Holy fire, ma! Who needs hipster dreamland when you’ve got the motherfreakin’ Hi-Dive? Photos by .
SXS-what? Despite the number of hipsters who planned to hop over to to follow significant Mile High City representation, there were plenty still here, with plenty to see. In fact, the Friday night set at the on March 20, which hosted , and , was packed with so many of Denver’s usual suspects I wondered how many actually went to the festival.
The evening started with Houses, Andrew Hamilton’s collection of members from prominent local acts including Widowers, Hearts of Palm and Blue Million Miles (to name a few). The lineup sounds like a roll- call from many of Denver’s finest acts, and most are active in more than just two. Hamilton’s fervent arrangements progressed from quietly lush, sweeping folky ballads to bombastic, surging rock symphonies.
At times they recalled Black Heart Procession or Seattle’s seminal Mother Love Bone, and then transformed into the James Gang. They showcased strong ‘70s rock n’ roll roots, thick with guitar, echo, hair and sweat, as well as a wide swath of other influences.
Everything Absent or Distorted, another teeming mass of talent, was on next. EAOD sports eight members that switch instruments nearly as often as songs.
They orchestrated perfectly onstage, both musically and acrobatically (no small feat at the Hi-Dive) in an un-choreographed representation of the beauty of perfect chaos. Instruments included de rigeur guitars, bass, drums and keys, plus trumpets, trombone, banjo, accordion and violins — and nearly all were played by all. It was a joy and a challenge to witness EAOD’s tumultuous symphony, as the band’s syncopated commotion bathed the venue with sheer beauty.
In one instance, I feared the accordionist would put out an eye as a result of his wild abandon, flitting from one side of the stage to the other and back, while the bassist attempted repeatedly to dislodge a tile in the false ceiling above him. All the while, the band never missed a beat, and showcased a sound that included shades of Arcade Fire, Hearts of Palm and Joe Strummer’s Mescaleroes behind John Kuker’s Pete Shelley vocals.
Headliners d.biddle took the stage next, minus guitarist Jeff Davenport (in Austin with Meese), who was replaced by two violinists. The band had draped white sheets around the back of the stage, giving it a sparse and strangely clinical feeling. They changed the tone of the night from blinding to subdued and added even more passion, Duncan Barlow’s song stories taming the chaos of the other bands.
d.biddle wrapped the venue in beautifully noisy and emotional set that evoked the passionate simplicity of Pixies, with a thick, almost metal-ready brooding. Clearly one of Denver’s best live products, their sound was changed only slightly with Davenportap absence and the two violinists more than made up for it.
Billy Thieme is a Denver-based writer, an old-school punk and a huge follower of Denver’s vibrant local music scene. Follow Billy’s giglist at
is a Denver freelance photographer and regular contributor to Reverb.
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