listeners the equivalent of a sigh of relief, proving Spiritualized can still put the musical remedies on the table.
Others songs included “Shine a Light,” “Soul on Fire,” “Sweet Talk” and “Take Me to the Other Side,” featuring whispered/wailed lyrics like, “You sweet talk like an angel but you’re driving this blind,” and “Let’s see how fast we can go before our eyes can’t follow the road.”
The band’s darkest (and alternately, most enlightened) moments come mostly from past chronic addictions — and it shows. Whether or not the audience engaged in their own recreational pre-show drugs, you could get your fix on the jarring guitars, soft harmonies and undeniably honest lyrics. The audiences was pulled in with the gentle and building force, crashing hard with the sonic outbreak of compassion.
The encore, “Lord Can You Hear Me” from 2001’s “Let It Come Down,” was the perfect way to leave us to our devices by a way of musical absolution.
Lisa Gedgaudas is a Denver writer and Reverb contributor.
Matt Schild is a Denver writer/photographer and editor of .
MORE PHOTOS: Grand Ole Party
Spiritualized
