Corey Teruya of Hello Kavita. Photos by .
by Becky Weidhaas
Denver hip-hop/rock act played their last show in the state last Sunday night at the in Greeley, before heading off on a two week tour of the United Kingdom with .
In the gymnasium-turned-auditorium, Denver band took the stage first to an eager, packed audience of students, families and kiddos at the all-ages show. The five-piece offered some blended harmonies to die for but the crowd didn’t immediately take to them. In fact, the audience seemed almost annoyed that there was any band playing but the Flobots. It certainly didn’t help that Hello Kavita puts out soothing and melancholic indie rock when the crowd, I assume, was expecting something more along the lines of hip-hop.
Hello Kavita worked hard through their set to connect with audience members. Frontman Corey Teruya made reference to his parents having both attended the University of Northern Colorado. “Without this school,” he joked, “I would not exist.” The crowd warmed up to them soon after.
The rich, sincere sound Hello Kavita creates is refreshing in a way that you need to hear to understand. Their music is so calming I nearly forgot about the weird temporary venue I found myself in. Not only do they play beautifully live, they also sound great on disc. My favorite song is “Silent Bed” (which, sadly, they did not play that night). And hey — hard work and effort pays off. If there was any doubt left, the audience was completely won over by Hello Kavita’s shout out to Colorado in the third verse of their song “Pensacola.” Expect a new album from them this summer.
Onto what everyone was waiting for: Flobots. I’ve seen them a number of times over the years and my only critique is that their set and the way they interact with the crowd is always the same. This weakness is, from another perspective, also one of their greatest strengths and what has more than likely gotten them so far.
I’m impressed time and again by how well Flobots engage and captivate audiences that span the age spectrum –- no an easy feat. They put on a great show while reminding us that we’re capable of making change and acknowledging that, regardless of who is our President is, there’s a lot of work to be done.
Reverb contributor lives in Fort Collins and attends Colorado State University.
is a Denver photographer and a regular contributor to Reverb.
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