Split Lip Rayfield soldiers on as a trio despite the passing of Kirk Rundstrom — and fans are happy to follow. Photos by .
Last Saturday’s show at the was another where you might think the three disparate-sounding bands were there because of some desperate booking. You would be wrong. Each act contributed something great to the night and the cohesive theme that developed was one of earnest quality.
, the go-to band in Denver for roots-rock, tore up the place and drew some of the headliner’s fans at least to the front rail, if not to the floor.
Impeccable percussion and the usual turn on the dobro by Alex Hebert combined with the raw, sweaty energy of singer/guitarist Nick Sullivan caught the attention of anyone not already initiated. American Relay and headliners teamed up on a similar date at the Bluebird last year, and the combination works because of either band’s matching energy levels.
Second to the stage were . A Denver band. A band I’d never heard of. A band that plays country with a little touch of bluegrass and a little touch of “alt.” And not just country, but classic country, with Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” thrown in for good measure. Alt? Well, they are named after Dr. Lazlo Hollyfeld of “Real Genius” — the steam-tunnel-dwelling mentor.
But they’re a band that now has two new fans. My girlfriend and I were blown away and plan on seeing at least a couple more Hollyfelds shows in the next few weeks. We were stunned by the pure, honey-dripping vocal harmony from two women who look just about old enough to have been negatively influenced by the scourge of pop “country” that washed over the airwaves some years ago and destroyed any remaining credibility that country music had in the ’90s.
I am not, nor have I ever been, a fan of country music. But I understand why the Mandrell show, and Dolly Parton, and the classic country my manager force-fed us over the PA on Sunday mornings cashiering at Home Base and the AM radio classic-Christian-country (yeesh!) that my co-worker insisted on during alternating car trips to Pueblo had such appeal to my parents’ and grandparents’ generation.
There is an honest heartache that everyone goes through. Raw wounds from love lost, tough times on the farm, and a longing for simpler times are all themes that transcend a lot of musical genres. The Hollyfelds’ tunes, so ably and beautifully performed, speak to us on some deep level and almost instantly restore that credibility that I haven’t seen for years. Another Denver gem.
This was my second time seeing a Split Lip Rayfield show and it was another punch in the gut that showed how much energy these three guys and their acoustic instruments can bring to a stage. The Hollyfelds had succeeded in filling up the floor but Split Lip fans packed it shoulder-to-shoulder as soon as the roadies started plugging in equipment.
Seeing a solid, sweaty bluegrass set drenched with a punk energy, full of banjos and mandolins and vocal harmony — all highlighted with Jeff Eaton’s single-stringed gas-tank bass and duct-taped bloody fingers — was simply exhausting.
The crowd did not stop moving, except to raise their cups in tribute to fallen member Kirk Rundstrom. The band simply could not, and did not, replace him after his death two years ago, thus becoming a trio. Honesty, I cannot imagine cramming any more into this wall of sound and fury blasting from the stage. Not even a drummer. Kirk’s unseen presence is enough, and I like to think he enjoyed the night.
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 .
MORE PHOTOS: American Relay
SPLIT LIP RAYFIELD
