Whiskey Throttle’s Stormin’ Norman sings under the watchful eyes of the greats at the Skylark on Friday. Photos by .
With a tour planned across New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas City for the month of March, Denver fans only have a couple more chances to see before they hit the road.
Friday’s show at the proved these guys are just itchin’ to set the southwest on fire with their blend of originals and covers, best described as Trashabilly. Punk, garage, surf-rock, rockabilly and a couple ’50s standards all make appearances in a Whiskey Throttle set.
The night started off a little awkward, with singer-guitarist Stormin’ Norman admitting he’s fighting his third cold in a row. When the band came back from the night’s first intermission, though, the energy kicked in and the crowd realized these guys are the real deal. They were privy to a hell of a house band, just theirs for the night, and there was no looking back on the floor.
Looking at the band members, you’d think the guys have a few rough years behind them. A guitar with a bunch of autographs of surf and rockabilly kings adds quite a bit to the authenticity. Listening to them, you hear the straining vocals of a man just begging for his girl’s love, set over the sounds of a hoppin’ beach party. Throw in a Misfits song facetiously introduced as an old country classic and there’s a couple more on the dance floor.
The venue itself is one of Denver’s gems. Regulars — one of whom might as well have been sitting on that stool nursing a beer since the ’50s — mixed comfortably with the rockabilly scene’s slicked hair and rolled-up jeans cuffs. Top that off with the stunning ’36 Chevy parked out front, and the place just echoed with good times past.
As for the helmet? That was part of a dual tribute to Evil Knievel and the crazy mom in the news who just spit out eight babies. Hell, by the point the crowd could have used a complimentary helmet or two.
Jason Claypool is a digital photographer from Lakewood. He specializes in concert, music and event photography. His work is available as large-format prints. His complete profile, with contact information, is , and his collections are Track his show calendar on .
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