American Relay provides some of the best hardcore-punk-infused blues you’re likely to find in Denver. Photos by Jason Claypool.
Once they enter your head, itap unlikely anyone could forget these words form 1948 blues anthem “Boogie Chillen:”
“I heard Papa tell Mama
‘Let that boy boogie-woogie!
It’s in him
And it got to come out!’ ”
After seeing Saturday’s show at the , I’ve got no doubt that these boys have the boogie-woogie in them, too, and they have absolutely no trouble letting it out.
First of all, to give the venue ample credit for ambiance, you have to admire the Lion’s Lair’s immutable “true dive” nature. The place oozes Denver and East Colfax Avenue history, from the black and red ceiling hung with old material that doubtless holds tobacco residue from ’50s and ’60s beatnik days as sure as from just minutes before the smoking ban in Denver took effect, to the sticker-covered walls and the black-and-white marbled linoleum stapled to the bar.
The Lion’s Lair seems to breathe a certain “skid row” sensibility, even while it remains one of Denver’s hippest spots to catch an almost uncomfortably close glimpse of bands. Just playing there makes a band cool – even if that cool can’t be backed up with any sort of musicality.
Which is decidedly not the case with American Relay, by the way. Besides having no trouble getting the boogie-woogie out, and getting it out strong and loud, the band carries its own cool, with a wide, ass-kicking swagger.
American Relay is a Denver-based duo featuring Nick Sullivan on guitar and vocals, and Alex Herbert on percussion (and occasionally on guitar and drums together (which kind of makes them a trio for a few songs, right?). Sullivan could be better described as a marauder, though. He used his guitar to attack us in the close proximity the Lion’s Lair provided with a wild, chunky blues sound culled just as much from (with maybe a little heavier dose of his earlier, messier than his Blues Explosion) as from legends and the aforementioned Hooker.
His raspy, powerful vocals harkened an early Creedence-era , well matched to the guitar’s howling rhythm and slide. Backed by Herbertap explosive drumming, the duo provided some of the best hardcore-punk-infused blues you’re likely to find in Denver.
Opening for Relay were Salt Lake City’s and Denver’s -and both added to the blues-drenched air of the Lair on Saturday night.
Luna played a satisfying opening set that included a solid Burnside cover. Luna’s powerful voice was well-accompanied by her bluesy power-punk guitar, and her bandmate in the trapset behind her. Her meek, between-song banter belied the passion she poured into her instrument and vocals. Watch for this duo to quickly gain popularity and stature on Denver’s scene.
Despite the fact that Pink Lightnin’ hails from Salt Lake City, I couldn’t help but hear a distinct, Texas-boogie-sounding undercurrent when the foursome took the stage. Thatap not to say the band was anything less than brilliant, however. I especially found comfort in the way the Rev. Bad Brad Wheeler made his lap slide guitar scream, which made it often sound more like a than a stringed instrument. Wheeler and his bandmates – Eli Morrison (guitar and vocals), Jawsh Belka (drums and vocals), and Aldine (bass) – spat out a thick and sweet set of blues rock before surrendering the stage to American Relay.
Billy Thieme is a Denver-based freelance writer and frequent Reverb contributor.
is a Denver photographer and Reverb contributor.
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